Update May 31

Thanks to all who have visited my site. Please leave comments if you like. Good or bad. I think there are a lot of mixed feelings about the trade. A KISS snow globe for an afternoon with Alice Cooper? It DOES sound crazy, but I have a good feeling that this will lead to something amazing.
Alice will be on tour out of the country until the end of June. Its my guess, that this is when we will have our afternoon. I will let you know when I get more info.
Many people have send questions to me by email. They want to know how I got started in photography, and if I have any influences. I think I was born with a camera in my hand. Every summer, my family would take a vacation to different parts of the country. I ALWAYS had my camera. It was just a little 35mm camera, nothing fancy. I would be crouched down behind walls or climbing a fence to get different angles. I'm sure my parents thought I was a little weird. I really didn't know what I was doing. I just enjoyed taking photos.
As I got older, I started taking my camera to concerts. By now, I had a zoom lens camera. I would get to the venue before the doors opened, so I could get down front by the stage. During the concert, I would stand there with the camera to my face, waiting for a good shot. I think I made a lot of people mad by doing this. They were all jumping around, and I was trying to stand still. Over the years I got some good shots. Later,I found an easy way to meet the bands, and I got them to autograph the photos.
Now I have a great camera. I came up with a way to sneak the camera into the concerts. In most cases, the venues don't mind cameras in general, however, they don't want "pro" cameras in the building. I have to hide from security and other workers so I don't get my camera taken away. So far I have been pretty lucky. The last concert was KISS. I used ten rolls of film in two hours. I was in the sixth row from the stage. Its hard to get good shots through five rows of arms in the air and dodging security. Overall, I was very pleased. I am in the process of posting them now. Click on the flashing pictures at the top to see them.
As far as influences go, I really didn't see someone's photos and decided to be a photographer. It just happened naturally. I DO have two photographers that I admire greatly, and would someday like to be on the same professional level. They are Barry Levine, and Warning Abbott. They have worked with many bands since the Seventies. One of the biggest is KISS. Yes I know, everything is KISS with me. Hey, I've been a fan since I was four. Anyway, they have had the pleasure of touring with KISS through the years, and getting great photos on and off stage. Maybe they would like an apprentice. Be sure to check out their books at your local store. My goal is to make some contacts with Alice Cooper's manager and do some photography for them and other bands. The sky's the limit.

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING....

Hey, no laughing. I know the photo is a little cheesy, but it does the job.
Thanks to Kyle MacDonald at oneredpaperclip.com, for the opportunity to spend an afternoon with rock legend Alice Cooper. alicecooper.com No doubt, this will be a day I will NEVER forget.
So, you want the story behind the KISS snow globe. Besides being a huge Alice Cooper fan, I am also a photographer. My main interest is concert photography. Over the past two years, I've found out that it is hard to get a photo pass for concerts. I contacted record companies through phone calls and email. Usually, they don't want to bother with you unless you are working for a magazine or newspaper. Magazines and newspapers won't hire you unless you have experience. Its a no win situation.
One day on the way to work, I caught the end of Kyle's interview on the Bob and Tom Show. When he said he was trading for an afternoon with Alice Cooper, I knew immediately that this could be my ticket to a career in the photography business. I thought of things all day that I could trade. I didn't know if Kyle was looking for value or a good trade to keep people on their toes. Then, I thought of my cool KISS snow globe. It's electric, and has a fan in the bottom to keep the snow/glitter spinning. The colors are constantly changing through the guitar and KISS logo inside. Who wouldn't want one!
I sent Kyle an email with some picture. A few days later I called to make sure he received the email. My five minute call quickly turned into a two hour conversation. He seemed to like the snow globe from the beginning.
Now it is Wednesday night. I have so much energy, I know I won't sleep at all tonight. Can you imagine spending the afternoon with Alice Cooper. I'm prepared for anything and everything.
Since this site is new, I don't have many photos to post right now. Keep checking back for the photos of Alice Cooper. If you have any connections with other bands that need a photographer, please let me know. Again, I have many plans, so keep checking back for new developments.

Take care and thanks again for visiting my site. Sincerely, Mark redkiss197555@hotmail.com

MY FIRST CONCERT

The first concert(that I didn't have to sneak my camera into) was Black Label Society. Zakk Wylde, as you may know, has been with Ozzy Osbourne for many years now. He is one of the best guitar players in the world. He gives nothing less than 120% during his concerts. If you haven't seen Black Label Society yet, make plans to do so.
I made several calls and emails to the record company. Finally, I was able to obtain a photo pass for the concert. Actually, there were two concerts. One in Columbus, OH, and the second in Cincinnati, OH. If I remember correctly, they were both sold out.
This was IT! I was up front between the stage and security fence. There were a few other photographers at both concerts. They were hired through music magazines. Generally, the pass is good for the first three songs. After that, you have to go to the back. In Cincinnati, the fans were packed in so tight, I was trapped. Luckily, the security guys let me stay up front for the entire concert. I think I used about twelve rolls of film between the two concerts. Needless to say, I got some great shots. I will be posting more photos in the future. I will probably be selling them on eBay or something similar. Check back for more info.