Area 15 // Bonobo

Let me start by first saying thank you to Ashley of Area 15 for giving us the opportunity to shoot one of our favorite artists, Bonobo. We also were given the opportunity to review and experience Area 15 so look out for that future blog soon.

Welcome back guys, we have been gone for awhile trying to get SOMAR Collective off the ground. We are so excited and pumped to bring this blog to you. Being able to shoot this show was something that we weren't expecting, honestly it was just a shot we decided to take and boy, was it worth it. We sent some emails about the possibility of attending the event as SOMAR COLLECTIVE and being able to shoot for Bonobo. On our way to Vegas we got the call from that gave us the green light for the concert. Even though we already had tickets to the concert, we were even more excited now. Soraya's favorite artist is Bonobo so her being able to take pictures of him was a dream come true.

Since we didn't know before that we would be shooting the concert we didn't bring the right gear but thanks to B&C camera in Las Vegas they hooked us up with the right tools for the job. Soraya and I both rented 70mm-200mm 2.8 lenses , and they did not disappoint. We needed something that we could be far enough but also let in as much light as we could without compromising sharpness. The photos you'll see in this post will all be from these lenses.

As we arrived at Area 15 we realized that it was going to be a fun and adventurous night. At the front of Area 15 you first see a massive attraction called "Lift Off." A trip up to the Vegas skies with a platform what spins 360 degrees so you get a panoramic view of Vegas. It's like no other on the strip. I absolutely loved seeing it at night all lit up it looked like a giant Alien ship getting ready to fly into space and heckle the U.S Navy.

Another sculpture towards the front entrance of Area 15 was "Look into My Eyes" as Soraya calls it. It is 2 chrome 12 ft tall mannequins embracing and staring into each other's "eyes." Personally, I loved this piece, it reminded me of a Daft Punk video, especially at night when the lights reflect off it. Wouldn't mind seeing this art piece "One More Time." Sorry for the dad joke but I had to.

The doors opened at 9 and O'Flynn got the early crowd moving. During this time, Soraya and I were finding our favorite locations and adjusted our camera settings. O'Flynn wasnt a Dj that i was aware of but his mixes were legit; I had Aletheia and his new songs off of Shimmer playing on the ride back to San Diego. One of my favorite things of going to concerts and festivals is finding new artist and I found a great one with O'Flynn.

BONOBO

My first introduction to Bonobo was when Soraya played "Kong" off of the album "Black Sands" one day on our way back from a shoot at Torrey Pines. His music wasnt the electro/house music I was used to, but once the beat drops the music makes you feel like you're in your happy place just vibing. After she introduced me to him she also put me onto some other artists with the same chill vibe like Rufus Du Sol.

I absolutely loved shooting this concert!!! I've always wanted to be a concert photographer. Capturing the band and shooting Bonobo was my most significant moment of being photographer so far. I've never been so excited for anything in my life, fighting through the crowd, finding new and creative compositions through the beautiful madness was awesome. If 14 year old Mark knew what all the struggles and obstacles he was going to have to face but that he would end up starting a business with the woman that he loves and doing something he's passionate about. I know he would do it all over again.

Bonobo really put on a show to remember! I was surprised that he brought his whole band out, because I was expecting a dj set, but the live band made it that much sweeter. If you have a chance check out his Tiny Desk Concert he has a live band set on there as well. My favorite songs off of their set were "Tides", "Rosewood", and "From You" just to name a few. They ended the show with "Kerla" off of the album "Migration." Again, thanks so much to Ashley and the staff at Area 15 for giving us the opportunity and thanks to Bonobo for the great performance