Photography

Growing up in local music

My first concert was in 5th grade at my local record store Vintage Vinyl, for my favorite band, Ludo. From there, it didn’t take long until I was attending concerts frequently at a young age thanks to St. Louis, MO’s thriving music scene. It’s no surprise that this community was extremely influential on my upbringing.

By age 15, my family had moved to California and I saved up for my first camera. Which I promptly brought once a week (at a minimum) to Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA. They had $10 tickets and allowed cameras without a press pass, perfect for someone starting out in the scene. With how frequently I was going to shows, it didn’t take long to build a portfolio and make contacts in the field. I shot primarily for a publication called Concert Crap, but also worked for Golden Voice and Live Nation by the age of 17. I even interviewed the band The Dirty Heads about their new line of beer, 2 years before I could legally drink. Go figure.

Growing up feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere, concerts were the closest thing I had to a feeling of home. Photographing them, capturing how magical they felt, the vibrancy and passion, was an honor. Live music and my time in the industry as a creative, holds a very special place in my heart.

of course i loved capturing nature too

I found a love of lighting and atmosphere in concert photography that was easily found in nature as well. I would drive 2-3 hours for a spot just to get one photo at the perfect hour. The challenge of nature photography, similar to concert photography, was intoxicating. Working against the harshest light, and waiting for the clouds to move to set up the perfect shot. But any frustration was offset by the biggest reward, the most beautiful photo. I learned the art of patience and found another place to call home within the outdoors.

As I entered graduate school with a plethora of invertebrates at my disposal, quickly all my days were filled with setting up photo shoots for animals, sometimes no bigger than my finger nail. The world truly became my playground and I feel an immense amount of gratitude to capture any animals portrait.

Yet the most rewarding is portrait photography

Let’s be real. I started doing portrait photography just because I needed the money. What I never expected was to love it as much as I do. Concert photography was incredible, I truly loved the amount of creativity it required. But when I look through my portrait portfolio, I can feel the love and joy in them. It’s infectious, what you are able to capture in one moment of time. In the music industry I was one person among a sea, all trying to gain a slice of recognition and payment. Nothing can compare to the fulfillment and purpose I get from portrait photography.