Mei ManuelKonnichassu!
Well, its time we do something special for this place don’t you think? I haven’t done something related to my other fandom and this just happens to be related to it!
Our post for the day focuses on my little sneaker for you lot is this latest offering from one of the best music photographers in the biz, Julen Esteban-Pretel or Julenphoto as he is often known online. Any ONE OK ROCK, coldrain, Crossfaith and SiM fan know him because without him, we wouldn’t be enjoying some of the most amusing photos of these bands during their concerts.
I’ved spoken to Julen online several times and each instance has always been memorable. He recently released his first photobook, Tour Dreams, in partnership with Space Shower Books in July and since I was in Japan during the release, I went to Tower Records Shibuya to get a copy! Gotta support a friend!
Down below is a sneak peek for you lot! Photo descriptions are below!
Here’s the front and back cover. The book is admittedly very thick and its somewhere around 250 pages. Photo wise? Hahaha, its impossible to count.
The quality of the book is very good and adds to the collector’s value of the book. They used high glossy paper to retain the photo quality of each shot and every page is filled with photos and facts.
Here’s the photo author in question. Teacher most of the year, Monster Photographer on call!
Here’s the transformation from sensei to photograph. Throughout the book, you will see these sketches featuring JulenPhoto’s adventures as a concert photographer. I actually found this very cool coz it is on point!
The book pretty much sums up his career as a photographer for various bands who came calling for his shots. All the most iconic shots from all the big tours he covered, as well as the most special ones, have their own special chapter in this book. Some of the photos haven’t been released anywhere else!
Here, we see a sneak peek of his first few shots in 2012.
Note: Most of the descriptions in each chapter are written in Japanese but the photos do give you a sense on what he is talking about.
Here’s one of his major highlights, the 2016 Special Live in Nagisaen.
He also covered some basics in concert photography in several chapters as seen in this chapter. They are usually in between tour features. Some of the photos have these markings talking about the elements that make his photos stand out.
You would also get to know what bands do behind the scenes as they prepare for each concert. They do their own equipments check and makeup!
And yes, he also covers what these bands do during their free time or when they want to kill time. It can be a crazy venture…
As seen in this picture.
Yes, even the laid back photos like this is in this book.
There is also a featurette featuring Julen’s son Pau, who gets to meet all these bands and see his dad during these events. We’ll likely see this little guy doing the photos once he finishes school! Like father, like son!
Julen is not just a concert photographer. He also does street photography, which he does in between tours. He would feature these unique finds and their stories, then share them to his followers in Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
In this chapter, you get to see this cameo of PULP Live World’s mini CEO, Winter Go, as he tries to show off his samurai skills to the boys before the 2016 Manila live. The other pics in this chapter features all the photos from the Asia live that were selected for the book.
Remember these pics you guys? Taka and Toru posted these in their accounts!
Insert the required Toru photo here. This is from 35xxxv Japan Tour
Do you want to know how much work is done to make the best setlist? Here’s a snippet from the 2017 Ambitions Japan Tour setlist!
Shoutout again Manila. This one was featured in Tomoya’s IG during the 2018 live. There is a big feature about food pics here… haha, so be warned to all you foodies!
Hellooo MoA! Featured in Primal Footmark 2018.
Julen has also some traditions he follows when he takes the band photo before and after the concert. In this pic, we see the boys posing for the Manila live in 2018.
Of course, he is also behind another fan favorite, the monster count for the family photo!
Julen also covers other bands in between takes. In this one, he featured one of his favorite bands, Soziedad Alkoholika
The perfect embodiment of vacation time. There’s a lot of great photos in this pic you haven’t seen anywhere yet! (I want this as a wallpaper… LOL)
Julen also shared some photos from MAH’s vacation in the US.
Of course, tattoos will also be included in his feature. He took some great shots of his friends getting some very exotic tattoos. You would be surprised in this part of the spread
Here’s one of his many family photos!
What’s next for Julen? Who knows, but he will definitely be making a mark on the next tour shows he will be covering for fans all over the globe.
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Wanna get your own copy of this very cool book? You can order the book from Amazon Japan and HMV and they ship anywhere in the world. The book is 3080 yen (tax included) and you would definitely find the photos interesting even if you aren’t a fan of the bands in it. It’s worth every penny to get one!
If you want to learn more about Julen and this book, you can check out this very cool interview by fellow OOR fan and friend Mew. The interview is filled with Julen’s thoughts about various topics which I didn’t cover in this post. My Japanese reading proficiency is poor so I can’t translate the comments in each chapter for you guys :(
Hopefully, in the near future, I’d be able to get him to sign my copy. For now, I shall be avidly waiting for his new photos and his next book. He should definitely make one! Congratulations to you Julen and hoping to see some more great shots in your next photo releases (And you better have Tour Dreams Part 2 in the works!)
Next update is coming sooooon!
