Seth Petterson...

My buddy, Tim Bramlette, punk rock photographer, recently took another step through the music industry door. After gaining experience on the road with the Street Dogs for a couple of tours, Tim has decided to take a stab at band management.

Actually, it's more like musician management. Under the name, Rose Park Management, Tim will help bring the likes of, Seth Petterson, to the good people of the world. It's no wonder why either, after spending an evening with him recently, I found myself growing fond of his personable demeanor and soulful music.

I met up with Seth, also the front man of the band Franklin for Short, at club Velvet Jones here in SB. I took a few snaps of the sound check for his solo performance (plus drummer, Trevor). From there we moved on to a nearby alley way and then a corner liquor store for a quick promo/"thank you" shoot. Seth recently picked up sponsorship from the Innes clothing company and Tim wanted to send thank you shots to them. From there it was back to the Velvet where Seth and I tossed back a couple of cold ones and got to know each other a little better, he's a truly genuine guy. His set was nothing short of amazing to me, and I highly recommend anyone reading this (all 3 of you) to check him out...

R.I.P. Jim Marshall...

You were a HUGE inspiration to me.

Feb. 3rd, 1936 - Mar. 24th, 2010

Photo by: Tim Mantoani

Living Room Session...

I recently shot a little bit of live music, for the first time in a while. My friend, Rey Villalobos, who seems to be a resident of both Portland and Santa Barbara these days, was in town rehearsing for a gig at the Mercury Lounge .

It turns out, he needed a fill-in drummer for the show and I came to learn that my other buddy, Chris, who owns the Presidio Motel had talent in that department. Though he doesn't typically play for audiences in public, Chris still agreed to sit in. So... they got together and the rehearsal took place in Chris's living room at the motel. It just so happens that I now live at the Presidio Motel too, where my wife and I are the night managers. It was only natural that I grab my camera and walk down stairs to witness and document Chris prepping for his big gig.

I opted to shoot large jpg (instead of RAW) and do it all in on the monochrome setting, a.k.a. black & white. It seemed fitting for the vibe of the music and location. Plus... I get tired of all the post processing, I just wanted to keep it simple...