Marty Casey’s “Crime of Fashion” CD

Crime of Fashion CD Single, by Marty CaseyI’ve been such a bad blogger this year! So much has happened, that I haven’t mentioned. It’s partially due to the fact that when you’re working with musicians and record companies there can be a delay between shooting an artist, and then seeing the final CD debut. But I also have to admit that I’m just behind… So I’ll try to rectify that a bit now – with another CD that debuted this year, with one of my images on the cover!

Marty Casey released the CD single, Crime of Fashion in the late Spring, and it’s only available with a purchase from his Silver Elements Jewelry line – available at silverelementscollection.com. You can hear a clip of the song at Silver Elements Collection: Music – just click on the song title on that page, and then in the popup window, click on the sound icon!

We actually shot the cover last summer, in an elevator in a swanky hotel on the Sunset Strip – can you guess which one? The shiny textured metallic wall may offer a bit of a clue!

My images have appeared on four CDs in the last two years – and of those images this one is definitely the closest to my fine art work. I’ve always been attracted to multiple and long exposures! And I love that Marty is brave enough as an artist to go a little wild with me, and make an image like this happen – and I love it even more that he chose it for his CD cover. Says a lot about him as an artist!

related posts

>> Marty Casey – I See Stars
>> LA Guns – Shrinking Violet
>> Lukas Rossi – So This Is Christmas

Silver Elements Collection: The Fall Line

Back in September I did a session with Marty Casey in West Hollywood for his Silver Elements Collection – the fall line – and the images debuted on his site a few weeks ago, but I’ve never shared them here, so here’s a taste!

Marty Casey for Silver Elements // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

I love this scarf! It’s asymmetric and sort of intentionally frayed on one side, and has silver running through it – very very cool! And I love the shot as well – possibly my favorite image from the entire session…

Marty Casey for Silver Elements // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

This image was actually from an earlier session – also for Silver Elements – but it just debuted last month, so I figured I’d share it now too, since I love it so much! There’s no jewelry in it – but it’s beautiful, so I can live with that!

There are a lot more images at SilverElementsCollection.com – you have to click on “more views” to get to see all the images – so a little extra work, but it’s worth doing! And if you’re in the holiday shopping mode, I’d definitely take a look – everything from the collection is really beautiful, and beautifully made, and distinctive – in other words, they make great gifts!

Lovehammers at The Key Club, West Hollywood

Lovehammers at the Key Club // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

I’m a little late blogging about this, but it’s only because I had so much fun, that I didn’t want it to end – and blogging is definitely an after-the-fact activity! A little over a week ago I went to a great show, spent loads of time with some great friends, shot all kinds of amazing images, ate some great food, and spent way too much money on parking in LA. Just a fabulous weekend!

But about that show, since it was definitely the high point of the weekend… It was Lovehammers – direct from Chicago – and more like a party than just a show, since it was their West Coast CD release for their latest work, Heavy Crown. There were a lot of fans that flew in from other parts of the country – including a whole bunch from Chicago – and that fed the party atmosphere. I met so many, it’s kind of a blur, but it was great to meet so many people face to face that have sent me sweet notes in the past about my images of the band. They love that band, no doubt about it, and by extension I get a lot of love, simply because I’ve shot that band. It’s great!

First up was soundcheck! The venue had sold VIP tickets that included a CD, a shirt, and a meet and greet after soundcheck, so quite a few of their fans got to experience it as well, and it was SO good! I always love soundcheck, since the emphasis is on the sound, not on the performance, and sometimes you get to see, or rather hear another side of a performer or band. It’s just different than the actual show – and that can mean lesser, or it can mean something totally different and wonderful – in this case, we got wonderful. And because I wasn’t shooting, I got to just enjoy the music and the sound. So I was already totally happy, and in love, when they broke out my latest favorite song, Neverfall. Now I didn’t expect to hear it live, I hoped, but was not expecting. They’ve done several shows since the new CD debuted, and I’ve read the reviews, and I knew they hadn’t done Neverfall live – so it was a BIG wonderful surprise when they started to play it. Honestly I screamed, like a 12-year-old fan girl! I could not have been happier and it totally lived up to my expectations. It wasn’t as slick as some of the other songs they did, but it more than made up for that in raw sexy power. If I had to pick one perfect moment from the entire weekend, it would be hearing that song, my favorite song, live, in my favorite city. Just perfect!

