San Felix is (L–R, below) Mark Bell (bass/vocals), Ian Kopp (guitar/vocals), Nick Tassell (drums), and Brett Frankson (keys/vocals).
They performed at this year’s YYJ Rocktographers gallery showcase. They also have one of the sharpest brand identities I’ve seen from a local band.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 12 mm · 1/250 s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II x2, 1/4 power (front) and 1/8 power (rear), \remote triggered
Rocktographer Tyson Elder and I joined forces for a promo shoot with them this past weekend, and it was great fun.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 13 mm · 1/250 s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 1/4 power, \remote triggered
Sometimes, the shoot was serious.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 13 mm · 1/250 s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
Shortly after this shoot, they set off on their first national tour (which they’re calling . . . The National Tour), including performing at Canadian Music Week in Toronto, which is a huge deal.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/250 s · f/2.8 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 1/8 power, remote triggered
We spent some time at the Roundhouse at Bayview Place, where we were able to get shots like this.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/250 s · f/4.5 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 1/4 power, remote triggered
But the shoot started at the Vic West Skatepark where, naturally, I sat them on the edge of the bowl to look all rockstar and stuff . . .
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/250 s · f/6.7 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 1/8 power, remote triggered
. . . before having them use it as a slide.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 12 mm · 1/250 s · f/6.7 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 1/8 power, remote triggered
After that, we broke out The Smoke. Tyson got some coloured smoke grenades, and we used them with great glee.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/250 s · f/6.7 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 1/8 power, remote triggered
My impression of a bug.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 10 mm · 1/250 s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 1/4 power, remote triggered
Everything was going well (that’s foreshadowing, folks). We were at our final location, ready to launch our final smoke grenade, taking test shots . . .
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/250 s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II x2, 1/4 power, remote triggered
Smoke grenades are expensive, and only last about a minute, so here’s how Tyson and I would coordinate things: I would pull the pin and run around with the smoke while he shot, then hand it to him to do the same while I shot.
“Can you go in front, Tyson?”
“Perfect, let the wind carry it . . . great.”
“Okay, can you go behind them?”
Tyson, concentrating on maneuvering between the band and the bridge while holding the smoke grenade up, stepped onto some uneven ground, lost his balance, and came down hard on his knee. And his camera.
. . .
Say, y’know what? I have a battery grip on my camera now. I love it.
Not only does it let me load in two batteries for extended shooting time, but I can easily shoot in portrait orientation without sticking my elbows up.
The only thing is that, the way it rests at my side, the shutter release button on the grip is prone to being accidentally pressed while I’m walking or, in this case, running.
Here’s what my camera saw as I sprinted over to see if Tyson was okay.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 19 mm · 1/250 s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
In the end, Tyson was okay. His knee is sore, and the hood (thankfully, only the hood) of his new lens on his new camera took the brunt of the fall. He even managed to hang on to the smoke grenade.
He fell on his front, rolled to his back and — like a total badass — chucked the smoke grenade clear before taking a test shot with is camera.
Tyson: “We’re good!”
Ian: “Photography is hard.”
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 31 mm · 1/250 s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II x2, 1/4 power, remote triggered
Thanks for the fun and adventures, San Felix. Have a kickass National Tour, and we’ll see you at Logan’s on June 17.
=)