Galaxy Magazine Music Photography Issue

Galaxy Magazine

Photo by Yising Kao

Music Photography Issue

Welcome to our Music Photography issue! As a music photographer/videographer, I wanted to create this issue to share everyone's stories, to showcase their work, and to provide advice for aspiring photographers. So, I reached out to Galaxy's photographers, tour photographers who I look up to, and my fellow photographer friends who I've survived the pit with at countless shows or met through social media, and they were kind enough to let me interview them. I love how we've built this tight community where we support each other, and it's inspiring to see how every photographer has their own unique perspective. I included everyone's Instagram usernames and hope you take a look at their beautiful work! Thank you to all these talented and hard-working photographers for participating in this issue - keep on shooting and achieving your goals! CATCH YA IN THE PIT Sincerely, Yising Kao Executive Editor: Yising Kao Executive Editor: Front Cover: Awsten Knight of Waterparks by Yising Kao Front Cover: Graphics: by Estefany Gallegos & Alex Persak Graphics: Back Cover: Hayley Williams of Paramore by Briar Burns Back Cover: Inside Cover: Ross Lynch of The Driver Era by Sarah Rodriguez, Inside Cover: Luke Hemmings of 5SOS by Briar Burns, John O'Callaghan of The Maine by Yising Kao Table of Contents: Matthew Healy of The 1975 by Adam Elmakias Table of Contents:

Stay updated with us! www.galaxy-mag.com Twitter: @galaxy_mag Twitter: Instagram: @galaxymag Instagram:

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Table of Contents

3 Alex Feldmann 3 6 Jana Vollmer 6 9 Lizzie Clark 9 12 Sean Gardner 12 15 Brynn Edwards 15 18 Melisande Martin 18 21 Claire Doherty 21 24 Linda Wang 24 28 Chels Harrison 28 31 Carla Jay 31 34 Henri Isaac 34 37 Aly Mae 37 40 Sarah Rodriguez 40 43 Maggie London 43 47 Jasmine Denisse 47 51 Briar Burns 51 54 Yising Kao 54 58 Rory Kramer 58 63 Adam Elmakias 63 67 Kyle Lehman 67 70 Elliot Ingham 70 74 Courtney Kiara 74 77 Andy DeLuca 77 80 Guadalupe Bustos 80 84 Ian Coulson 84

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Alex Feldmann

Portland, OR ★ @alexfeldmannphoto What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

I was at my first ever concert and got one clear shot from my terrible phone camera and completely fell in love with the idea of turning something like that into a career.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

Eventually I want to be able to go on tour with a band and be able to do it every night. But as far as something more realistic for now, I want to discover new editing styles and test myself with that more.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Who are your photographer inspirations?

The first photographer who I really feel in love with was Adam Elmakias (@elmakias), but in more recent years I've really started to look up to Brad Heaton (@bradheaton) and Andy Deluca (@andydeluca).

What do you hope to convey through your work?

What do you hope to convey through your work?

How much live music can make you feel. From the first show I've been to, to now, getting to go to shows has shown me and a lot of other people I've talked to how alive they can make you feel. It's like I've unlocked a whole new range of emotions. And I want to be able to try and show even part of that through what I do to people who haven't been to a concert before, or who have but want to remember what that feels like, because that's so important to me.

Do you have any advice for aspiring music photographers?

Do you have any advice for aspiring music photographers?

I would just go for it. I started taking pictures a few years before I tried turning it into some kind of career and would think about how badly I wanted it to work out constantly. Not every aspect will go how you want it to, and it might take a little while to get things going, but when it does, it’s so worth it and it’s one of the best feelings in the world. Also, if a band or someone else posts your pictures without credit, bug them until they give it to you! Don’t feel bad for wanting to be credited for your work.

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Neck Deep

by Alex Feldmann

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All Time Low

by Alex Feldmann

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Jana Vollmer

Arnsberg, Germany ★ @janavollmerr What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

My love for live music and my dad. My dad helped me a lot to get all the basics for learning photography and he also let me borrow his camera equipment. It was the moment I realized how magical it feels to freeze those incredibly powerful moments that music can bring up in the crowd, and the band that got me started into wanting to learn more about music photography.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Who are your photographer inspirations?

-Kyle Lehman (@kyle_lehman_). I would say he is one of my first and biggest inspirations. He was there when I started to get interested in shooting concerts and he has been helping me a lot since then.

-Chloe Dunscombe (@chloedunscombephotography), who I luckily can count as one of my best friends. I love the way she works and her never-ending passion for what she is doing. She started pursuing her dream of being a photographer from a very young age and you can see that in her absolutely amazing pictures. She also has been helping me a lot and I am forever thankful for her existence.

-Guadalupe Bustos (@_lupe), who I discovered through his work for The Maine. I am mainly inspired by his editing and film photography.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

Besides being able to make a living from my photography and going on tour, I want to find my style and capture moments that mean a lot to people, and be able to touch their emotions. I want people to feel the energy of music through my pictures.

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

Probably when I got to shoot The Wrecks at the Rave / Eagles Club in Milwaukee because it was definitely the biggest venue I have shot so far. Standing in the photo pit with legendary photographers like Ashley Osborn and Matty Vogel just felt surreal.

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Rachel Hastings

by Jana Vollmer

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Barns Courtney

by Jana Vollmer

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Lizzie Clark

Lodi, CA ★ @lizziexclarkphotography What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

I started doing photography when I took the Intro to Photography class at my high school. It really sparked my interest in the world of photography and digital media. Then I eventually came across photographers such as Jawn Rocha, Lily Mclaughlin, Jordan Mizrahi, Anam Merchant and more music photographers who introduced me to the art that is concert photography. It was something I was especially interested in because it combined the two things I loved most, music/live music, and photography. That’s when I realized that’s what I wanted to do.

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

Favorite concert I’ve shot would probably have to be The Great Depression Tour both in Ventura and Anaheim.

The energy and passion of all those bands on stage was something I really wanted to capture going into it.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

My main goal in concert photography would probably be to go on tour. Being told I’m actually good enough to be someone’s tour photographer, not just getting photo passes and going to shows on my own, is something that I’ll probably always want to do.

What other types of photography do you practice or want to get into?

What other types of photography do you practice or want to get into?

Portraits. It’s probably one of the first things I learned in my class in high school, but that was still a high school class. As I practice getting better at taking portraits, editing them is the department I still need to learn more in. I want to be able to do the crazy things Drue and Kelsey Maggart (@Iivid and @KelseyMaggart on Twitter) do with their work.

Do you have any advice for aspiring music photographers?

Do you have any advice for aspiring music photographers?

Just go for it. I still consider myself an aspiring photographer even though I’ve actually started shooting shows.

Whatever camera you may have, take it to a show with you and just start taking photos, it’s somewhere to start.

Even if you come out of it with no good photos, you learn from it and it’s good practice.

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Patty Walters of As It Is

by Lizzie Clark

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Braxton Smiley of Hold Close

by Lizzie Clark

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Sean Gardner

New York City, NY ★ @seangardnerphoto What Inspired you to start doing photography?

What Inspired you to start doing photography?

I think my mom inspired me to start doing photography. I played in my fair share of bands in high school, and there's nothing like the energy you feel when you play live. After every show I played, I always hoped that someone was taking pictures to capture that energy, but in my suburban town there was never really anyone doing that at these small, local music shows. And my mom had a knack for photography; she was always shooting pictures of me and my siblings growing up. She would sometimes shoot the live shows for my brother’s band, Fracture. So, at one of these shows, I saw her taking pictures, and I started thinking about how I always wanted people to take pictures of my bands. So, I asked her if I could borrow her camera for the rest of the show and give it a go. Starting from that show onwards, I became Fracture’s regular photographer. I shot all their shows after that, and started to develop my skills and my portfolio. It very quickly became a passion.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

I would love to go on tour with a band. I think that would be a great experience, as a photographer and in general. I think it would also be pretty cool to one day publish a book of my work. But overall, my goal is to just push myself to get better with every show I shoot, and just capture awesome moments and produce content that maybe makes someone stop scrolling for a few seconds just to admire it.

Who are some of your photographer inspirations?

Who are some of your photographer inspirations?

Mark Cummings, the photographer who worked very closely with Morrissey and The Smiths, big fan of his.

Brandon Woelfel, the way he edits is so beautiful. Greg Noire has done some amazing stuff in black and white that I really admire, and also Kevin Gutierrez, Mark Seliger, Anton Corbijn, and Jake Chamseddine, as well so many others.

What was your favorite show you’ve shot and why?

What was your favorite show you’ve shot and why?

My answer to this question will probably be different every time I'm asked it, because every show I shoot becomes my favorite right after I’m done shooting it. Right now, I’d either say Broadside and With Confidence at the Knitting Factory, because it was an incredibly fun crowd, and the venue allows photographers to shoot the whole show, and I managed to shoot form a lot of different angles, or The Front Bottoms at Brooklyn Steel, because they really put on a great show visually, all their lights, and their stage set up was just really fun to photograph.

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With Confidence

by Sean Gardner

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Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco

by Sean Gardner

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Brynn Edwards

Sierra Vista, AZ ★ @brynneviephotography What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

I was inspired to start doing photography because of my high school film class. I've always had a love for cameras, and I go to so many concerts that I thought it would be a great idea for me to find a way to combine my two passions.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

Right now, I'm only fifteen, so there's a lot I'm trying to figure out. However, I know I want to do something involving the music industry, so if photography ends up being that thing, I would be more than happy to spend my life doing it.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Who are your photographer inspirations?

I am obsessed with Jake Chamseddine, Jawn Rocha, Anna Lee, Meg Meyer, Luis Rodriguez, Adam Elmakias, and Ross Halfin. I probably owe all of my inspiration to pick up a camera to Jake especially. I could sit and look at all of their work for hours!

What's your favorite concert you've shot and why?

What's your favorite concert you've shot and why?