And there was another really fun moment during soundcheck that I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it… There’s a line in one of their new songs, “Last night she was on fire…” and yeah, it’s a sexy line. Even just seeing it written it’s sexy, so imagine it in the middle of a really hot song, and well it’s even sexier! But at soundcheck there was this little pause, and a breathe, and it was the single sexiest thing I’ve ever heard or seen onstage. If you saw the show, you know it was great then, but during soundcheck it was mindblowingly sexy. I turned to my friend, and I couldn’t even verbalize how blown away I was. It was a really good moment!

And the show itself was amazing! But I’ll let my images tell the story there…. Check out the link at the end of this post, or click on the image above!

The next night Lovehammers hosted a listening party in Hollywood at Ink Kandy Tattoo – with discounts given if you got a LH tattoo – I didn’t participate in that aspect, but I had fun hanging out with a couple of friends that I don’t see nearly often enough. We also checked out a place I’d heard of, but never been to before, the Beauty Bar – which is totally cute, and kitchy, and fun.

The last time I’d seen the Lovehammers live was at Hammerfest in Chicago in March 2008, so it had been way too long, and I was really ready to hear the new material – and it seriously exceeded my expectations! What can be better than a really great band, in your favorite city, on a really HOT summer night?

So check out my slideshow, and if you get the chance, go see Lovehammers live!

http://rockbandlounge.com/news/2009-09-25-lovehammers/

Marty Casey in Old San Juan Capistrano

Marty Casey at the Mission San Juan Capistrano // Photo: Cheryl SpeltsI decided this session needed it’s own blog post–the images are just too gorgeous not to be seen at their full size…

We shot this session in Old San Juan Capistrano, both on Los Rios Street, and at the Mission San Juan Capistrano.

The Los Rios Historic District is the oldest neighborhood in San Juan Capistrano, California. Some of the adobe houses date back to 1794–including the Silvas, Rios and Montanez adobes, with the Rios Adobe still inhabited by descendants of the original family. The neighborhood also has historic wooden homes from the 19th Century, and Los Rios Street is lined with 200-year-old pepper and olive trees.

The Mission San Juan Capistrano, founded in 1775, is the seventh of twenty-one missions in California. The Great Stone Church was completed in 1806, but an earthquake in December of 1812 caused the church to collapse, and the ruins still exist today. At it’s peak over 1000 people lived at the mission, but with the collapse of the Great Stone Church, as well as changes politically, the missions went into decline. In 1834 the Mexican government sold the land holdings of Mission San Juan Capistrano to twenty prominent California families. California became the 31st state in 1850, and President Abraham Lincoln gave the missions to the Catholic Church in 1865, just three weeks before he was assassinated. Today the mission is run by a non-profit organization and relies on donations for financing.

Marty Casey at Mission San Juan Capistrano // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Marty Casey // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Marty Casey at the Mission San Juan Capistrano // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Rios Street // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Marty Casey at Mission San Juan Capistrano // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Marty Casey at the Mission San Juan Capistrano // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Marty Casey at the Mission San Juan Capistrano // Photo: Cheryl Spelts.

Marty Casey in the Los Rios Historic District // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Marty Casey in San Juan Capistrano // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Icon vs Icon

Last week online pop culture magazine, Icon vs Icon published a great new interview with Marty Casey – and with it they debuted some images of mine that have never been seen before.

http://www.iconvsicon.com/2009/08/08/marty-casey-talks-lovehammers-explosive-new-album-heavy-crown/

Shot last fall in San Juan Capistrano, the session yielded one truly iconic image – and of course Icon vs Icon chose that one for their headline image! It’s also the primary image on myspace.com/martycasey and it’s the very first image in my portfolio at cherylspelts.com. Iconic is an understatement – of all the images I’ve shot of Marty, it’s the one in my opinion, that best encapsulates who he is – if any one image can do that… It’s pretty and gritty, and complex, and mysterious and yet still wide open.

But that image, as great as it is, has been seen before… The fun part this week is the new stuff! Icon vs Icon used four never-before-seen images, but there are even more in the slideshow!

Icon vs Icon

I’d like to thank Jason Price at Icon vs Icon… Jason, you rock!

