The Rise of the San Diego Nightlife Photographer

Give us 15 minutes and we'll do the same. Discover a night in the life of a San Diego nightlife photographer.

As the adage goes, "Everyone gets 15 minutes of fame at some point in their lives." Well, for the clubbers and partygoers who venture out in San Diego nightlife and entertainment scenes on any given Thursday night through Sunday afternoon, those 15 minutes seem to increase on a weekly basis and are by no means merely a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence (at least in the minds of those patronizing the venues dotting the downtown landscape).

I should know. I'm in the trenches taking grenades in the form of spilled drinks and belligerent insults with my comrades. I am the one who helps you get more mileage out of those fifteen minutes than even your MySpace profile could. I am a nightlife photographer, and this is my job...

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard the phrase, "Dude, you have the raddest job ever!" I wouldn't have to subject myself to the slings and arrows of downtown drunkards. In many ways, however, such observations are indeed accurate. This job does kick more ass than most. I mean really, how many occupations list job duties as "get drunk (for free), mingle, meet celebrities, shoot bands, attend ultra exclusive invite-only events, network," and of course, "meet hot chicks."

As with any job, however, there are the inherent occupational hazards. Not the least of which is the 'roided-out and entirely too aggressive Alpha male (ease up on the injections there bud, they shrivel ye testes). I needn't launch into a description of said individuals, as they are easily discernable at a mere glance: oversized frame stuffed (literally) into a button-up striped dress shirt or Ed Hardy tee. An overbearingly-antagonistic demeanor rounds out the package (no pun intended) nicely... I digress.

One merely need ask the notorious Mr. James Norton (yes, ladies and gents, he does have a first name) about said individuals to get a true glimpse into the ritualistic mating dance of the "bro."

"I was at a bar in PB and I was apparently shooting a photo of this guy's girlfriend when he came out of nowhere and punched me in the nose," Norton recalls. "He didn't say a word, just sucker-punched me."

Here's a tip gentlemen (and I do use that term loosely in this regard): don't get pissed if I, or any of my photographic pals happen to be shooting photos of your hot girlfriend/wife/fiancée. Sex sells, and the companies we take photographs for are in the business of selling themselves.

In fact, weekly event and nightlife photography has escaped the '06 confines of EventVibe and NapkinNights, to become a prominent marketing strategy for many media outlets and promotion companies in San Diego, starring your own DiscoverSD.com, right alongside 944 Magazine, DJhere Productions, James Norton, and dozens of up and coming solo shooters and blog sites.

While the DSD's and DJhere's of the local market reach out to the respected event attendees and rowdy partygoers, providing a before unfulfilled niche to the San Diego scene, these businesses brand themselves and their services to the community. Though the consistent nightlife crowd and seasonal event-goers will attest the photography scene is becoming a bit saturated (is it necessary to have four photographers floating around the same club?), the marketing strategy continues to prove itself a success. Want proof? Check the watermarked logos polka-dotting the Facebook and MySpace profiles of San Diego socialites all over the county.

So, if anything, be flattered we're shooting your significant other, as a testament to their beauty and/or sex appeal. After all, you're the one who's taking them home at the end of the night.

To keep my colleagues safe on the battlefield otherwise known as the Gaslamp Quarter, I offer the following tips for those whom we train our respective lenses upon:

1. (And this is predominantly for the ladies.) Don't ever ask us what the photos are for. I know you probably always bump into random douchebags who just so happen to be moseying about the swanky clubs you frequent every weekend with a $1,500 camera in hand because they have nothing better to do on their Friday and Saturday nights, but seriously, don't flatter yourselves ladies. We're not uploading your pics and then making sweet passionate love to ourselves as they cycle through a slideshow on our computer screens. That's why God invented Internet porn.

2. "Please" and "Thank you" are worth their weight in platinum these days. If you want us to shoot you and your girlfriends/bros, ask nicely. Or were you absent the day they taught that in pre-school? It's called tact, manners, couth, kindness or how about good old-fashioned respect for your fellow man. Addressing us as, "Hey picture guy!" or "Take my picture!" will get you nowhere fast.

3. A lil' something for the photographic effort goes a long way. Buy me (or "us," for that matter, as I'm sure I'm speaking for a number of nightlife photographers in San Diego and across this great striped world of ours) a drink every now and then and it will not only make our jobs easier, but will inevitably dull the pain of enduring rudeness, stupidity, disrespect and ignorance on an-almost nightly basis. I know from an outsiders' standpoint, this job seems like the greatest thing since the striped shirt (and in many ways it is), but you haven't a clue the rash of ridiculousness we endure when we're busily shooting at any number of crowded clubs. Plus, a drunk photog. invariably begets better photos. And that, friends, benefits everyone.

So the next time you're out and about, keep a lookout for the following shooters and keep in mind what you've just read. Believe me, we will appreciate it more than you can even begin to fathom.

Your faithful San Diego nightlife and event photographers:

Devin White

DiscoverSD.com, DJhere.com - He's a sometimes-bearded, sometimes bandana-rockin', but always radical half-Asian punk rocker who will drink most anyone under the table, yet can still keep his shots in focus while doing so.

You can witness his sheer amazingness at a number of clubs/bars throughout San Diego, but he's always at Bar West on Thursday nights with DJhere.

Bradley Schweit

DiscoverSD.com, DJhere.com - Devin White's better photographic half. Together, he and White run their own website, transphatphoto.com, where they showcase their photographic prowess.

Rare are the evenings you will find this furry little Irishman out and about without his photographic counterpart. He's also at Bar West on Thursday nights, mixing it up with the PB crowd for DJhere.

James Norton

Solo shooter, DJhere.com, DiscoverSD.com - Known only as "Norton" to most, he's the pre-eminent nightlife photographer in all of San Diego.

Having moved from SF less than two years ago, the man's already made a substantial name for himself in the nightlife scene. His shots capture an essence of nightlife photography rarely seen within the genre, and his talent is second-to-none. Look for him Wednesdays at Confidential and Sundays at Intervention. ShootNorton.com.

Ivan S. Harris

944 Magazine - A.k.a. "ISH, I.S.H" or "The ISH"... Whatever you want to call the man behind the lens, it's hard to miss his dreds and overall presence.

He's a social shooter, engaging his subjects; and he's as enjoyable to watch behind the lens as he is to be photographed by.

If 944's got its name on it, he'll be there, camera in hand.

Now check out the famous photos: San Diego event photos and San Diego nightlife photos by your favorite photographers on Pictures.DiscoverSD.com: San Diego's leading online portal for event, nightlife, business, scenic, attractions, and sports photos, with dozens of new galleries of your friends and foes added weekly.