My favorite show that I've shot is Palaye Royale at The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix, Arizona. I barely knew anything about concert photography, and I thought since I had used my kit lens to do concert photography before, that I could make it work. However, all of my pictures turned out extremely dark because of the venue's lighting this time around. It was kind of horrifying at first, but now I think of it as the show that changed my photography. I was able to buy my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 fixed focal length lens two days after, and things have been improving so much since then!

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Jacky Vincent

by Brynn Edwards

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Ace Von Johnson of L.A. Guns

by Brynn Edwards

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Melisande Martin

San Diego, CA ★ @melisandemartin What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

Honestly, the fans inspired me to start doing photography. I went to a show and saw how the fans interacted with the band. I saw how important these songs were to both the fan and the artist. I wanted to capture those moments of pure happiness.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

One of my goals I hope to accomplish is touring. I feel like that is the next step for me. Another goal for myself is to be get more creative with trying new things, and getting different and weird shots.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Who are your photographer inspirations?

I have so many photography inspirations but there are two who I look up to and have helped me throughout my career. Annika Cimas and Ashley Osborne. They both are incredible female music photographers and are always there to help.

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

My favorite concert I shot so far was a small local show at a venue called the Che Cafe. It’s incredibly hard to photograph and is a small completely graffiti venue. I loved the challenge. The passion that the artists and fans had was beautiful. It was a fun challenge and a good night with amazing music.

What type of equipment do you usually bring to shoot shows?

What type of equipment do you usually bring to shoot shows?

I usually bring a backpack with extra batteries and a charger, a flash in case we wanted to do some portraits, my film camera, some extra film and SD cards, I’ll bring other lenses as well. Most of the time, I don’t need the majority of that but it’s always nice to have that stuff in case I need it, or even a fellow photographer needs it.

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Josiah Caploe of HATE DRUGS

by Melisande Martin

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Joey Bradford of The Used

by Melisande Martin

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Claire Doherty

Los Angeles/San Luis Obispo, CA ★ @clare__elizabeth What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

Growing up, I enjoyed looking through fashion magazines; I was in awe of the creativity that went into arranging editorials and the artistry of a cohesive story. I wanted to create what they were creating. I knew that I wanted to express my artistry via photography, but I didn’t think that the fashion industry was the best place for me for me to do that. Music has played an influential role in my life, and being involved in the music industry was something I’ve always dreamed of. Every time I attended a concert, I was drawn to the unique energy of both the performance and the audience; I wanted to capture those brief moments of unadulterated emotion and passion and transform them into something tangible. The more I learned about music photography as a career, the more I felt like I had finally found my purpose and passion.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

At some point in my future, I would like to tour with a band or artist as their personal photographer. I dream of creating an album cover, as I believe that they are truly an unappreciated art form.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Every photo and its unique style influences my artistic eye, and I have an appreciation for all photographic work. There are a few photographers, specifically Adam Elmakias, Anna Lee, Ben Zucker, who have not only inspired me artistically but have guided me on how to find success in such a competitive industry.

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

My favorite concert I’ve shot this year was Halsey at the KAABOO music festival in San Diego. This show holds a special place in my heart. I got to witness her last hopeless fountain kingdom U.S show, capture many glorious moments that I’m very proud of, and most importantly it brought a sense of confidence, and determination back into my soul to start fully pressuring music photography again.

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Halsey

by Claire Doherty

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De'Wayne Jackson

by Claire Doherty

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Linda Wang

Los Angeles, CA ★ @thelindawangphotography What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

I grew up with a love of movies so naturally, cinematography comes to mind when I think of what inspired me to do photography. Since I can remember, I've always loved how the most mundane and minuscule of things could look so beautiful depending on how a shot is framed. It amazes me how photographers can take anything that seems unimportant and make it seem like the center of the universe.

What has your experience been like working as a tour photographer? What are some challenges you've faced and how did you overcome them? faced and how did you overcome them?

My experience as a tour photographer was both exhilarating and stressful as one can imagine. Each night is a new night, despite the set being the same.

You never know what you're going to get if you aren't familiar with the venues you're going to. However, the struggle becomes a sort of challenge and I love challenging myself. It definitely is a fun way to grow and learn as a photographer. On the last two tours I've been a part of, I had to drive my own vehicle separate from the band/crew because of the size of their transportation and amount of people on the tour.

I don't mind the driving at all, so that wasn't the hard part. The most difficult part of touring was having to have a 24-hour turnaround time for the photos I took because most of the time, I would be too tired to edit after a show or we'd be driving to another city overnight. I found some balance between lack of sleep and editing, and editing the previous night's photos after soundcheck at the next night's venue. There's always a way to balance things out, even if it means losing some sleep or struggling with how quickly you get your photos out to your artists. Just be careful if you decide to edit in between sets; don't lose track of your SD cards like I did!

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

This is such a hard question to answer. I've shot so many shows that could easily be my favorite. Instead of a favorite show, I'm going to use this opportunity to 24

pick my favorite artist to shoot because I have been to most of his shows and every single time, from the first to the most recent, I have been blown away. My dear friend, Lostboycrow is my favorite artist to shoot. Hands down. My reason for this is, he was the artist that kind of helped me grow into my music photography. I started out by connecting with him while he was playing at bars and eventually we became friends.

Since then, four years ago, I've seen him grow into this incredible artist that has transformed into an even better artist than before which is truly amazing. My photography has also grown with the amount of shows of his that I have covered. I have had the privilege of touring with him twice and every show I get lucky enough to capture moments that are "you had to be there" moments. That's hard to do. I think my personal connections with LBC makes my work more personal and more intentional. And I think that's really important as an artist: to know what you're capturing.

What other types of photography do you practice or want to get into? want to get into?

I started out doing photography in Yearbook so it ranged from portraits, to sports, to still life in a library.

Today, I mainly shoot shows. In the past I shot a lot of portraits and I think I'm really dying to get back into the portraits. But I really want to do creative and artistic portraits and recently I've wanted to dabble in highfashion portraits. They always look really fun and intense. It makes me want to create more work and challenge myself to be well-rounded in the photography universe. I mean, have you seen some of the colors in these shots? Crazy!

Do you have any advice for aspiring music photographers? photographers?

The main advice I can give to any aspiring music photographer is to establish yourself with smaller bands first! You might not like the smaller local band, but hey, they could be the next big thing! If you make your connections with smaller bands, and offer to take photos (I know, you want to earn a living from your hobby/dream job but we all have to start somewhere!)

whenever they play near you! This way, not only do you develop a relationship with someone who might be a potential employer in the future, but you also build your portfolio along the way so that you may create a website and a name for yourself to start getting approved by bigger artists. Labels and artists love seeing beginner, but also established, photographers! Be kind, be professional, but most importantly be yourself. Get to know the people you want to work with!

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Lostboycrow

by Linda Wang

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SirSly

by Linda Wang

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Chels Harrison

San Diego, CA ★ @wifisnxps What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

So, I’ve always loved meeting new people and getting to know how their favorite musicians have affected their lives. In 2014, I was pretty dead set on making YouTube videos, and picked up a camera on Black Friday. A few days later, I went to a free event where Nick Jonas, Jake Miller and a few others were performing. I brought my camera and just started taking pictures. Plenty of great conversations were started, and I felt like photography would not only be a great creative outlet for me, but it would be a great way for me to meet even more people. Ever since then, I took advantage of every opportunity I could to just shoot!

How would you describe your style?

How would you describe your style?

I like to try out different looks depending on my mood, but I’d say lately I’ve been trying to go for a somewhat vintage feel.

What do you hope to convey through your work?

What do you hope to convey through your work?

My main mission is to show people that they should never give up! It can be challenging to get certain shots and have them come to life the exact way I imagined them. I’ll admit that sometimes I get discouraged, but I’ve seen my progress and I’m proud of it. Everyone starts somewhere, and there’s always an opportunity to improve or learn something new every single day.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

Photography has definitely helped me improve my work ethic and attention to detail. Those are important skills that will stick with you for the rest of your life! It helps me become a better person, and I always want to try to be the best I can be. The more I shoot, the more I hope to grow as a person (and obviously as a photographer haha). I also hope to be able to shoot at music festivals someday and get to meet as many attendees as possible! You never really know who you’re standing next to until you start to talk to them, and if you snap their picture and turn it into something awesome, that’ll add a thousand words to the conversation!

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Brandon Arreaga of PRETTYMUCH Brandon Arreaga of PRETTYMUCH

by Chels Harrison

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Sydney Sierota of Echosmith

by Chels Harrison

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Carla Jay

Orange County, CA ★ @carlajayphotography What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

This actually happened by accident – a “happy accident” is what I like to call it. When Justin Bieber released his album Purpose, he held a massive event at Staples Center, and the radio station I work for was invited to host a segment. The social media manager at the time had another work engagement and asked if I would like to take her place. I was given a DSLR camera, the passwords to the station’s social accounts, and an All-Access pass. That intense hustle & bustle of the pit greatly inspired me. I didn’t know too much about live concert photography at the time, but I wanted to learn more afterward. Something was ignited that night and I’m thankful that it did.

What to you hope to convey through your work?

What to you hope to convey through your work?

I hope to convey the unapologetic truth of the artist I am shooting. I want to capture the rawest moment of their life, as they experience something so amazing. I want to convey a spectrum of emotions – happiness, excitement, and grief.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

I would love the opportunity to tour one day; to capture moments and create content that encompasses the passion showcased on stage. To have one of my photos plastered across a huge billboard overlooking a major Los Angeles freeway is a goal I’d like to manifest one day. But I think the most important goal I have, is to inspire at least one, young, Filipino girl out there who aspires to be part of the entertainment industry. I grew up in a traditional Filipino home where I was pressured to pursue goals that did not align with my heart, on top of the challenges of trying to thrive in a male-dominated industry. If my work and my spirit can motivate others, that’s the best ambition I can strive for.

