Randi Britten: Capturing Amarillo's Music Scene
Randi Britten is a photographer in Amarillo,Texas who has taken photos of Ghost of Gray County and Ty Blackburn Band. Even though photography is just a side hobby for her, she has weighed in on the pros and cons of starting up a business. “Everyone needs good pictures to help market their business.” Britten said. Having good photos helps promote and sell music, as it would for any other physical product.
“I didn’t really mean to start doing photography,” -Randi Britten
Randi Britten Accidentally Starts a Client Base
Photo by Randi Britten.
With her boyfriend being the lead guitarist of Ty Blackburn Band, she ended up taking photos for them at their first gig. “They were just in love with how they came out,” Britten said. She recalls having the best experience taking photos at Hoots Pub. With the way the stage is set up, she was able to get some great angles of the band as well as the crowd.
“Honestly it was such a rush of adrenaline to take pictures for the first time. It’s almost like you’re a part of the band because you’re up there with them.” - Randi Britten
Ty Blackburn Band is also close with Ghosts of Gray County, so this led to Britten taking photos of them as well. Eventually this led her to take photos of other local bands in the area. “I have never actually seen anybody here take pictures for small local bands.” Britten said. Usually there will be two bands at a gig, so Britten started taking photos of the other bands as well.
“I started building a customer base without even really thinking about it. It really started by accident but I am so grateful for the experience.” - Randi Britten
For inspiration, Britten turned to Paige Williams. Paige WIlliams is the photographer for Treaty Oak Revival, and has been very helpful to Britten. “I actually had reached out to her for some tips on settings and the camera she was using,” Britten recalled. Williams had responded with some helpful answers to Britten’s questions. Britten urges other photographers to take notes from Williams.
The Approach Britten Takes for Live Sets
Photo by Randi Britten.
When Britten approaches shooting a live set, she makes sure to get there early. “I like to get a feel of the space I am going to have.” Britten said. She also likes to see how the bands set up and gets a game plan to see how to work with them. This also helps her prepare her camera settings to adjust to the lighting. “I don’t want to waste time trying to adjust my aperture and IOS while the band is playing,” Britten said.
"The easiest thing for a band to get good pictures is to have fun. That is really the only thing I will tell a band. Have fun and enjoy playing. I also ask them if they could kind of watch out for me since I’ll be on stage and kind of in their business trying to get good shots. As long as they do those two things then it is pretty easy to snap some shots." -Randi Britten
Being there early isn’t the only thing Britten does to prepare for a live set photo shoot. “Now I need to see what the band expects for this night.” Britten communicates with the band to see what kind of photos they want. Sometimes they want close ups of the band members performing but other times they want photos of the crowd interacting with them. Knowing what the band wants helps Britten know how to approach each shoot.
Challenges and Memorable Experiences
Photo by Randi Britten.
Since Britten is still learning she is facing challenges with lighting. “There is a sweet spot when it comes to lighting and there are days when I just have a hard time finding it.” Britten said. Sometimes the lights that change color can mess with her shot, or there will be a glare on her lens. She doesn’t let this discourage her, she will check her equipment to ensure it is all working right, “I’ll just take a couple song breaks and rewalk through everything.”
“I love to capture the crowd interaction. When the crowd is hyped then the band is hyped and those are the best pictures.” -Randi Britten
Britten explains that the crowd gives the best experiences for pictures. When the fans are in the crowd and really enjoying the music, they hold their drinks in the air. She also loves the way the musicians interact with each other on stage. She loves “capturing the band’s true love for what they’re doing and their genuine smiles that come from it.”
The most memorable experience for Britten so far is the time she took photos of GOGC opening for Hinder. This was a new experience for her and the crowd was bigger than the other gigs she had taken photos at. “Even though it was only a concert in Amarillo and not some big venue, this crowd was huge to me. It felt like the real deal.” Britten said.
The Editing Process
Photo by Randi Britten.
The editing process for Britten is a little different from most professionals. “I don’t pay or use some fancy editing platform.” Britten says her camera bluetooths to her phone where she uses an app to download all the photos. Then she goes through all the photos by a process of elimination. Once she chooses the right photos, she downloads them to an editing app.
“From here I can choose filters or mess with the exposure and contrast,” Britten explained. She said that she usually adjusts the contrast first, then the exposure, and finally the brightness. “I couldn’t tell you exactly how I do it because each picture needs something different.” Britten said she will adjust the shadows and highlights only if the picture needs it done.
By adding saturation to every photo, Britten said she enjoys the bright colors. “It adds character to the pictures.” Britten finally adds grain to them. While this isn’t needed, she enjoys the extra texture it adds to the picture. She goes on to mention that just because another photographer edits their photos in a different way, doesn’t mean they aren’t good.
“You are allowed to have a completely different editing style from everyone else. If people are telling you that you are good at taking pictures and that the pictures you have done are good, then believe them.” - Randi Britten.
Behind the Scenes in the Music Industry
Photo by Randi Britten.
Britten said that musicians are just like most people who work a 9-5 job. “I feel like everyone views musicians as someone that is not normal to society but they are.” Britten feels they are just like everyone else but choose music as their job. A lot of work goes into creating music and takes up alot of time. “I can’t tell you the amount of times that I have stayed up late to listen to my boyfriend play his lead parts so he can put on a better show for the crowd.” Britten said that musicians are great actors for the performances they put on.
When a band writes a song, it goes through many changes. “The songs are constantly changing until they finally find that sweet spot.” Britten said. Since she has become immersed into the music industry she gets to hear the music on a whole different level. “I notice certain things now that an average listener doesn’t realize are even there.”
“All in all, the music scene is an interesting thing to be involved in, as are the people. I have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with some amazing people and musicians because of photography. I urge anyone looking into this kind of photography to jump in and go for it.” - Randi Britten
Randi Britten is doing amazing things for her local industry. An unlikely hobby has blossomed into something more. “One day, that little band from Amarillo, Texas might end up as the next big thing and now you got yourself a full time job and career taking pictures for a band you had faith in.”
To hire Randi Britten for your next gig, email her at randibritten@gmail.com or send her a text at 806-930-5909.
Keep up with Britten and other local musicians via www.loudandheavybook.com.
