As I pack for my upcoming trip to Korea, I am trying to decide what gear to take with me. On my last trip in 2006 to Korea, I shot 35mm and 645, both B&W and color. I’m not sure I’ve learned my lesson… I’m thinking about two formats again…

Initially I thought that I’d simply take my 4×5, one lens and my digital point and shoot. Recently I have been shooting primarily with 4×5 and digital. On my trip to Singapore in 2008 I shot 4×5 chromes alongside digital. For the Auburn/Lewiston project I was shooting 4×5 B&W exclusively. In fact, I got my current 4×5 field camera so that I would have a packable 4×5 for travel. This seemed like a good plan until I began to worry about whether or not I would have the freedom to work slowly with the view camera since I would have travel companions. (Unlike the trip to Singapore, I’ll be traveling with Ji and often her mother and sister as well. No day long wanders through the city alone with the sole purpose of looking for photographs.) Shooting with the view camera takes a fairly slow approach, ten to twenty minutes for each frame. It also requires I pack a lot of big, awkward and heavy things: holders and a tripod in particular.

A couple days ago I got the idea that maybe my Fuji 645, which I’d brought on my first trip, could substitute for the 4×5. But why have a 4×5 for travel then? What did I buy the damn thing for? Maybe I could bring my 4×5 but with the 6×9 roll back rather than 4×5 holders to lighten the load. Or maybe the 4×5 with 6×9 roll film back and the Fuji since it’s all the same film…

Oh boy.

GRDII, definitely.
Chamonix, maybe.
Fuji G645, maybe.
Everything, I hope not.

I’m buying film in a couple of hours, I’ll have to decide pretty soon.

***Update***
I went with the Fuji and the Ricoh plus the lightweight tripd. Small and compact won out. All photos posted during the trip will be from the Ricoh because I’m not processing film until I get back stateside.

The School of Seven Bells performing at the Music Hall of Williamsburg during the CMJ Music Marathon, October 23, 2009.

The XX performing at the Music Hall of Williamsburg during the CMJ Music Marathon, October 23, 2009.

Phantogram performing at the Music Hall of Williamsburg during the CMJ Music Marathon, October 23, 2009.

Shaka Ponk performing at the Ace of Clubs during the CMJ Music Marathon, October 22, 2009

Dead Sexy Inc performing at Ace of Clubs as part of the CMJ Music Marathon, October 22, 2009.

Headed down to Yardley, PA for the weekend and so I skipped the last day of CMJ. Nonetheless, several bands of note Thursday and Friday nights.

Thursday night I caught three bands at Ace of Clubs during the Franco-Brazilian showcase. Or maybe it was French and Brazilian showcase. Anyway, I went in expecting a couple of decent bands. I had high hopes for Elodie O, but wasn’t really impressed with the music. A lot of energy in her performance; I just couldn’t get with the music. I’m not sure if that’s more a reflection on the music or my emotional state.

The second band was Dead Sexy Inc, and I was not quite ready for the music. Their electro disco punk was not what I had been quite expecting after listening to fifteen seconds of one song on their Myspace page. In the end, the music was fun and up beat I enjoyed the show. They deserved better than the mediocre crowd watching them–I hope they got it Friday night at the Highline Ballroom.

Last up was Shaka Ponk. When I got home later that night I described them as dance pop meets scream-core. They’d probably prefer I describe them as funk rock with hip hop overtones, but whatever. The music itself was well worth the price of admission (or would have been if I’d had to pay to get in…) and and the accompanying stage show was fantastic, including the video on rear projection screen that was integrated into every facet of the show. I will definitely look to pick up one of their albums.

The bands I saw Friday night would have made a great closing show–and for me they did. Nice how that worked out. I spent the evening at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Warpaint was scheduled to be up first, but didn’t play; the band in its stead was decent. One guy I was taking to in the audience called it “shoe-gazing music.” I’m not sure what that means exactly. I didn’t catch the name of the band and didn’t like it enough to find out, so no real info.

Phantogram from Saratoga Springs was up next and was amazing. They were one of the best bands I saw during the festival. I really enjoyed the set. I’d love to see them again, though I’m not sure I’d like listening to the music as much if it were recorded rather than live. On the other hand, there is so much going on I can’t take it all in on one listen. Maybe I’ll have to get an album.

The XX had a lot of hype behind it (or so I was told, I’d never heard of them) and I figured they’d be worth having pictures of. Their music was definitely worth the hype. Someone before the show suggested that behind the hype was music that was a little boring. I didn’t find it so at all. The songs didn’t have the up tempo kind of pace I normally lean towards but were rich and full of nuance. There was a lot to get lost in. The low key performance didn’t wow me, but the music was top notch.

Closing out the night was the School of Seven Bells. On the heels of the previous two bands, I was expecting a great performance. And for the half a set I stayed through, I got it. By the middle of the set I started to drift after four late nights, and since I had the photos I needed I decided to head home. Really good music, and the musicians all seemed to be having a good time. I’d definitely check them out live again and will probably buy an album.

That’s it from me for CMJ 2009. Too many bands and not enough time to see them all, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Top highlights for me: April Smith and the Great Picture Show, Japanther, The Megaphonic Thrift, Shaka Ponk and Phantogram.

Photos of Dead Sexy Inc, Shaka Ponk, Phantogram, The XX and School of Seven Bells will be up in a few minutes.

Japanther plays CMJ 2009 at The Suffolk Back Room, 10.21.09.

Norways’ Megaphonic Thrift playing at The Suffolk Back Room during CMJ2009.

Bang Bang Eche from New Zealand playing at Pianos, 10.21.09.