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

Niall Horan at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, on August 8th, 2018. A year prior to the date, something massive happened. Without getting into the details, that singular event sparked the slow, painful, downward spiral into the worst bout of depression I had ever experienced. During that time, I listened to Niall’s album on repeat, imagining myself in a pit, shooting Niall as he shared his passion to an enthusiastic crowd. Then it happened – one year later, on a beautiful evening at the Greek Theater, I found myself with a camera in hand.

I had tears in my eyes as I photographed Niall, no longer consumed by darkness, and instead overflowing with joy, love, gratitude, and light.

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Shawn Mendes

by Carla Jay

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G-Eazy

by Carla Jay

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Henri Isaac

Olympia, WA ★ @hhenriisaac What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

Music has always been the most important thing to me, even when I was a kid. I've always been really musical, but I never quite got comfortable making music. My mom's a photographer (and a videographer and a graphic designer and a web designer and an artist and generally good at everything...), and my dad is a musician (and a whole lot of other stuff like my mom, too), so I fell somewhere in the middle! The first time I ever really noticed photography was when I became a fan of All Time Low and saw Adam Elmakias' live photography. It suddenly became apparent to me that that was an option... and then I photographed my high school's talent show in 2011 and fell in love with it.

What are some of your goals?

What are some of your goals?

I'm hoping, hoping, hoping that by the end of 2019, I'll have at least one tour under my belt. I'm moving to Houston, TX with intent to pursue doing this full time and forever. The music scene there is just...better than the PNW. You can call me out on that one, but it's true. I want to shoot more shows again, but I know I can't do that without taking care of my mental health, too. I guess I just want to get better in my head and better with my craft. Someday, I want to be able to do this enough to not need a job when I get home.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Lately, I've been following a lot of graphic designers and artists...but I do have a handful of favorite photographers. Ian Coulson (@iancoulsonmedia), Briar Burns (@briarburns), Ian Urquhart (@ian_urquhart), Nesrin Danan (@blackprints), Harper King (@harperaking), Scotty Fisher (@sleeperstudios)...so many more I'm definitely forgetting. Just follow me on Instagram, I'm constantly sharing inspiration.

What other types of photography do you practice or want to get into?

What other types of photography do you practice or want to get into?

Outside of music photography, I love to do portraits. I'm thankful to have a best friend that's such a natural model and more than willing to let me take pictures of her doing literally anything I want. We've done a couple of conceptual shoots, but I want to get more into it. I've got a new bunch of photos in the works right now, and lots of zine and gallery ideas... just wait 'til I have a budget!

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Patty Walters of As It Is

by Henri Isaac

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Henry Cox of Boston Manor

by Henri Isaac

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Aly Mae

Vancouver, Canada ★ @alymaephoto What inspired you to start doing photography?

I got inspired when I came across Ashley Osborn’s Instagram account one day and it was so awesome to see such a hard-working woman in a male-dominated industry. This is one of the reasons why I decided to pick up my camera and start shooting at concerts. I have also always loved music and going to concerts and I thought why not find a way to capture those moments through photo rather than a grainy phone picture.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

My inspirations are Ashley Osborn, Guadalupe Bustos, Jake Chams, Carmin Edwards, Beth Saravo, Matty Vogel, Christian Sarkine, Jawn Rocha, Maggie Friedman, Lily McLaughlin, Karyssa Leigh and Brandynn LP. I admire all these photographers because they all have their own unique style and have all worked really hard to get to where they are today.

What are some of your goals?

My short-term goals would be to shoot photos of The Maine as they are my favorite band, learn videography because I think it could open some doors to greater opportunities, learn Photoshop because I think it would be good to have some basic knowledge of that application for certain clients and also learn more about selling merch. My long-term goals would be to go on my first tour because I think it would be a really cool learning experience, I would get the chance to meet new people all around the world and also it would give me the opportunity to create art consistently. I would also like to work on finding my editing style as I am still learning everyday about editing in Lightroom.

What other types of photography do you practice or want to get into?

I also shoot portraits occasionally when I am not shooting concerts and I have shot band promos for a local band and I am hoping to shoot more band promos this year...I would like to work on taking more portraits because I feel as if I don’t do enough of that

kind of work and now would be the perfect time to do so with all the nice weather. I would like to get into travel photography because the world is such a beautiful place and I want to be able to capture the beauty of a specific place, whether it be somewhere I visit or right in my own backyard.

Do you have any advice for aspiring music photographers?

Start off by shooting at local shows in your area, this will give you the opportunity to shoot without needing a photo pass and it is a great way to create connections with other photographers and artists/bands. Find a publication to shoot for right off the bat, this will help get you some wonderful opportunities to shoot some of your favorite artists/bands. Don’t be afraid to “shoot your shot,” meaning if there is a popular artist/band you want to shoot but don’t think you’ll get approved, it never hurts to try because you’ll never know what the outcome could be. Don’t be discouraged if you get lots of no’s because there will be other opportunities that will come your way. Network with other photographers in person and on social media because you’ll never know what kind of opportunities may come and also, you’ll make friends who will be supportive of your art.

There is no need to spend a ton of money on expensive camera equipment at the beginning because it isn’t about the gear who makes the photo, it is about the photographer behind the camera and the story they are able to capture through the photos.

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Taka Moriuchi of ONE OK ROCK

by Aly Mae

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Chrissy Costanza of Against The Current

by Aly Mae

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Sarah Rodriguez

New York City, NY ★ @srodriguezphotos What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

My mom inspired my photography interest from the very beginning! She was always taking photos with her camera (that was eventually handed down to me), and I was always the kid who brought their little hand-held camera to playdates just to take candids or do photoshoots and such. Fooling around with a little camera eventually led to me borrowing my mom’s camera and doing photoshoots with friends and experimenting more with photography! As for concert photography, I think Brad Heaton was my main inspiration because his photos are so different from what I usually see, with his weird angles and odd perspectives. He made me want to try to shoot concerts!

What do you hope to convey through your work?

What do you hope to convey through your work?

With my photos, I want people to be able to feel the indescribable feelings that you feel at concerts (but through a photo). Whether it be capturing a special moment of the artist/band onstage or portraying the emotions of the crowd at a show, I want to show how special live music is. There’s truly nothing like it!

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Who are your photographer inspirations?

My main three photographer inspirations are Adam Elmakias, Brad Heaton, and Ashley Osborn. Adam is honestly just the king of photography and I’ve learned so much from him and his blog, his videos and tutorials, and his photography magazines. Brad’s photos are so different than anyone’s that I’ve seen, and he really makes use of all of the perspectives you can have at a show. There are so many angles that he covers that I didn’t even think were possible. Ashley is such a legend; her photos of concerts are obviously insane, but I love how creative she is with posed photoshoots as well. She inspires me a lot in that aspect because mastering a directed photoshoot is definitely something I need to work on.

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

The first thing that comes to my mind is Vans Warped Tour because that was just the best experience. A few 40

months before Warped, I had no clue if any publications would want me to shoot for them, and I didn’t really know how anything worked in the photographer world.

But I worked really hard to build up a portfolio and applied to some magazines, which led to me applying to shoot for Warped Tour, and I got approved! It was such a big surprise and I was so excited; I got to photograph so many of my favorite bands within one day so it was the best! Another show that comes to mind is New Politics on their Spring 2018 tour. I photographed their Philly show and I basically knew nothing about them before the show. They have an incredible energy that was so fun to shoot, and I was blown away! I hope I get to see them again soon. It’s insane how many bands I’ve become a fan of through shooting their shows! :)

SWMRS

by Sarah Rodriguez

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Benjamin Langford-Biss of As It Is

by Sarah Rodriguez

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Maggie Friedman

New York City, NY ★ @maggielndnphoto Congrats on getting to document The Maine on their album release day for You Are Ok album release day for You Are Ok for for Rock Sound Rock Sound magazine! How did that come about and what was your experience like?

Thank you! That was a whirlwind of a day. Rock Sound has always been one of my favorite magazines, I have issues in my drawer dating back to at least 2011, before I even started music photography. It was a dream to be able to work with a team that was so inclusive, and made me feel like I was a part of something. I connected with their digital content editor via Girls Behind The Rock Show on Facebook—a fantastic networking group for women and non-binary folk in the music industry. We became fast friends, and she was a fan of my work. Back in January, she found out I was going to 8123 fest, The Maine's hometown festival, in Arizona, and wanted someone to cover it, and it was kismet; It felt meant to be. When I sent that gallery in, I knew it was some of my best work I’ve ever done. I had that gooey/proud feeling. One of the shots actually got published in the February issue and that was a huge milestone as well. They were very impressed with the shots, and there was a mutual love for The Maine, so when the album release show was announced for NYC, it was fate, and we worked together again! I love that team and I hope to continue for as long as I can. The show itself was amazing. It was one of those show where the energy bounced off the walls. Talking to the fans in line, some were there from as early as 5:30am that morning in anticipation. It was a beautiful moment for me, as they are one of the first bands I ever photographed, and the band I've shot the most as well. They are a once in a lifetime kind of band, and their fan base is special. I instantly knew I was a part of something greater than myself, and I was blessed to document that day.

What are some skills that you think a music photographer should have?

I think adaptability is a big one; being able to be prepared for any situation. In music photography, pretty much every factor is often out of our control, so working a lot to push yourself outside of your comfort

zone is important to grow and be the best version of yourself both career wise and in life! Being humble, and a team player are of the same importance as talent in my opinion. If I’ve learned anything through doing this, it’s that if you’re good energy, and people like you, along with knowing you’ll get the job done, they’re way more likely to recommend you. Be a kind person, treat everyone with respect, regardless of skill level or years in the industry, or anything else. Lastly, I think passion for it is important. It’s a cutthroat industry, and when someone eats, sleeps, and breathes it, it shows, both in effort, and in their work. It's also important to treat photography as a community instead of competition. I love what I do, and I’m so happy to be surrounded by tons of other photographers who do too.

