Metallica – How I met these Legends

Metallica is one of the world’s most successful heavy metal bands. Metallica has sold over 100 million records worldwide including their latest album, ‘Death Magnetic’.

Formed in 1981, Metallica caught my attention when the film clip ‘One’ was first viewed on Rage in 1989, when I was 11.  Ever since then I was caught in the Metallica web.

21 years later I have finally seen my first Metallica concert.  I know, how can I be such a fan, when I have not even seen them before now???  But my wait, has been the best 12 year wait ever.

Not only did I see an awesome concert in Sydney, but I met and hung out with Metallica’s photographer Ross Halfin, who has shot Metallica for the past 25 years. And guess what,I even bumped shoulders with Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo.

Thanks to Tali Udovich from Blender Gallery, Paddington, Sydney, who held ‘The Ultimate Metallica’ photography exhibition by Ross Halfin, I was able to meet Ross, Kirk and Rob.

As a live music photographer, who shoots rock and heavy metal, I can only look up to a photographer god such as Ross Halfin. After a few simple words of inspiration from Ross, (which are close to me), I am inspired to keep shooting and searching for the next ‘Metallica’ that will give me the opportunity to shoot their career into rock spotlight.

(James Hetfield at Acer Arena, Sydney)

(Kirk Hammett at Acer Arena, Sydney)

(James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich at Acer Arena, Sydney)

(Live Music Photographers – Dean Wignell begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting and Ross Halfin at the Blender Gallery, Paddington, Sydney)

(Kirk Hammett viewing Ross Halfin’s photos in the Blender Gallery, Paddington, Sydney)

(Kirk Hammett signing my book at the Blender Gallery, Paddington, Sydney)

Metallica autographed my Ross Halfin book, “The Ultimate Metallica” (awesome book). You can pick it up for a bargain here: