Process 110 ☼ Rock And Roll In A Church
GIVEAWAY: $150 gift certificate for Moment
Dear friends,
This week's letter is about two nights of rock and roll in Amsterdam, back and onstage, documented using two of my favorite cameras.
I’m writing this letter from beautiful Paris, where I am working to get a foothold in the French art and photography space (while also enjoying amazing bread). Any recommendations for interesting people to meet are always welcome. More Paris work shot on the Hasselblad coming soon too.
Big shout out to my friends at Squarespace for helping make this issue possible.
Housekeeping
In response to last week’s issue about finding inspiration outside of photography Process reader
shared a great quote from her professor Zack Bent: “In order to produce good visual art, we need to consume good word art, specifically poetry.” Read about my non-visual inspiration in Process 109.
A Soulful Roar: Two Nights with His Lordship in Paradiso
You know those nights that resonate with your soul, the ones that you look back on and think, "Dang, that was a slice of life that I'm glad I savored"? Well, I recently had a double serving of such nights, a rocking rollercoaster.
This story takes place in the heart of Amsterdam, where a nineteenth-century church was squatted by hippies in 1967, and turned into one of my favorite music venues: Paradiso. A wonderfully thoughtful present—concert tickets—led me to queue up eagerly to finally see Jason Isbell in concert (see below).
What I didn’t know was that the opening act would end up rocking my musical world before Jason even set foot on the stage to bring solace and consolation. I had lined up at the very front to get some of that healing when the UK rock band His Lordship ran on and set proverbial fire to the stage (see below).
The lights dimmed, and His Lordship took the stage with an outlaw energy and gusto that opened up the room. Their music was like a summer storm, a nostalgic nod to the glory days of 1950s rock 'n' roll – a time when guitars roared, personalities were larger than life, and music was the heartbeat of get-out-of-my-way rebellion.
The show was simply fantastic. I ended up connecting with the band afterward and they invited me to join them again the next night for another show at Paradiso. I showed up during soundcheck to document the less often seen part of the night.
Backstage, underneath the veneer of onstage bravado and with the echoes of decibels fading, His Lordship transformed. From roaring to calm, their energy mellowed into the sweetest humility. It was a peculiar yet beautiful dichotomy – the yin and yang of being a musician. A reminder that art often thrives in the spaces between contrasts.
When they were onstage I shot digitally, trying to capture the electric energy that pulsed through their veins, the sweat-soaked guitars, and the stories etched on their faces. During soundcheck and backstage I opted for my Contax G2, loaded with Kodak film, to document the behind-the-scenes camaraderie – laughter, shared moments, and the unspoken bond that only performers understand. It took me back to the days when I was performing with friends in a band in New York City.
And so, roaming around the inner sanctum of Paradiso, amid flashing lights and the crash of power chords, I reminisced and documented. His Lordship, with their unbridled passion, undeniable talent, and strong graphic choices were the perfect band to document. I can’t wait to do it again.
Two nights, a rock and roll odyssey, and photographic joy – all witnessed from inside of a reimagined church where melodies replaced sermons. I was once again reminded that the truest stories are found where the unexpected meets commitment.
That’s it for this week! If you enjoyed this issue I’d love for you to share it with friends.
Next Week: Infrared photography! Expired Film! Weird stuff!
Keep shooting and take good care of yourselves and others. <3
Wesley
If you're interested in checking out my favorite collection of still-life work and supporting Process, consider buying my photo book NOTICE. <3
Gear & Tools Used
Camera: All analog images included in this issue of Process were shot on the Contax G2 with a Zeiss Planar 1:2 35mm lens. The digital ones were shot on my Fuji x100F.
Film: Kodak Portra 400 and bulk-rolled Double X.
Lab: All my analog work is developed and scanned by my friends at Carmencita Film Lab. They’re my favorite lab in the world. Use code “PROCESS” to get a free upgrade.
Portfolio Site: Big shout out to Squarespace for helping make this issue of Process possible. If you need a website, I can’t recommend using Squarespace more. I have been a paying customer for more than 10 years (!!?) and it’s been so easy to build and maintain a beautiful and professional portfolio. I even added a webshop to it recently.
Check out Squarespace and use the code PROCESS10 for 10% off your first order.
Process Giveaway
Last week’s Giveaway for a $150 gift card in partnership with Moment is still open for submissions until September 9th. Use it to buy whatever you wish from the Moment store, whether it is film, bags, an online course, or more.
Win by answering the following question:
QUESTION: What non-photographic item, experience, or artform has inspired your photography?
Add your answer below or in last week’s post where you can read many others.
ENTER THIS WEEK’S GIVEAWAY before 11 a.m. EST on September 9th.
The winner will be randomly drawn. This giveaway is for Process subscribers only.
Looking forward to expired film! It's a fun form of unpredictability!
Back when I used to skate in my school years, me and my friend started getting interested in making skatefilms. That slowly turned into documenting stuff and ultimately photography!