What’s one of the biggest challenges of working as a freelance photographer?

I think the biggest challenge is scheduling. It truly can be a dry month with barely any work, and then you can have a week with 7 shows in 7 days and shoots during the day. When it rains, it pours, which is awesome, but it can sometimes be hard to keep yourself on track. I try, key word try, to go to bed around the same time every night, stay up to date on my editing, deliver work in a timely manner, and eat healthy. It’s easy to push your mental and physical health aside for work, but your body is your tool as a photographer, so taking care of yourself is of the utmost importance. Make sure to give yourself breaks when your mind and body cries for them, you’ll thank yourself in the long run. It's also important to challenge yourself. The shows I'm usually most nervous for turn out to be my best work. Almost every time I put myself out of my comfort zone, I end up learning something valuable. Also, don’t be afraid to say no if you’re overextending yourself or a job just doesn’t feel right. You know better than anyone else what you can handle and what you are right for.

What do you hope to convey through your work?

This is such a great question. I think, above anything else, I want to convey emotion. In my own work, I can pick out the good from the great due to it making me 43

feel something. I also love color, I want to make my photos bright, and colorful, without losing the feeling of the live show. Most of my favorite work is the high energy shots, the one of Paul from LANY in the crowd, Matt

from Cage The Elephant at Bonnaroo with the Mic above his head, jump shots, etc. I also love to capture fan interaction. I want to combine art and energy, that's the ideal.

You do freelance work for Interscope Records, so what advice do you want to give to photographers who aspire to work with a record label?

Working for Interscope has been one of my favorite opportunities I've been lucky enough to have. I have been able to see so many new artists, and discover so much new music. I think my biggest advice with label work is to really focus on social media. Putting out consistent content you are proud of and engaging with other people's work really boosts your engagement rate and spreads who sees it. I started working with Interscope because they discovered my work on Instagram. I photographed Yungblud opening for K.Flay in NY for a publication, posted the content, and got a message asking to use them for social media. It fostered a relationship, and I've been working with them ever since. It really is putting yourself out there, caring about your work, and working hard. You'll get the attention of the people who you need it from. They will take notice. If you would've told me a couple years ago what I've been able to accomplish, I probably would be shocked, and would maybe laugh. Growth is cool.

Also, if anyone ever has any questions about anything I do, or need advice, please reach out to me! You got this.

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Paul Klein of LANY

by Maggie Friedman

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Hayley Williams of Paramore

by Maggie Friedman

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Jasmine Denisse

Temecula, CA ★ @jasminedenisse

What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

Like every other emo/scene/whatever-you-call-it kid, music has always been such a huge part of my life. I was obsessed with so many bands and the vibe of the scene, but I am not musically talented whatsoever, so I could never get involved in the form of making music.

(I always said, "If I could sing, I would be in a band."

I was never #blessed though.) So, it wasn't until bands started really taking their image and social media presence more "mainstream," I guess you could say, that I even knew music photography was so dang cool. I started seeing all my favorite bands posting more photos of their live stuff and just the way the photographers would capture the atmosphere of the night-man, it was magical. And I always, I guess, subconsciously tried to do that whenever I went to a concert. I would bring my small point-and-shoot camera and take SO many photos because I wanted photos to capture the incredible memories for me to look back on. I didn't know it then, but that intent of wanting to capture a perfect moment in time is exactly what I try these days, just through a new avenue. Then when I started college, you know, you go to the club fairs and you join a bunch of clubs, and I was drawn to the university’s radio station. I signed up, went to meetings, had a radio show with my friend Cristina, where we played a bunch of songs off Spotify. The next year in radio, I wanted to get more involved and the executive team was like, "Yo, you guys know you guys you can reach out and do interviews at shows in the area right?" and flash forward: I'm doing interviews, our university lends us nice cameras, we film interviews and live footage, and I'm all, "holy crap, what if I tried to start taking photos?” You would think this path would lead me to do more video workwhich I should have alongside photography, but it's never too late right? Anyways, covering shows through interviews opened the door to "Hey, maybe I can start capturing the super awesomeness of a concert in the form of photography!" In a way, it was kind of accidental, but I really think it was fate that I got a camera in my hands and made the decision to try out music photography. I never had the intention to say "I want to be a photographer," just because I never thought I'd find myself doing it, or even being good at

it if I wanted to try. It wasn't until I shot my very first show with my own camera, it sparked something in me.

I found that I freakin' loved what I was doing in the moment. In a long-winded way, I just had always yearned for some tangible way of contributing back to my love for music, and I was so happy I finally found it through photography.

How would you describe your style?

How would you describe your style?

I call it, "What did I accidentally click in Lightroom for this photo that made me like it?" Just kidding, kind of!

That's how I used to edit, but I'm still definitely developing my style, and sometimes I just happen to randomly find the magic recipe. With my portrait work, I'm definitely a bright, and warm-toned kind of editor, but with music, I just can't describe it clearly. Any suggestions?

What to you hope to convey through your work?

I've slowly been expanding out from music photography to try out other sides of photography.

Once you get comfortable with your camera, you have an itch to take photos of so many other things-and there's still so much to learn! I've gotten into wedding photography, portraits, travel photos, and other event photos and I think that no matter what style of shooting I'm doing, I'm always trying to show authenticity.

Whether it's the love between two people, the fun atmosphere of a show, or the beauty of a new city, I always want to capture that subject in a very natural way. I guess the best way to say it is, I want my viewer to feel something when they see a photo of mine. I sure hope I'm successful at it so far. And if I'm not, I'm going to work on it!

What are some of your goals?

Not going to lie, I hit a rough patch in 2018. I wasn't shooting many shows anymore as I moved back home and started working full-time. I was tired all the time and exhausted, and my energy wasn’t put back into my photography. And when I would shoot the small amount of shows I did shoot, I wasn't very satisfied with my own work. I just wasn't doing as well as I felt I should be doing. So, at the beginning of this year, I packed away my excuses, and set some goals for myself-some small, some big-to aim to better myself. I'm learning that 47 I'm only going to improve if I keep

shooting, so I can't slow down. Here's my photo bucket list-some are for this year, some are just overall someday manifestations: · Get hired to cover a music event (I actually just crossed this off my list recently as I shot Emo Nite!). · Get published by a large music publication (either print or online). · Be more intentional with my music photography editing (I feel like sometimes I get a photo to look right only by accident). · Get hired for another wedding (so exhausting but so fun). · Do a studio shoot (I know NOTHING about studio and need to learn). · Do more street portrait work. · Go on a short tour (one where I could still afford to take time off work). · Get involved with getting to know more. photographers and build a community with them (which is technically how this interview is happening!)

Overall, I just want to create some awesome images that I'm not the only one loving. Being able to share what you love and others being receptive to what you're creating is an awesome feeling. I work as an engineer in my day job, so photography allows me to break this left-brained-only mold I'm supposed to fit in and lets my creative juices slow in a completely different way.

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

PARAMORE. When I realized, "Hey, I freaking love photography," photographing Paramore was the untouchable goal for so long. I still don't know how they granted me a photo pass for After Laughter Tour 5 this past summer through this small publication I work with, but I screamed when I read my email that they approved me for a pass. They're probably the band I've loved the longest, and I have so many early memories of jamming to their music on my small Sansa clip MP3 player as I walked to my bus stop every day to school. Their music has always meant something to me, and they just make incredible songs lyrically and musically. To photograph them meant I had, in a way, come full circle. I love the photos I have (unfortunately I can't share them to be published for Galaxy since I signed a release form), but I also wish I had a redo. I'm sure every photog would say this, but I've already improved so much since this past summer in my skills. I would love to shoot that night 48

over again and see what I'd get this time around. That show was also my first show using my new full-frame camera, so I was new to its functions and I feel so much more comfortable with it now. I think that show meant so much to me because I feel like every photog has their "dream artist" to shoot. When we all started, we had a vision of us shooting that artist and that artist for me was Paramore. It made me look back on far I'd come since I started. To really just take it all in and appreciate this passion. It was a really proud moment for me, and made me so glad I picked up a camera.

John O'Callaghan of The Maine

by Jasmine Denisse

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Dua Lipa

by Jasmine Denisse

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Briar Burns

San Francisco, CA ★ @briarburns What inspired you to start doing photography?

I went to my first concert when I was eighteen-my friend had needed a ride to San Francisco a few hours away and I decided that I didn't have anything better to do that day, so we made the trip down. Twenty One Pilots were playing at a 1,500 capacity venue, and I had zero idea who they were. We queued from 10am and ended up a row back from barricade. I didn't know a single song, didn't even realize that there were only two people in the band, and I cried at that show.

The connection with the crowd, the feeling of being completely present; it was totally unlike anything that I had ever experienced. I knew I wanted to get involved with live music in some capacity and it ended up being with a camera. The thought of trying to capture the magic of shows and trying to put what I felt at that first show into an image is my favorite challenge, and my photography journey truly did start with a concert.

How would you describe your style?

How would you describe your style?

I really love punchy colors, high contrast, and post processing. I went through a period of trying to replicate the film look that is super popular at the moment, but I wasn't enjoying the editing process or the end result. I took a break to look at what I was doing in post, and really thought about what I was conveying with my settings-instead of just moving things until it looked ok, I started working on doing things with intention and thought. One of the things that makes concerts different than almost any other settings is the incredible, bizarre color, and light that you can get. When editing with a film look, I was desaturating those colors, flattening blacks and whites, and generally just pulling away what makes concerts unique, so I decided to go in the opposite direction.

