DENIS O'REGAN

Hi Denis!
Just saw some of your pics and …wow I'm still hypnotized.
Thanks!!!
It seems to be still there!!!!
Well, just before talking a brief introduction for my Italian friends, can you tell us something about you?

I'm based in London, and started shooting rock bands just before Punk exploded (so I'm almost as old as KISS!). A few years later I toured as Thin Lizzy's photographer, then the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Queen, Pink Floyd. Tour photography is my forte.There's loads of info and pictures on www.denis.co.uk (a new site is coming soon).
I heard about that forthcoming Alive35 photo book, how did you get involved in KISS?

I first photographed KISS at the Hammersmith Odeon in London in 1976! I shot them a few times in the intervening years - including a Metal Hammer 'unmasked' cover session in Los Angeles in 1992. That was the first time we met and I really enjoyed their company. In 2008 I had the chance to shoot the first show of the KISS Alive 35 European tour. I showed Paul & Gene my pictures the following night and they asked me to stay! I was honoured - they're one of the greats!
Can you tell me something about the contents of this new book? Will we see some backstage stuff and something like that?

I don't know about the timing of the book, but I hope it will be published over the next few months. I took a lot of backstage and offstage shots, so the pictures show a real insight into life on the road with KISS, live and behind the scenes - travel, backstage etc. Exclusive stuff!
How many shows did you portray?

I shot 20 shows on the tour, including the first at Oberhausen, Germany, and the last in Dessel, Belgium.
I noticed you and many other photographers made lots of shots from down the stage with wide angle, had you free choice to move around the stage and in the pit or you where somehow forced to shot from specific spots?

I had the freedom to go wherever I wanted - backstage, onstage, pit, wherever ... most photographers are allowed three songs from the pit, so I was very privileged.

As you know I'm in love with photos too, and I'm a Canon addicted
Currently I use a full frame EOS5D mark1, but I could not use it while at concert (!)…
Which camera did you mainly use? And what about lens?

I use two Nikon D3s, which I love. I have three lenses, all f2.8 which cover 14-210mm.
Alive35 tour stage propos and lights gave a great help to shape amazing images of the show.
Did you work with postproduction tools or you got these amazing colours and depth "simply" with the set up of your cameras?

The colours are usually pretty much what came out of the camera, but I do use Photoshop on an Apple MacBook Pro to crop or convert to black & white for instance. I normally shoot full quality (RAW) but occasionally shot jpeg, which gave those particular images an unusual hue.
The guys in KISS are very conscious of their image and the pleasure we all have to get some shots of them, It's easy to note them "posing" all over the show to all the fans next to the stage.
Did they agree with you some shot in actions or you just "studied" the movements and made the shots?

None of the live pictures are 'staged' and nothing was agreed in advance. I would strategically position myself somewhere onstage, then wait to see if Gene or Paul threw a 'shape' when they saw me. They often did, and it gave me the chance to create some unusual and unique images, especially when the audience is included in the picture. KISS are so rewarding to photograph, and hugely professional.
Well unfortunately I think we are getting to the end of this nice talk.
I'll go on chatting about KISS and pictures for hours!!!
I thank you very much for you time and please keep me posted about this great new book!!!

Fabio

Thanks!!!