In the Pit #20: Chris Everett

Chris Everett is the latest of the Getintothis band of photographers to answer our questions on all things gig shooting and how he got started.

Chris Everett has been shooting regularly for Getintothis since about the summer of 2018 and in that short period he has given us some of our most striking and memorable images.

His chosen genre of mostly metal related music maybe gives him an edge in that respect, but as is always the case with the best photos, he needs to know how to be in the right place at the right time and when to hit the shutter button.

His love of all things metal shines through in this selection of images, but as Chris told us a while back it isn’t exclusively metal that makes him excited, but anything out of the ordinary seems to draw him in.

In this latest instalment of In the Pit we have a word with Chris and find out where he’s coming from.

Getintothis: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into photography.

“I have been an avid gig goer all my life and always had a disposable camera or point and shoot with me. As I got older I was fascinated by the way cameras worked and how they technically produced the image. So I decided to pursue it further and applied to college to study photography. The rest is history.”

Getintothis: What was the first gig you shot?

“Professionally? A band called Oceansize supported by And So I Watch You From Afar in The Masque, Liverpool. Had a major hard drive crash after the gig and lost all the pictures.
As an amateur the first band that I photographed was my brothers original band, The Red Threads in a bar in Southport called The Underground.”

Getintothis: So what’s in your camera bag when you’re shooting?

“When I’m shooting music it’s two camera bodies, one with a standard prime attached and one with a wide prime attached. In the heat of the moment I don’t have time to be fumbling about looking for lenses. Also in there are earplugs, spare batteries and memory card pouch.”

Getintothis: Which is your favourite shot?

“My favourite shot was taken last year at Bloodstock Festival, it is of a band called Watain from Sweden. I happened to be the only photographer who had photographed them before and knew what to expect. I positioned myself and prepared for the show as I know how the frontman (Erik) moves. As soon as they came out, I waited for him to prowl around the stage and nailed the shot of him looking right in the camera with his deathly gaze.”

Getintothis: Any terrible or fun shoots you’d like to share?

“I have had a few interesting shoots. Shooting the genre of music I do you come up against some challenges. Watain the band i mentioned earlier throw a gallon of pigs blood all over the crowd, so I’ve had to move fast during that. That gig was incredibly fun to shoot, too, as they had 12 ft flame jets either side of the stage. As a band, they are on top of their game, they have an amazing shock factor and incredible stage show.

I also once had a band bring a dead pigeon they found outside and dump it on the stage in front of me. The lead then found it best to attack the photographers with the mic stand. I remember seeing the swipe incoming and got out of there as fast as i could.”

Cream Classical In The Park line-up to include Faithless, Paul Oakenfold and more

Getintothis: So what’s your favourite bit of kit?

“My favourite bit of kid has to be my 35mm prime lens, i wouldn’t do a gig without it.”

Getintothis: Any particularly difficult musicians?

“As long as you do your research you never really encounter anything too difficult.”

Getintothis: Who are your favourite Liverpool bands to shoot?

“My favourite Liverpool bands to shoot are either Neuroma, Scare Tactics or Oceanis.“

Getintothis: Where’s your favourite place to shoot?

“My favourite place to shoot is a fairly new venue, run by the guys over at The Jacaranda called Phase One. I photographed a punk band called Cancer Bats in there a few weeks ago and it was incredible. Definitely my favourite venue in the city.”

Getintothis: What one tip would you give anyone starting out?

“Never be weighed down by the ‘I don’t have the right camera’ mentality, there is a saying in the camera world called ‘all the gear, no idea’. Hone your art and style before you even worry about having the right equipment. I once shot Iron Maiden on a disposable camera!”

Getintothis: What’s the worst advice you’ve been given?

“Don’t try and photograph in a mosh pit.”

Getintothis: Any favourite photographers?

“A gentleman named Peter Beste (not the original Beatles drummer). Peter has produced a photo book following the Norwegian black metal scene in the 90s named ‘True Norwegian Black Metal’. It contains intimate portraits of all my favourite musicians; ever wonder what all these heavy metal musicians do in the daytime?”

Getintothis: What would be your ideal gig to shoot?

“My ideal gig would be the one band I’ve seen most but never professionally photographed. In Flames, playing in Sticky Fingers, Gothenburg, Sweden.”

Any website or social media links you want us to use?
instagram:  @chrisevophoto

Images by Getintothis’ Chris Everett

[paypal-donation]

Comments

comments