Now I love bright, bold colors, textures, overlays, and anything else that can take a photo that may otherwise seem bland and instead, edit to convey movement, emotion, intensity, and the energy of the performers.

photographers that I'm friends with or interact with that continually blow me away with their art. Ruby Boland (@rubyboland) is absolutely crazy. She's always doing new unique edits, and the richness of her colors, stupidly beautiful contrast, and ability to endlessly capture decisive moments at shows has me always thrilled to see what she posts after shooting. Another photographer that I hope to one day be able to be on par with is Cath Connell (@cath.connell). She has such a dope style that emulates a lot of classic rock postersher graphic design and collage posts always make my jaw drop when I see them while scrolling through my socials.

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

What’s your favorite concert you’ve shot and why?

I've been really lucky to shoot a lot of bands that I love in 2018-Paramore, Panic! at the Disco, Sam Smith, Troye Sivan-but the one to top them all would have to be Twenty One Pilots. They were the band that introduced me to the beauty of live shows and have been a huge part of my life for the last five years and it was surreal to be standing in the photo pit at a show with 20,000 other people. It was also my 21st time seeing them, and it meant a whole lot to be able to photograph a band that I've grown with over the years.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Who are your photographer inspirations?

I get a ton of inspiration from other artists, especially more experimental stuff, and I have a few specific 51

Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons

by Briar Burns

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Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco

by Briar Burns

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Yising Kao

Los Angeles, CA ★ @yisingkao What inspired you to start doing photography and videography?

Growing up, my dad always took photos of me and my family. He gave me a small point-and-shoot camera that I would take to concerts, and I eventually practiced using his professional camera and shooting small local shows. I grew up listening to artists who were on Disney Channel like Jesse McCartney, Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, Allstar Weekend, and more, so that’s how my passion for music bloomed. I took my CD player with me everywhere. Justin Bieber was also one of my favorite artists (and he still is), so I always watched all of his music videos directed by Alfredo Flores, and they inspired me. When I was about 12, I knew I wanted to become a music photographer and videographer. I loved the idea of telling stories through art and capturing special moments. Throughout my childhood, I was drawn to the arts because I did all types of art, like taking art classes, learning guitar and the ukulele, and writing poetry and lyrics. I would download free trials for video editing programs, and taught myself how to shoot and edit, making little videos by myself or with friends. I went to so many small shows and red-carpet events hosted by the same company, so I asked them if I could shoot some shows for my portfolio, and they let me. I posted the photos on my social media and made a Tumblr for my photography, in addition to making recap videos, and people began to take notice. From then on, I worked my way up and started an online magazine, just so I could have a platform to express myself and write about music I loved, along with sharing my photos; this eventually became Galaxy Magazine! Over the years, I got to shoot bigger artists, gain more experience, and network with music industry professionals. I stepped out of my comfort zone and started doing interviews with artists. If 9-year-old me knew that I would be shooting photos of Jesse McCartney and Taylor Swift, she would not have believed me. Additionally, I shot photos and produced videos of skits for my swim team, and joined my high school’s video team, practicing and gaining as much experience as much as I could. When I started college in 2015, I joined a music club and the newspaper team, shooting photos and videos of events. You have 54

to put yourself out there and create opportunities!

Eventually, people asked if they could join Galaxy, and since I ran my old magazine by myself, I never thought that people would actually want to be a part of this, so that made me really excited to share the platform with others to express our passions. In addition to shooting concerts, I shoot portraits and landscapes, and I love planning creative photoshoots and collaborating with others. When I go to the beach or travel, I take my GoPro, which is super fun to use underwater, and I make travel recap videos of my adventures.

How would you describe your style?

How would you describe your style?

I’ve always been obsessed with lights and stars; they’re just beautiful and captivating. I’d describe my style as ethereal and magical. I love incorporating lights and effects into my photos, such as editing in light bubbles or light leaks. I mainly edit with cool colors like teal and purple, but I also like to experiment with other styles, because it’s fun to challenge yourself and try new things.

For concert photos, I edit them based on how the artist’s music makes me feel. When I listen to a song, these visuals of stories, colors, and emotions play through my mind, so I express them through my work. Like, if a song makes me feel infinite, then I’ll edit stars into the artist’s photo and create a certain concept from my mind.

What to you hope to convey through your work?

What to you hope to convey through your work?

I hope that when people look at my photos, they feel like they’re living in that moment. I want to invoke emotions through my photos and videos, and tell stories, whether they’re my own or others’. In my concert recap videos, I love interviewing fans and hearing about how music and artists have influenced their lives. Music is so powerful; it can bring people together and help them through rough times. I think it’s the closest thing we have to magic. I hope to inspire people through my work and capture those happy memories that will be remembered for a long time. My favorite part about shooting is capturing those moments where I can just see and feel the artist’s passion, like candid moments when they’re smiling at the crowd, or hitting that certain note in a song. Additionally, I want to portray how strong the relationship is between artists and their fans. It’s truly

special and when I capture photos of the crowd, it warms my heart because people are in this other world where they can escape reality, forget about their worries, and live in the moment of pure happiness. I also see a reflection of myself in those shots, since it’s my favorite feeling just being at a concert.

Who are your photographer inspirations?

Jordan Wright (@taylorcutfilms)-We share a similar style and his photos and videos are PHENOMENAL! For every photo, he creates a magical world and I’m just fascinated by them. He writes such inspiring thoughts to go along with his photos that I’ve either thought about before, or that express a completely new perspective and way of thinking about a certain topic. I love poetry, so I love reading what he has to say and every one of his posts inspires me a lot.

Jordan’s videos inspire me as well and take me into another world. They make me think about life and encourage me to constantly improve and believe in myself. I feel like Jordan’s work is a pretty good representation of my mind, full of dreams and fantasy.

Briar Burns (@briarburns)-I discovered Briar’s work on Twitter a few months ago, and they instantly became one of my favorite photographers. They edit their photos with lights and strong contrast, and every photo is breathtaking. Briar is incredibly creative, and their photos have this quality of being super loud and bright, and they capture such good moments. They also edit some photos in black and white and create them so uniquely. I’ve never seen photos like Briar’s and I believe that they’re going to achieve all of their goals as a photographer!

Rory Kramer (@rorykramer)-He inspires me not only as a photographer and videographer, but also as a “professional life liver,” as he calls himself. This dude works for what he wants and does it! His videos make me feel as if I’m the one living through them, and each video tells a creative story. I love how beautiful and clean his shots and transitions are. I really admire how Rory not only shoots, but shoots with a purpose. He portrays powerful messages through his work and has opened up about his struggles, which is really inspiring because it’s important to be real in the entertainment industry. Sometimes people forget that everyone goes through obstacles, and we aren’t just who we present ourselves as on social media.

What advice do you want to give to aspiring music photographers? photographers?

You have to be passionate about what you do, or you won’t succeed. Do it because it makes you genuinely happy and because it’s what you want to do every day. Also, it’s tough, but try not to compare yourself to others. If you just focus on yourself, it’ll be easier to find your style because you’re putting a piece of yourself into your work. Everyone has their own unique visions, and no one has YOUR eye. You gotta believe in yourself, or no one else will! Start by shooting small artists/bands. Reach out to them, people you may know in the industry, and your local venues. You have to be willing to shoot for free at first to build your portfolio and work your way up. Nothing comes easy it takes a lot of patience but if you’re serious about it, you’ll get to where you want to get to! Talk to people at shows and build your network, and just get your name out there. Post your work on social media and your friends will support your work and help promote it!

Don’t stop practicing; Go out and seek those opportunities, or create them for yourself! :)

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Awsten Knight of Waterparks

by Yising Kao

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Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots

by Yising Kao

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Rory Kramer

Los Angeles, CA ★ @rorykramer

What inspired you to start doing photography?

My mom was always taking photos of our family and recording on this old VHS video camera. It wasn’t until I was in high school when I got into watching MTV and music videos, shows like jackass, blink 182 tour doc called The Urethra Chronicles. All that stuff was similar to what my friends and I were doing. So, I took my mom’s camera and started filming stuff like stunts, skits, and just everyday life. My senior year of high school, I taught myself how to edit and I knew if I could package all my clips into one thing, then maybe I could show it to people and they’d watch it. I started selling them at school and made $500 a week, which was a lot for a 17-year-old. My parents always taught me, if you want money, you gotta work for it. It taught me that I could make money in an easy, fun way where it doesn’t feel like work and in return, it’s my money and no one can tell me what I choose to spend it on. I could go blow it, but then I learned that lesson of blowing your money. I also learned I could take that $500 and buy another video camera. So now, I had two cameras and different angles to work on and I just kept investing in myself.

You’ve opened up about your depression and how you try to turn your weaknesses into strengths, such as by using them for motivation. Talking about your struggles is important and your journey has inspired a lot of people, especially since social media can deceivingly make it seem like everyone’s lives are perfect and they’re always happy. How do you view social media?

I’ve recently changed how I view social media. It’s so hard not to get caught up in a following and likes, especially when that dictates a lot of your business. I remember when I used it before I had a following, I’d post whatever and it was fun and organic, and it was based around my friends and family. As I started to get followed because of an artist or the work I made, you start to watch your growth. Because you want it to grow and want more opportunities and chances to create, since it’s why you got into self-expression through visual arts. Now, sometimes it’s my best way of communication with a friend or a family member.

Sometimes I follow a lot of meme accounts because I think laughing’s the best medicine, so I’ll forward 58

memes to my friends. But also, I’ll scroll through my dms and read questions and engage with people, like if you asked me for photography advice. I can also see dms of people asking like, “When is the new Chainsmokers’ song coming out?” I don’t know because I don’t have any part in making the music. I can choose what to engage in; I try to get on there and post to showcase something I believe in, something that hopefully inspires people and inspires me. I don’t like being on it cause it’s a toxic thing and you can go down rabbit holes and all of a sudden, you’re like “It was just two o’ clock, now it’s 4 o’ clock. How long have I been on this?” You start to wonder how much you live vicariously through other people rather than living your own life.

Everyone’s guilty of going on and thinking, “I wish I could go there” or “I wish I could meet that person.”

You can’t, but the time you put into wishing your life away, you can be proactive and actually make those things happen.