Sunglasses from Marty Casey’s Silver Elements

 // Photo: Cheryl SpeltsMarty Casey just added sunglasses to his Silver Elements Collection!

To get a pair, click here, and be sure to check out “More Views” for three more images. We shot them on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood last week, and they’re totally cool and so very very LA!

All items purchased from the Marty Casey Silver Elements Collection support the “Marty Casey Elements of Nature Fund” where every $ plants a tree in conjunction with American Forests “Global Releaf” Ecosystem Restoration Projects. American Forests (www.americanforests.org) helps people improve the environment with trees and forests. It is the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization.

L.A. Guns at House of Blues on Sunset

Some people think that a photographer just shoots what is. If there’s beautiful stuff in front of you, just click the shutter, and voilà! Instant art! But it’s not quite that simple. Yes, if there’s beautiful stuff in front of you, you’re halfway there, but the artist still has to chose where to point the camera, and what moment to capture – as well as a myriad of other more technical choices. With every shot, that artist is telling his own story and showing you his vision. And no two photographers, if presented with the same beautiful subject, will come up with the same way of presenting it. And honestly, even the same photographer on different days, will make different choices. That’s art!

I shot LA Guns last week at the House of Blues on Sunset, which is a great venue, with nice light – my favorite kind of place. And they sounded great and looked great – it was just the best of LA Guns, in every way. So a perfect night to shoot. And lucky for me, I came to that show so wiped out and exhausted I could hardly see straight. Lucky? Yeah lucky. Because shooting a concert is like crack to me – so of course I’m going to rise to the occasion. And of course how I’m feeling is going to shape what I see, and how I shoot – and that’s a good thing!

Earthy, sensual, and wild are how I’d describe my images from that night. I usually go for the extreme, but that night I was attracted to the moments in between – the moments when you take a breath. Not necessarily the moments when the musicians take a breath, but more the moments where you, the viewer take a breath. So go ahead, just breathe… and enjoy!

Marty Casey/ Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

To see the slideshow from that night, go to:
http://www.rockbandlounge.com/news/2009-04-la-guns/

And remember to maximize your browser window – the images are large, and deserve to be seen that way!

There’s a discussion thread at RBL, too!
http://www.rockbandlounge.com/forum/topic.asp?topic_id=11229

Michigan Avenue Magazine

Marty Casey in Pacific BeachFrom Marla Zegart of silverelementscollection.com:

Marty Casey’s Silver Elements Trees dogtag necklace is featured in this month’s Michigan Avenue Magazine. The monthly magazine is an upscale publication that “celebrates the best of Chicago and its surrounding region, from people, events, and celebrity dish to fashion, fine dining, and shopping.”

To see a scan of the magazine, with a couple of my images, click here.

LA Guns at Brixton South Bay, in Redondo Beach

I got to start 2009 off right with a concert!

The venue was a small club in Redondo Beach called Brixton South Bay, the band was LA Guns, and I got to meetup with some old friends and meet some new ones. It was a fun night!

It was the first time the band had played together in a couple of months, and they sounded good. I think it’s safe to say that I got a little spoiled this summer and early fall – I got to see them in concert five or six times – but that was months ago, and I guess I missed them, because I really really enjoyed the show.

This particular venue wasn’t that exciting, but it did have some cool lights, so it was a fun show to shoot. I got a shot with Marty Casey and Tracii Guns bathed in orange light from one side and violet from the other. I call that RBL light, for obvious reasons, and it’s rare to see it, but always beautiful! But my favorite shots from the night may be the solo shots of Jeremy Guns and Alec Bauer.

I used a wide angle lens almost exclusively that night – and I really pushed the colors and textures – so the images are a little different, and a little out there – but I think they’re fun!

Oh, and the poster for the event featured one of my images!

LA Guns

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl SpeltsAlec Bauer // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

LA Guns // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
And finally four-fifths of the band in the greenroom before the show with Darryl Boyd who owns Rock-n-Roll GangStar Apparel.

Edited to Add: A pop culture blog called Icon vs. Icon, recently named LA Guns one of the top Live Acts of 2008, and they used one of my images to accompany the article. It’s a live shot from Yucaipa, back in September. I really do love to see my images turn up in the press, when I’m not expecting it. It’s like an Easter Egg Hunt!
http://www.iconvsicon.com/2008/12/27/the-best-live-performances-of-2008-revealed/