The Year in Photos

19 Shots That Stand Out

a photo essay by Jen Lato

“1”

Elias and I

My story begins with Elias from Nonpoint and a picture that was taken earlier this year. I start my “Top 19” off with this snapshot for a couple of reasons: first, Nonpoint has worked hard to be where they are, from having a slot on Ozzfest to opening for bands like Sevendust. They also sparked the fire inside of me that’s made me the photographer that I am today. When I was in high school, I’d go see them every other weekend, getting my practice with different techniques and such. So this is Elias and I… and here’s the rest of my story…

“2”

“The Impossible Spit”

This one was taken at the Sapphire Supper Club, my second home. Craig is without a doubt one of my favorite people to photograph. It’s a guarantee that he will always be rocking out every show, every night. I actually caught him leaning backwards, spitting water into the crowd. Nice.

“3”

At first I wasn’t going to make it out to the Weezer show. I’ve never been one of those Weezer freaks… it’s like a cult with those kids (no offense). I do give them the respect that they definitely deserve, though. In the end, I’m glad I went, but I don’t know if I’d do it again. They seem like one of those bands that if you’ve seen it once; you’ve seen enough… they don’t really rock out to my standards.

“4”

Here’s one of those bands that clearly deserve more exposure. Fairweather from Virginia. I like them, and so will you. The only reason I went to see Piebald was to see these guys, and they almost didn’t make it due to van trouble. Furthermore, the kid in this picture is on my list of favorite people to photograph. He totally rocks out and puts his all into it. Nice boys…

“5”

Before everyone flies off the handle, yes, I like them. Not in a teenage girl, “I love Deryck” kind of way, but in the “they are young and entertaining” way. I hate the people who compare them to Blink-182 because of similar stage antics… come on… most boys between the ages of 18-25 have the same mind frame… do you expect the rambling between songs to not be about boobs or bad tour habits? Exactly. Also, being the avid TRL fan that I am, I have to give them credit for walking all over those other bands on the countdown and taking “Fat Lip” to number one. Woohoo.

“6”

They owned the Orlando Warped Tour, in my opinion. I don’t think anyone compared. Of course my thoughts changed every city, but my first day there was the Orlando date, and they blew me away. A.F.I. were powerful and energetic from start to finish.

“7”

It couldn’t be more perfect that my best friend is very model-like. This was taken at a burnt down and abandoned flea market near my house. The guy in the background makes the picture. He’s wearing her shirt and my pink angel wings. I think I shot about seven rolls of film that day, and he’s in about half of them just acting stupid. Luckily, it worked out for the best.

“8”

I don’t really remember where this was taken. Warped Tour… somewhere. I’d say Virginia Beach, because that seemed to be the day of good pictures. The Bouncing Souls rule. Again, I was just really happy with the way this one came out.

“9”

I thought roommates were good for nothing except turning the air down to 70 when you’re not looking, but when you’re bored at 12 AM and brain dead from finals week, setting up your living room as a studio seems like a fun idea. Baby oil, trashy eyeliner, a naked roommate and a camera sounds like a perfect combination for voyeurism, don’t you think?

“10”

Yeah. It’s my iguana. What a hot model, right? The only way to get him to cooperate on these exhausting photo shoots is to pull him out of his cage at 2 AM when he’s cold and asleep… and has no idea what’s going on. The only model I’ve ever worked with that you can just wake up in the middle of the night and they look just as good as any other time of day. That, and you never hear any complaints out of an iguana. Give him a strawberry, and he’s good to go.

“11”

I love Incubus. I think it’s rare these days to find talent in every aspect of a band. Vocals, lyrics, guitars, beats, live performance, etc., and these boys accomplish this all in one package. It seemed hard to believe that their new anticipated album could compare to the success of Make Yourself, but Morning View is all that and a bag of chips. I drove three hours to see this show, not having a ticket, taking the gamble, but somehow made it into Sunrise Musical Theater, all with my trusty camera around my neck.

“12”

Ozzfest New York – actually New Jersey, but they said it was the New York date, if I remember correctly. I like Taproot a lot and I think they deserve more exposure than they’ve received in the past. Good music, nice guys. Kudos to Mike D for hooking it up this summer… not only did he get me into Ozzfest, but he didn’t mind me hanging out on his side of the stage so I could get some pics during their set.

“13”

If you can’t guess who this is, then you’ve never seen a real show. Less Than Jake. My favorite band since I was a lil’ one at just 14. If I had to estimate how many times I’ve seen them, I’d say over 30. This picture was taken sometime around February… and I also got the chance to see them six times this summer on Warped Tour… good times…

“14”

Remember them? They sang that Vans song. I’ve been listening to The Suicide Machines since my early high school years, and was really worried about seeing them recently in DC. I didn’t know what to expect. But they cleared any worries that I had and proved themselves as a great band once again. Bigwig opened this show, and it was incredible.

“15”

“Alien Feet”

If you’ve ever met me, then you know that I have some fascination with these shoes. I saw Alien Ant Farm for the first time in Asbury Park, and Dryden’s personalized Nikes amazed me. I don’t know, but I recently saw them again at the Buzz Bake Sale in West Palm Beach and I ran into Dryden. He was kind of weirded out at first by me asking to take this picture of his shoes, but once he saw the rad pic I already had of them, he agreed. Yeah, I know… I’m an odd one.

“16”

All I’d like to say is that I do not like Henry Rollins. In fact, he’s one of my least favorite people, but I will give him respect only because of Black Flag. This one’s for all the boys. Every guy that I’ve ever dated has been obsessed with this man. I’ll never understand it.

“17”

Warped Tour. Virginia Beach. I don’t know exactly how I distinguish one date or city from the next, but this picture just sticks out in my mind. And hey, come on, it’s Rancid.

“18”

I have to put these boys on my Top 19 just because they are from my hometown of Coral Springs, FL. I love their music. Their shows are fun as hell. And they are the nicest guys in the world.

“19”

I was lucky enough to take a two-week long adventure during the summer and slowly make my way up the East Coast to the Apple. This picture of my fellow adventurer not only reminds me of the towers and tragedy that later ensued, but also the happier memories of six Warped Tours, three Ozzfests, and a partridge in a pear tree. ◼