How do you try to motivate yourself?

I used to get stuck a lot on actually sitting down and getting into the timeline to edit so I’ve restructured on my organizational skills. I treat my hard drives similar to how I treat my brain. I can recall memories off the top of my head very quickly, like if you ask me about a certain Chainsmokers show, I could tell you a 10-minute story. That flow is so quick and effortless that I need my creative process to be similar. If I plug in a hard drive, I have to know what’s on there and if I don’t, then I have to plug in another and I have like 50 drives. When I’m working on a project, sometimes I can have a callback to the story I’m talking about, because I have like, the clip of Alex and Drew doing this. I know it’s in my head, but I need to find the physical content. Social media made bad habits for me of how incident it was.

When I first started touring with 3LAU, he was like, “You made this from the concert last night? Can you make this every day? I’ll pay you double your rate.”

I’ve never seen that kind of money in a day. The quickest way was to take the content from the card straight onto the timeline. I wasn’t properly organizing it and categorizing it like, “3LAU, Bloomington, Indiana, Dunkirk.” I can retain that info quickly and I have a visual memory, but to get into those clips, I didn’t

respect the process so going back, now that part of getting hung up doesn’t exist anymore; I put in the time and effort to have a solid foundation for my creative flow. Now if I’m not inspired, I can pick up a book and intake positive info that I’m learning. I can stay off of social media because you’re kind of wishing your life away because you want what other people have, or your friends hang out and you're like, “Why didn’t they invite me?” Your mind plays tricks on you. Or I take a walk, go out and get coffee, paint, and just seize other forms of self-expression that can get the brain properly working and inspired, so when you go back to do work, you have the inspiration that feels effortless. It’s all about the flow.

From your touring experiences, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned about working with artists?

You have to respect the artist because you work for them at the end of the day, regardless of your friendship. You have to read people’s energy. I got really good at it because I got to work with Justin Bieber quickly into my career in the spotlight. Justin’s one of the most unique, coolest forms of energy I’ve ever experienced because so many people love him that it makes his energy very powerful. He can walk into a room and make everyone stop what they're doing and look at him. If he’s backstage, about to play a show in front of 20,000 people, I know that I gotta read his energy. Is he excited and feeling good? If he’s feeling good, then I can add to that to maybe help him get out there ‘cause he knows we’re friends and we can bounce off of each other. But if he’s having a bad day, I gotta be weary of the energy I'm bringing to him. Am I going to lift him up or is it going to make his day worse? If I can’t help, I go out into the crowd and just wait to shoot, because if I can’t be part of the solution, then I eliminate myself. Or I can just say, “Hey man, good luck tonight.” It’s just the little things. You have to read the person’s energy and I think that’s what makes a good filmmaker and photographer. Sometimes you have to be the fly on the wall and sometimes you have to be the best friend. Reading energy is a very good skill to have.

What advice do you want to give to aspiring tour photographers and videographers?

Know who you are. Why you're doing it, why you're taking the photo. Because if it’s anything other than to satisfy yourself, then it’s for the wrong reasons. If you’re like, “I’m at this Chainsmokers show and I get to take this epic shot,” and you post the photo and say, “I shot the Chainsmokers last night.” I’ll look at that and be like “No, you didn’t because I was actually hired by them to shoot.” They're gloating instead of being like “last night, I happened to be in the photo pit and I saw Rory and they called me over and gave me this one shot and it was life changing. Can you tell me about the process and what goes into it?” Then people can realize there’s this guy who’s waiting his time and he got the chance. I’ve been in the pit trying to take photos and you do your time. When your time comes, you better be ready to capture it because you might get one pyro shot or big production shot, and it might be a DJ who can’t even afford production. So how are you going to make that time count?

One of my favorite music videos is Justin Bieber’s I’ll One of my favorite music videos is Justin Bieber’s I’ll Show You music video which you produced, when Show You music video which you produced, when Justin surprised you with a trip to your dream place to visit, Iceland. I love how you captured how Justin naturally is and the message of the song; he’s human too. It’s such a beautiful video.

Thanks! I think that video was a success because it was just two friends on vacation. The footage I took ended up becoming the music video.

And Chris Burkard was also with you guys.

Yeah, he ended up doing Justin’s album artwork. But the way I treated it was like, even if Justin Bieber wasn’t sitting there and you were sitting there, or no one was, it was my first time seeing a waterfall like that. So, getting to shoot it, and now you have this subject sitting there who’s actually admiring it and you're not telling them to admire it, they’re admiring it because its their first time seeing it. I remember I got to have a conversation with Ellen DeGeneres and she talked to him about it and said it was one of her favorite videos.

It meant so much to me because I'm a big fan of her.

During that week when Justin was on her show, she was walking past me and I collected my thoughts and told myself I was going to have a conversation with her. I was like, “Hey Ellen, I want to introduce myself.

I’m Rory, Justin’s videographer. I just want to say thank you for the nice things you said about the I’ll Show You video we shot in Iceland.” She was like, “You shot that?” And this sparked a 2-3 minute conversation, and 59

Ellen doesn’t have time for a conversation with a stranger because her life is so planned because of who she is and her success. She made time for this and said, “I’ve worked with Justin since the beginning of his career. I’ve never seen this side of him.” The way she was talking about it was just amazing. I was unaware that I was capturing him like that, I was just doing what I normally do and here, it resonates with Ellen DeGeneres. No one really knows what they’re doing. It was just so cool to experience something like that.

What are some ways creatives can help people understand artists are human too? understand artists are human too?

As you learn to create, I think you understand the creative process and what it entails. To be good at something, once you have success, then you have something where it didn’t turn out the way you hoped, you realize how much being an artist is very unpredictable. It's not a secure job. Your job depends on your creativity. Whether you're coming up with new ideas, whether you're a leader or a follower.

Sometimes you're at the top and other times, you fall and you're uninspired. You have to respect the process at that point because life is ups and downs.

When you're up and you start to fall, you wonder if it’s ever going to be that good again. It is if you choose for it to be. If you’re like “Life sucks,” then your down is going to keep going down and its going to be harder to get out of. So, it’s all about when you're on top, be aware of it but don’t let it control who you are and letting it change you.

It’s awesome how you show your friends who are artists as who they really are as a person. artists as who they really are as a person.

I felt like a misunderstood kid. I came from a small town so to have that perspective already of feeling misunderstood kid, its easy to relate to another artist and to put yourself in their shoes.

In the entertainment industry, it can be easy to go down the wrong path. You keep a tight group of friends and it’s awesome how your clients are also your friends. How do you guys keep each other grounded in this industry?

It can be as much as cracking jokes. You always have to check them and to earn respect, you have to show respect. One way we do it is by cutting the bullshit and you just gotta be like, “Are you good?” I think the eyes don’t lie and if you're willing to build 60

your friendship on trust and being a good person, it’s easy to ground somebody. Alex Pall is probably the best at keeping me grounded because he knows how to shit on me, but not in a way where it’s going to kill my spirits, just a little jab.

Justin Bieber

by Rory Kramer

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Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers

by Rory Kramer

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Adam Elmakias

San Diego, CA ★ @elmakias A Music Photography magazine is such a creative A Music Photography magazine is such a creative concept and I admire how you include a mix of people who’ve been published many times and people who’ve been published fewer times or never even been published. Was there a specific moment that inspired you to want to create this magazine?

I try to do stuff with an intention behind it. For A Music Photography Magazine, I was doing my own magazine and I kind of wanted to find something that I could continue without having to stay active myself, while at the same time, fulfill that goal. In a way, it was kind of like starting over because people don’t usually buy magazine from a lot of photographers they haven’t heard of, but I just thought back to that moment when I was published for the first time and how good it felt, and how motivating it was. I thought it would be cool to create that moment for people and in addition to that, it also serves as a way for people who maybe have already done that, to have some of their personal favorite work published.

Sometimes, artists get stuck in a creative block, so what are some ways you try to push yourself creatively and try new things? and try new things?

Overall, it’s just an ongoing thing, whether it’s on a daily basis where I create my routine or something bigger, where I look at my work and try to figure out what I can do to switch it up, or how I can improve, what I like about it or what I don’t like about it, and why I like or dislike those things. I do try to constantly improve and get better because I don’t really believe that I have like a fixed level of understanding; I want to have a growth to it.

You’ve said on your blog that when you first started photography, you saw it as a huge competition. What helped you realize that community plays a significant role in it? role in it?

Competition is community in a way. In order to compete in something, we all have to agree on the “rules” of it. We’re all competing in music photography, but we’re also collaborating because we’re all kind of saying that this is what music

photography is, and we’re all agreeing on that, and we’re all agreeing on what makes a good photo and all these things. Competing is good because it helps move us forward, but it shouldn’t be used as a way of saying, “I’m better or worse than somebody.” So, I think community’s important to competition and competition helps us; it’s like a soccer game where everyone’s competing but also cooperating.

Touring can be really stressful and tiring, so how do you keep yourself healthy on the road? you keep yourself healthy on the road?

I keep myself happy by constantly living in the moment to the greatest extent. With everything that you do, you kind of have to feel like “Ok, this is why I’m doing this and this is important.” You need to think out your day and figure out what things you can do each day that fulfill everything you need to get done, like “Do I need to eat? Do I need to drink? Do I need to take a shower?” All these things are very important and seem really simple, and they are, but they become a task sometimes when you’re on the road, so I just make sure that I maintain my sense of self, which helps other people get the best version of me.

You’re incredibly helpful to other photographers who are just starting out and constantly give photography advice whenever you can. What’s one piece of advice that a photographer has given you that has inspired you? you?

I draw a lot of my inspirations from things outside of photography, to be honest. I’m friends with a lot of photographers, but I don’t draw my inspirations from them because a lot of the stuff I need help with isn’t usually photography-related; it’s like life-related because for touring, the photography aspect of it is kind of a backseat, and that’s my main focus so I look to people for more life skills than photography skills.

