racing like a pro

after what can only be described as a series of poor-verging-on-surreal choices, I have survived what I feel to have been my first freelance/photojourno trial by fire.

an approximate schedule:

Thursday, August 13
• 2130 - leave to meet Culture kids at the Lamplighter
• 2215 - get to Lamp, do the rounds, see Kaitlin and Aleks in addition to Culture kids + Lougheed. Shoot the Raccoons and a singer-songwriter that Kaitlin knows.
• 2300 - leave lamp, head to Bourbon
• 2310 - arrive at Bourbon, am blown away by The Heard.
• 2330 - say hi to Abra, wish her a broken leg
• 2335 - say hi to Piper, apparently engender envy of Piper's vocal lesbian fan club.
• 2345 - shoot Piper's set.
• 0005 - see chad, say hello.
• 0025 - leave for red room
• 0045 - party in the red room; it turns out I know four groups of people there (ex-Ubyssey, CiTR, Aleks, and Lougheed).
• 0110 - it's Steve Louie! I like him.
• 0120 - The Clips throw down an amazing farewell set.
• 0210 - we leave the bar.
• 0240 - me and Lougheed catch an N17
• 0310 - back at Ubyssey Haus
• 0320 - bed
• 0715 - up again (!)
• 0747 - miss the 4, get on an 84.
• 0804 - miss a 7, get on a 4.
• 0816 - on the 253 to Park Roral
• 0840 - at LDB at Park Royal
• 0845 - meet James from Had a Glass (v. cute, well-built but so friendly that it's not at all imposing)
• 0900 - start shooting wine bottles
• 0945 - finish shooting wine bottles
• 0955 - London Drugs pit stop.
• 1005 - on a 253 to downtown
• 1030 - coffee #1; venti Pike Place
• 1035 - 44 to Ubyssey Haus
• 1040 - so many emo kids
• 1100 - walk to Ubyssey Haus, check email, tidy up.
• 1110 - half of Haus wakes up; are bewildered to hear about 0715-1100 period of my day.
• 1115 - convalesce, a little.
• 1145 - head to office with Justin
• 1230 - after a little light internet, leave office
• 1300 - Justin picks up a cheque, I say hi to Marielle
• 1315 - Coffee #2 (Jeremy's Blenz: "give me an enormous drip coffee, please.")
• 1330 - part ways with Justin, eat lunch.
• 1400 - make way to site
• 1430 - I'm in and tweeting.
• 1550 - Brokencyde
• 1615 - Bad Religion
• 1645 - Streetlight Manifesto
• 1715 - NOFX
• 1730 - loaf in sun
• 1815 - Alexisonfire
• 1840 - leave site
• 1900 - Ubyssey office
• 2040 - parent pickup
• 2130 - home

inside 24 hours I shot eight bands from two festivals in four venues (and on three stages in one venue) in addition to a trip out to West Vancouver to shoot wine bottles, for a total of three shoots and 1200 frames with a short break for a little under 4 hours of sleep, fuelled only by grim determination, obscene amounts of caffeine, and a sub-par noodle dish from the VIllage.

I feel spectacularly worn out in some ways; my shoulders ache from the weight of my gear, my shins from walking and my elbow will undoubtedly be next. I'm occasionally incoherent from sleep-lack, and I admit to a shorter fuse than usual. Sitting here typing this, showered and full of ice cream, I realize that this is the blissful kind of tired, and that I honestly haven't felt this way since I worked on shows.

It's a good feeling, and I'm glad to have it back.