I recently picked up a Huawei P9 for street photography. No matter how good camera phones get, they won't ever replace a good DSLR for me. That said, when I out and about and need to keep a low profile, my Nikon D810 is pretty conspicuous. I often find myself missing shots because of this, which can sometimes make it feel like a useless tool.
The Leica dual lens system, RAW capability, quick focus, and low profile drew me to the Huawei P9 and it's already proven perfect for times I don't want to lug around a bunch of gear. The level of clarity and detail I was able to capture in a variety of scenarios blew me away. Check out the first batch of images from my trip to London and Amsterdam last weekend!
(All shots were taken on the Huawei P9 in RAW mode and edited in Lightroom on a computer.)
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Randall Shreve and the Devilles
When I first moved to Fayetteville, I quickly fell in love with the music of local legend, Randall Shreve. His music is this great blend of vaudeville, rock, jazz, and all sorts of other nonsense. Over the years I was lucky enough to catch several of his masquerade balls. Every one of them was magical, but the one last weekend was extra special.
While preparing to relocate to the UK with my wife, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding my move date. Due to this I thought I was going to be gone before the biggest show of the year. Fortunately, the timing worked out and I was able to snag a spot on the guest list (thanks to one of my awesome bandmates who made a guest appearance with the band!) and capture this amazing set just 10 days before hitting the road.
Enjoy!
Musical Energy - Crystal Bridges Photo Salon
A few months ago I was asked to give lead a talk at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. For several years now I've worked events at Crystal Bridges, so it was an absolute honour to be given the opportunity to speak to budding photographers.
The focus of my workshop was Musical Energy. My goal was to talk about my promotional work with bands in the Fayetteville area, how these shoots were influenced by my concert photography work, and how both influenced my portrait work.
When I talk about my work, I have a tendency to get a little passionate and long winded. Fortunately everyone bared with me and stuck around for part 2!
After an overly long lecture, the real fun began. I was able to rope in two amazing (and incredibly busy) musicians I'd been dying to work with to model for me and the group. Caleb and Ashtyn were very gracious and patient as I talked through different techniques I use to create compelling images, while letting my class experiment with implementation of these techniques.
As with most shoots, I had one or two images in mind. The first image below was one I knew I wanted to create, loosely inspired by the painting American Gothic. Everything else was created in the moment.
Red Rocks!
Wow! I don't even know what to say, so this is gonna be a short one. If you know me on a musical level, you know that Josh Ritter is my FAVOURITE! He opened for Elephant Revival (who I never get tired of photographing) at Red Rocks (my dream shoot venue) a few weeks ago, and I was able to snag a photo pass from Elephant's people.
I'm still in heaven. I'll let the images speak for themselves now <3
Throwback Thursday! Roots Fest 2015
One of my favorite Fayetteville events each year is Roots Festival. I'm blown away each year by the level of talent Bryan, Bernice, and Jeremy are able to wrangle together in a city as small as ours. That said, I never seem to stay on top of posting my top shots from this event. Even though it's only April I'm already itching for this years lineup! Here's a peek at last year. Enjoy!
Our incredible hosts/coordinators/fearless leaders, Smokey & the Mirror! This event wouldn't happen if it weren't for Bryan and Bernice. With everything they're constantly caught up in, it's absolutely amazing how flawlessly they're able to pull this event off!
Sometimes only getting to shoot three songs is a blessing! The Punch Brothers were so fun to shoot I could have easily missed the 2 hours they played by getting caught up in my camera. Instead I got to knock out an awesome set then kick back and enjoy the show.
10 years ago I got to see Fiona Apple play with Damien Rice at the Santa Barbara Bowl in California. I never thought in a million years I'd get the chance to photograph one of her sets. Seeing her with The Watson Family Hour was indescribable.
I've shot the Shook Twins three times now, and every time is more incredible than the last. I can't wait to see 'em again this August at Roots Fest 2016!
John Elliot was an unexpected surprise for me. It's been years since I've bought a CD at a show, but 5 minutes into John's set I bought a copy of everything he had available. The wit and sincerity he's able to convey in every song is mind blowing. I'm still crossing my fingers that he'll pop up as a late addition this year.
The Ben Miller Band never fails to impress me. This year was no different.
There's something bizarre and magical about seeing 14 20-something year olds playing baltic folk music and singing in a dozen languages. Fayetteville is blessed to have a group as talented as Ozarka Orkestra based here.
This was my second time shooting Pokey LaFarge and I can't wait for the next. I LOVE watching these folks play. Pokey exudes authenticity you don't usually see from groups with a throwback sound.
The Steel Wheels and John Moreland were new discoveries for me and both were so, so great. Hopefully I'll get a bit more time to shoot John this year!
John Fullbright was another new discovery for me. Given how close to AR he's based, I was shocked I hadn't heard of him sooner. It was a great reminder of how important events like this are.
Jes and Matt
Every wedding is unique, but there's something really neat about shooting a wedding for a fellow photographer. I was thrilled when my friend Jes told me her and her fiancé had moved up their wedding date and wanted me as their photographer.
Their wedding was held at Mount Sequoyah Gardens, a beautiful spot on a hill that overlooks all of Fayetteville. Jes is an excellent architecture and landscape photographer, so I wanted to incorporate the arbor and overlook as much as possible.
Due to Arkansas's crapshoot weather we didn't know what to expect. Fortunately the day was perfect and we were able to get some incredible sunset shots. Enjoy!