Steve tells me a lot of things that inspire me, and Mister Rogers and Bo Burnham are super inspiring. I get a lot of my inspiration about life from those people, because life is the most difficult part for me, not so much the photography. It sounds easy, but it’s a learned skill that I think I can keep learning by doing with some help 63

along the way.

Congrats on achieving your goal of producing your San Diego workshops! They were really helpful and fun. Can you tell us about your future plans for your workshops? you tell us about your future plans for your workshops?

I’m going through it and making it a little nicer, and trying to make it better. I definitely want to do more, but I haven’t figured it all out yet.

What overall message would you like to say to aspiring music photographers?

What overall message would you like to say to aspiring music photographers?

You can learn anything you want to learn. You can do whatever you want to do, like, not in a corny way because you’re capable of it, and I think that’s important to remember. You have the skills to get better and I hope that people aren’t making excuses of why they can’t do things!

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Awsten Knight of Waterparks

by Adam Elmakias

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Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots

by Adam Elmakias

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Kyle Lehman

Eau Claire, WI ★ @kyle_lehman_ What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

My inspiration for photography came from my 15year-old self. I would run around the ski hill filming snowboarders and put together these edits with a cool song and I fell in love. It was cool because I would make the videos for my buddies and after a few videos that had gotten a lot of views on YouTube, I knew I had to keep going and do this for a long time.

You’ve been on multiple tours and worked with bands such as the Wrecks and All Time Low. Do you usually try to get to know a band well before going on tour with them, or do you sometimes jump right in when you get the opportunity? you get the opportunity?

Definitely for me, it has been jump right in. With The Wrecks I knew the bass player Aaron Kelley kind of from the local scene, but was asked after I shot their show if I wanted to hop in the van and join them on their first tour. I had to decline, but I kept in contact and headed out with them on their second tour. Same thing happened with ATL’s Matty Vogel. Their photographer had to go to a wedding and asked if I wanted to take over for a few days. I hadn't really chatted with the band until that moment.

Ah, this is a really important question. I want to become really great at photography like "Hasselblad Master" great, and to get there, I believe I need to study and practice everything. It has also a great way to keep shooting when there are slow times and make some money. I spent 3 years traveling and missing holidays touring with bands full time and while it was the biggest learning opportunity I have ever had, I love being back in my hometown community providing my services.

What advice do you want to give to aspiring tour photographers? photographers?

It’s ok to not have the best gear in the world, it’s ok to not know what your style is and it’s ok to struggle with composition or textbook techniques. Techniques can be practiced and composition can be studied. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: if you think of your style as you and not a type of color or technique that can be replicated, you will put yourself into every image. You cannot be replicated. Then once you get over the emotional struggle of "What’s my style?" you’re ready to rock and roll. Also, you should probably know how to use your camera. :)

Tour calls for light packing, so how do you choose what equipment to bring?

Well, we now have a trailer so I can bring a little bit more than in the past. A lot of my packing is based on what the rooms are going to be like, if it’s a show with ATL, I am going to bring my 70-200mm, or a show with The Wrecks as a headliner, I’m bringing my 24mm with flash. I pack my gear based on the project.

I bring on pelican case on tour and that holds everything, including my computer set up which is awesome because it’s only one bag I have to load in and out.

You practice different types of photography, such as music, wedding, and portraits. How do the skills you’ve learned from each of them help you improve in those various photography styles? those various photography styles?

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S. Carey

by Kyle Lehman

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Leah Fay of July Talk

by Kyle Lehman

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Elliot Ingham

Brighton, England ★ @elliotxingham What inspired you to start doing photography?

What inspired you to start doing photography?

I started out playing in bands & hanging at friends’ bands shows. My friend’s band at the time, ROAM, was looking to shoot a music video for a new song “Head Rush” I hadn’t directed a music video before, but wanted to give it a shot. They ended up getting signed to Hopeless Records off the back of the video and not long after that, they got their first major tour offer from Neck Deep, and they asked me if I wanted to come with. So, I kind of just had to learn on the job really.

How did you end up working as Fall Out Boy’s photographer and videographer? Were you a fan of them beforehand? them beforehand?

Yeah of course I was! Who wasn’t an FOB fan growing up? Their team reached out to me asking me if I wanted to come work for them on their US Mania headline. I think they found me on Instagram. Then after that tour, they asked me if I wanted to stick around and just do the whole world tour.

On tour, you shoot the same show every night, but you still get a variety of amazing shots! How do you constantly explore new creative ways to shoot at each show?

Pete told me once that if you brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand, it stimulates the side of the brain that is responsible for creating new ideas, or something like that. So, I do that on occasion when I’m feeling a little stuck. But also, I actively put myself in positions throughout the day that are the exact opposite of what I want to do naturally. So, if my mind says go to the back of the room, I go to the side of the stage, and if I want to turn right, I turn left, if I want to use an 85mm, I use a wide and so on. So, I constantly am challenging my own thoughts and habits, I find that really helps me shoot interesting photos and keeps things exciting on long tours.

You’ve also shot photos of other artists such as Halsey and Against the Current. Do they reach out to you or vice versa, or do you typically do freelance work for publications?

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Halsey’s photographer Peter had reached out to me asking me to cover for him last minute at some shows.

And that’s usually how most of my work comes about. I tend not to reach out to people. I like working for people I know mutually; It has always worked for me, so I just keep it that way. I don’t do a ton of work with publications. Usually my printed press comes straight from stuff I’ve shot for the artist directly. Working for magazines usually requires executing a brief, or somebody else ideas, which isn’t a strength of mine.

What’s one piece of advice you wish someone would’ve told you before going on your first tour?

Bring less gear. Travelling light and always having a camera on you. Never go anywhere without it. And you’ll be fine. And I guess don’t get too caught up in the fun, touring is exciting, but you’re there to work, not just to hang.

In addition to photography, you’ve produced music videos and tour recaps; your shots and transitions flow so seamlessly. What’s your process of planning and editing a music video/recap like? What type of shots do you like to get at shows?

Thank you, that’s very kind. I don’t plan anything typically. I shoot when ideas come to me, and I put all my footage in one massive timeline, and I hit play. I watch it all and put aside the best bits, and then I construct an edit around that. I know that’s not how a lot of people like to work, but I’ve found shooting based off of intuition works best for me. And I’ve been very fortunate in that most of the artists who I have worked with have been comfortable for me to work like that, and have trusted me.

What advice do you want to give to aspiring tour photographers/videographers? photographers/videographers?

Show face at local shows and take an interest in that.

Reaching out to massive bands asking for work doesn’t work, and if it does, it’s 1 in a million. Practice, practice and practice more. You only get one shot at touring, so you don’t want to rush into it. And most importantly, have fun with it. Don’t try to shoot something you’ve seen that has worked for another

band. Try to shoot by combining your ideas with the image and desired aesthetic of the artist you’re working with in mind, and hopefully it’ll result in something original that will be cool for both parties.

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Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy

by Elliot Ingham

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Halsey

by Elliot Ingham

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Courtney Kiara

Nashville, TN ★ @courtneykiara What inspired you to want to become a music photographer? photographer?

I don’t know if it was something I was necessarily inspired to push for - it just sort of happened when I realized that was the thing I liked most to do at shows.

I guess most directly, maybe my bad dancing skills and impulse to say sorry when I bump into people in crowds inspired me to venture into the photo pit?

Who’s to say?!

what people might think of me (as much as I don’t want to worry about that), and it has taken the form of talking about things I care about and sometimes tripping over my words - and over my feet, and other objects near me - and just being okay with that. I think if you’re entirely yourself, you can only either gain friends or gain the knowledge that you’re not compatible with some people, which really is helpful in its own right.

You’ve worked as a tour photographer for With Confidence on their Love and Loathing in Paradise tour. What was your day to day experience like and what are some challenges that you faced? what are some challenges that you faced?

My day-to-day experience was so great in that I was surrounded by a lot of kind people, and I definitely faced some challenges with my workload as I had so many tasks to complete, but it worked out as best as it could and I’m happy to have gotten to hang with such good pals for the winter.

What advice do you want to give to aspiring tour photographers? photographers?

I would say that mustering up the courage to go out and bring your camera with you will put you in a good position to do the thing you care about. Showing up is so much of what will get you into situations that make you feel good about your abilities, and remaining true to yourself, humble, open, and kind can only ever help you achieve your goals.

What are some important skills to have when working with an artist or band, especially since tour photographers are invited into such a personal space?

I generally work under the pretense that I’m there to both make people feel as comfortable as possible in order to document them at their best and most honest, but I guess just knowing to always have your camera on you while knowing when and where to point it. I don’t ever want to make people feel uncomfortable or like I’m taking advantage of them welcoming me in to their worlds.

The music industry is all about networking and maintaining relationships with others. What are some ways that you’ve networked with people that have helped you pursue your passions? helped you pursue your passions?

For me, “networking” is just forming new friendships and finding common ground, and I absolutely hate the thought of active networking because I think sometimes people can take that idea, and then navigate socially in a way that isn’t genuine. My friend Alicia told me once to “be 20% braver” in situations that I’m nervous or when I’m worried about 74

With Confidence

by Courtney Kiara

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Jordan Buckley of Every Time I Die

by Courtney Kiara

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Andy DeLuca

New York, NY ★ @andydeluca What inspired you to start doing photography and videography?

What inspired you to start doing photography and videography?

Music. I've been playing drums and guitar since I was a kid, started playing in my own bands when I was 13, was always at shows and was always very involved and interested in the music universe. Picked up a camera one day and decided to explore it.

Your photos have a fun and creative 70s and 80s style-what or who inspires your style?

Your photos have a fun and creative 70s and 80s style-what or who inspires your style?

