Dieselboy at Republic, New Orleans

The last time I saw Dieselboy perform was about 5 years ago in Miami. Being one of my favorite drum and bass DJs, my mouse cursor very easily glided over the "purchase tickets" button online. I don't go to too many shows anymore, preferring instead to walk around in the dark with a camera or two slung over my shoulder. I'm glad I went to this one.

Email: info@carlosdetres.com

Taking the Fujifilm x100s Out for a Spin at a New Orleans Wedding

"You see if you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do, kid." -- Bill Cunningham

Just over a month ago, my wife and I were invited to a wedding here in New Orleans. I'd been wanting to shoot a wedding with my Fujifilm x100s since I got it just to see how it would fare in a situation with a lot of moving parts. I was able to experiment with this camera because I wasn't the hired photographer. In another scenario, I'd have brought my Nikon cameras since I know very well how well they handle under these high octane situations.

I was very satisfied but unsurprised by the x100s' performance. It handled the rain with no problem and the autofocus worked wonderfully. I could very well see this being the only camera I shoot events with in the future. It was fun, compact and easy to work with and due to its quiet shutter and size, I went mostly unnoticed when I needed to be.

The Soft Moon at One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans

This was one of those nights.

One of those evenings in which you wish you could fully pay attention and photograph something important, like a favorite band's performance. But when you're dancing your ass off, holding a lens in one hand and a camera in the other, making pictures becomes messy. 

Add whiskey. Add beer.

I admit that this wasn't my best work but it was a great memory. I hadn't danced that hard in a long time and hadn't seen The Soft Moon perform even longer. It was a perfect performance from beginning to end. Although One Eyed Jacks wasn't crowded, the people who were there erupted into a vibrating dance ritual that is usually reserved for the typical New Orleans jazz/funk fare. 

It was great seeing one of my favorite bands perform in my new city and seeing a lot of people discover music that is really special to me and to a lot of other people. 

Enjoy the photos.

Roof climbing in Astoria, Queens

It was a Friday night in Astoria last year that was otherwise ordinary except that it was foggy. The end of the week brought forth the usual congregation of drinks and chatter, which, this time, led to the rooftop. Somewhere between the drinking and the beauty of the fog, blanketing us, we climbed the roof where I got one of my favorite pictures I've yet shot in Astoria (last one). 

ADULT. at Verboten...last year

I didn't do a whole lot with these photos when I shot them last year, despite getting some work after the first time shooting a show with a mirrorless camera (Fujifilm X100s). When I've shot shows in the past, it has always been with a DSLR, however I really enjoyed the look while limited to a fixed 35mm lens. 

I love this camera. I love this camera so much that it's probably my favorite one to shoot with. I enjoy the limitations of a fixed lens. I've recently acquired a 50mm equivalent lens for it and am debating on whether I made the right decision. Again...the factor of limitation really expands creativity. Do more with less.

So, last year, I went to see ADULT. with some friends and my wife at Verboten, a wonderful and newish music venue in Williamsburg. It was an ideal location to test the X100s' ability to perform under low light. 

Will pictures look Rolling Stone quality on this thing? I don't know but I love the aesthetic that I'm able to achieve with the Fujifilm X100s. I highly recommend playing with one.