My name is Dee Lippingwell and I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, a grandmother and a rock star photographer!

I love Rock ‘n’ Roll but really, I’m moved by all kinds of music, from Blues to Jazz to Country.

I listen to everything but the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Adelle, Tina Tuner and Aerosmith are my favourites.

I also listen to country artists like Johnny Reid and I’m always amazed at the talent we have right here in our own backyard – Michael Buble, Colin James, Daniel Wesley and Diana Krall are my favourite Vancouver, BC artists!

My life has evolved the way it was meant to. I sometimes think I could have started my photographic career earlier than I did, but the time wasn’t right then, so I’m perfectly satisfied with the way it has all turned out. I wouldn’t make any changes.

I was born in Vancouver, BC and raised in Trail, BC – a small Canadian town, with my three younger brothers who still reside there.

My home is nestled in the beautiful metropolitan area of Vancouver, BC with my husband. I have two sons, Chris and Marc, and two wonderful grandchildren, Tyler and Shauna. Tyler is studying at BCIT to learn broadcast journalism and Shauna is still in high school.

I was about 5 years old when my Grandfather taught me how to take photographs on his old Brownie camera. I remember clearly, a day in the early 70’s when I went to see Pink Floyd in concert in Vancouver, BC and came out of it with some pretty great shots. I knew then and there that I wanted to shoot rock stars but little did I know that I would be shooting legends like Elton John, Steven Tyler and Aerosmith.

Being in ‘the pit’ and knowing that you have the opportunity to capture a moment in time is exhilarating but it’s also stressful. I get butterflies in my stomach even still and worry if the lights are good enough to shoot. I would imagine it feels similar to what a performer would feel just before going on stage. I anticipate the perfect shot like the performer anticipates the perfect performance so it’s all built on the same stuff.

I put out my first book ‘Best Seat In The House’ in 1987. People asked me if I met or interacted with the stars, and if I did what happened. Everyone was so interested in the stories. They encouraged me to write them down, so I did, which resulted in 40 years worth of stories and photographs in one big pile.

A few years ago I started working through that pile and editing those stories adding photos to each one and before I knew it, I had my second book FIRST THREE SONGS…NO FLASH!

FIRST THREE SONGS…NO FLASH! is a 208 page soft cover book with over 200 glossy photos and 40 stories. The book will be released this fall 2012 and I’m very excited about sharing this with the world.

I have won a variety of awards and been honored with distinctions but nothing thrills me more than capturing something great with my camera.

I encourage all young eager photographers out there to source a newspaper or magazine that will accredit you to take the concert shots. If you’re not working for a legitimate paper you will not be allowed access to the venue and ‘the pit’.

Rock and Roll does NOT pay the rent so make sure your photographic knowledge encompasses many different facets of the profession.

Shooting weddings may be not your style but they certainly do pay the rent.

See you all out there at the next rock concert!

I’ll be in ‘the pit’… for the first three songs…with no flash!