Since the dawn of time there’s one thing that has connected people of all backgrounds and yup.
That’s music.
Photographing musicians, bands and filming music videos has become one of my favorite things about my job.
HOLY SH*T! Have you ever been to a LIVE music show? And you just know that you’re going to remember that experience for the rest of your life? You connect with a room full of strangers, all taking your own past experiences and applying them to the lyrics, music and energy booming out of the bass speakers just absolutely pounding your skulls. It’s electric, it’s raw, it’s oh so powerful.
I used to host shows at my old space on Lemp and there’s nothing but great memories that come from those times. I met so many people that I still consider some of my best friends and I really miss it. But that just goes to show how important music can be when it comes to connecting with other human beings. It’s all about the sound and the feeling that that sound comes with. That’s where the connection comes into play.
Here’s a collection of promotional work and LIVE images for the bands and musicians I’ve had the pleasure of getting to create and collaborate with:
Brother Bird/comeback
Kali Masi/Guilt Like A Gun
Laura Jane Grace/Day Old Coffee
When musicians or groups reach out for videos they can come with a vision of what they are looking for and I will execute their vision with my camera lights and understanding of what their goal is. Sometimes they will send the song they want a video for instead of giving details on what they want visually. The opportunity to create freely has given me so many chances to enjoy the playful video exploration process.
The Brother Bird ‘comeback’ video is a great example of a vision that Caroline had and together we expanded the concept to what we could do in the studio during Covid times. The feeling of waiting around and flipping through life on the television is something we all can relate to. Finding new ways to edit the video with the television screen using green screen components, and including myself as a supporting role, made this an enjoyable process. I always look forward to working with Brother Bird in any capacity, such a bright light and a true friend! Check out their other videos on YouTube:
The Kali Masi ‘Guilt Like A Gun’ video was insane and so incredibly fun. The band planned out, mapped and choreographed the entire vision of the video that you see above which gave me the opportunity to focus solely on timing and setting up my studio to make the vision come to life. It was extremely collaborative and everyone had something important to bring to the table. Over the years I’ve worked on a lot of different concepts with Kali Masi but this video in particular sticks out as a true homerun for creativity and collaboration. We knocked it out of the park. I have an unhealthy attraction to this band.
The Laura Jane Grace ‘Day Old Coffee’ video is where I was given full creative control by Laura. She mentions in a Rolling Stone article that this is the worst song she’s ever written. I’m not saying this is the worst video I’ve ever made but we just wanted to be blatantly obvious about the feeling of coffee running through your veins.
18andCounting
White Rose.
Pretty Talk.
Kiaira Howard
Getting an inquiry for taking promo photos for a new album release or run of shows always fires me up, a bit too much sometimes. Each group is so unique which helps keep my creative vision refreshed. The process can be very collaborative with us bouncing ideas around throughout the whole process. Sometimes we are using a location to enhance their vision and when we are in the studio it is my privilege to design the right space given their concept. A huge benefit that I can’t get enough of with music work is seeing the printed posters at venues around town; seeing them play live and documenting the shows is something I will always enjoy. Music photography will always be a passion of mine. It’s been so great touring, making promotional images/videos, and growing with so many talented and thoughtful musicians.