Most of my music-related photos are inspired by photos of artists that were big before I was born. There's a sense of mystery and untouchability behind it, and when I see photos of these artists, they add to that sense. And so I try and tap into it when I'm shooting. If a band is making music inspired by Nirvana, I'll try and make photos inspired by Nirvana photos.

I admire how your portraits capture people’s emotions so well and each one has an experimental angle and aesthetic. How do you go about posing people? Do you try to plan out portraits through ideas you may have or do you usually shoot and then figure out what aesthetic you want to portray through editing?

If I'm doing anything that involves posing, I'll usually rely on basic elements like shapes and colors. Less is more.

What’s your favorite part about touring and what’s one important life skill that you’ve learned from your experiences? experiences?

Touring is an adventure. My favorite thing is you're essentially becoming a family with a group of people for a short period of time, experiencing cool things together.

What advice do you have for aspiring tour photographers and videographers?

What advice do you have for aspiring tour photographers and videographers?

Work harder than the rest.

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Film

by Andy DeLuca

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Film

by Andy DeLuca

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Guadalupe Bustos Los Angeles, CA ★ @_lupe

What inspired you to start doing photography?

Growing up, I bought Alternative Press magazines, and I’d see photographers like Ryan Russell and all these other people. I’d look at their pictures and be like, “Whoa this is awesome.” I’ve always had a passion for photo and music, so I combined them. Since 8th or 9th grade, it was like a pipe dream and I guess it just happened.

Can you describe what your editing workflow is like?

I keep my originals files and use Lightroom while listening to music. I should probably get Photo Mechanic, but I'm lazy. You should try it because it lets you go to your raw files super fast and my friends save so much time. Pat handles The Maine’s social media and he’s just like, “Give me everything,” so I’ll airdrop him like 60 photos per night and he gets to choose from them, and he trusts my judgement.

In addition to shooting digitally, you also shoot on film, so how do you usually decide what moments to capture through each style?

It depends, I usually have both on me. Back in the day, when people had film cameras, they couldn’t be picky, and they’d just shoot everything. I can’t imagine doing that now just because it costs so much more now to buy film and develop it. I’m kind of careful with it, but it’s awesome to have a digital camera because I’m like, “Whoa this picture’s going to look awesome on film and I also want it in digital so the guys could post it.”

You take a film photo and you’re like, “I’ll show you what it looks like in a month.” I usually carry both around or unless I'm carrying a big film camera, I’ll just take my film camera. Unless I know it’s something important, even though obviously every moment’s important, but if it’s something I know that I can’t risk, like I wouldn’t shoot a whole promo shoot for a magazine on film, then I won’t use my film camera.

As The Maine’s photographer and videographer, you truly capture their natural essence through portraits. Do you have any tips on how to pose people for portraits?

I’ve known the Maine for like 3 years now, so in the 80

beginning, it was nerve-wracking. Now, we know each other well and I just know what they like and what face they wouldn’t like, so it’s about having them be comfortable with you. With new people like other artists I’ll meet on the road, I’ll just be like, “Hey, can I take your portrait?” I usually tell people to breathe in and out, and be calm. It’s good to get a good genuine smile, but people go into an awkward mode and don’t know what to do. People take selfies so they know their best face, so they’ll give you what they like best. A lot of it is making them feel comfortable and letting them know that you’re going to try to get the best pictures.

Will you do any videos like the Miserable Youth series again?

We did some stuff but not like the series, and The Maine like to switch it up, so that’s what I love about them. The Miserable Youth series is awesome, but it’s so much work. My favorite part of working with them on videos is that they let me be a creative director, which is so awesome. When we were on Warped Tour, Pat told me he wanted to talk about what they were doing in the Fall, so I thought they were going on tour. But they threw me a curveball and Pat said, “We’re going to Northern California to write a record for 2 months. How do you feel about being in an Airbnb for 2 months to film us?”

In my head I was like, “Yeah, I’m going to do this.” But if I’m going to be 100% real with you, I knew some video, but I didn’t know how to document something like that. So, I went home after Warped Tour and just studied music documentaries. When it came out, people were asking me questions like, “Where’d you go to school for documentaries?” And I’m like, “Nowhere!”

What advice do you want to give to aspiring tour photographers?

Some of it is luck. you gotta go out there and shoot your local shows. I know a lot of people say that but it’s so true. That’s the only way you're going to learn. If you tell a local band, ”Hey I’ll shoot your band. Just give me credit or buy me lunch,” then that’s the best way to learn, to go out there and do it. That’s how I learned, and I looked at other people’s work like, “Ok, they brought a flash to a show.” At the bigger venues, you

can’t use flash, but at local shows, you can go for it.

Also, a lot of ppl are scared of a saturated market and think there’s so much competition out there. I was in the same shoes like, “Damn it, there are so many photographers out there. Do I really want to pursue this?” But that was for everything, like any other career I had in mind. Everything is competitive but you just have to stand out and stick to it. Keep going for it because it’s going to pay off. Goals or dreams, if you work hard enough, it’ll happen. You gotta have an end goal in sight or else you’re just aiming wanderlessly.

That’s really inspiring because sometimes I feel like I’m never going to get hired, but if you’re really passionate about it, then it’ll happen if you work hard and stick through it.

100% true. I used to be like, “Wow I’m never going to be as good as this person.” If you compare yourself to people, you're not going to get anywhere. You gotta find your own little thing.

I read in an interview that you started off doing merch for Warped Tour and someone referred you to The Maine, so networking is really important.

Yeah, it’s like a snowball effect. once you get in and do one job, I can’t tell you how many people I dreamt of working with. It’s surreal. I started by doing merch, not because I wanted to, but because I had a friend who I met from collecting vinyl records. He said, “You’re a really good photographer and I know you don’t want to do merch, but this is a good foot in the door to this realm.” So, during Warped tour 2016, I just brought my camera and did merch, and anytime I wasn’t at the merch booth, I would shoot. I only shot a few bands like Issues, Sleeping With Sirens, the band I was touring with, Mayday Parade. I only shot them like once or twice. Then I took a picture of The Maine because I’m not just being biased, but they were one of my favorite bands on that Warped Tour. I told their merch guy that I was going to shoot pictures of them in New York, and he was like, “Yeah, go for it.” I didn’t even give them to Pat, but I knew Pat because I’d see him in the mornings setting up their merch tent. Then the next morning, Pat was like, “Yo, I saw the pictures you posted last night! I want to post them so do you think you can send me the good quality ones?” And I

was like, “Oh my god, are you serious?” It’s funny because we have a joke now and he’s like, “Mayday Parade didn’t know who they had.” They told me I could be their photo guy and not a merch guy anymore, so I’m so happy and thankful. Another piece of advice I’d give is that you have to be a nice person.

People are not going to want to tour with you if you’re too cocky. Obviously, people don’t like mean people, so if you’re a nice person, it goes a long way. Just be a nice person and stick to your craft, and your work will show through.

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The Maine

by Guadalupe Bustos

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Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness

by Guadalupe Bustos

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Ian Coulson

Brighton, England ★ @iancoulsonmedia What inspired you to start doing photography and videography? videography?

Bizarrely, I studied English as a degree at University in Brighton, but because my course was coupled with a media studies and English course, we had access to the same optional modules as their course, which meant I ended up doing a module in Documentary making as well as one in photography, which in turn led me to rediscover the love of film-making and photography that I'd held in my teens. Coming out of Uni, I hadn't had a clue as to what I wanted to do career-wise, but my film-work I was doing (bizarrely as part of an English degree) kept getting showcased by the Uni and entered into film festivals and the like so I thought that maybe there was something in that. I finished studying and tried to get a job with a production company but got nowhere because I hadn't studied it and had no real experience. So instead, I decided to just go it alone and freelance. I worked in bars to actually make money for the first year or two and then was able to go full-time and haven't looked back since!

You’ve created recap videos and tour diaries/trailers for bands such as As It Is, You Me At Six, and Thirty Seconds To Mars. The videos have really beautiful and clean shots and transitions, and I admire how you capture the artists’ and fans’ emotions so well. Do you usually plan out what type of shots you want to get at shows and have an editing style in mind, or do you just go with the flow and decide how to edit in postproduction? production?

Thank you so much! It honestly changes job to job, sometimes ideas come to me before shooting or even while shooting, and so I’ll shoot content with certain parts of the edit already in mind. Sometimes the whole edit from start to finish will be planned out in my mind, sometimes I'll go in shooting completely blind and the edit kind of creates itself as I work my way through footage. I love creating a real narrative flow from clip to clip, be that through transitions or the visual and narrative links between clips. I always try to stick to a mantra of every part of footage, having a distinct reason for being used in the way it is in the exact 84

place it is in relation to the whole piece. There's almost always a very specific reason I’ve chosen to put a sequence of clips together in the exact way I have.

What was the process like producing As It Is’ “Winter’s Weather” music video and planning out the storyline?

The “Winter's Weather” shoot was a great but very long arduous day. When planning a treatment for a music video, I'll generally listen through the song in question upwards of 50 times, generally with the lyrics in front of me, waiting for a spark to happen, sometimes a lyric will jump out at me, sometimes a particular part of the song will conjure up a very specific shot in my mind, often with no other point of reference. I'll then have to try and figure out what on earth the story is that has caused that shot to occur. If I remember correctly with “Winter's Weather,” it was actually the shot of the baseball bat going through the mirror that first popped into my mind. From there I fleshed out a story that would lead to that event happening that I felt tied in lyrically and fit thematically with the song.

Would you ever consider producing a tour documentary for As It Is? documentary for As It Is? There may or may not already be something in the pipeline. I can't say too much currently other than that it's going to be very different to the majority of the tour documentaries currently out there in the world..

What’s your favorite part about touring?

What’s your favorite part about touring?

The places and the people. I've been so lucky as to see parts of the world I never thought I'd get to see, far less get paid to be there. I've also made some of my closest friends and formed some of my most meaningful relationships on the road, which can be very difficult when you spend such an intense period of time with a group of people, to then often not be able to see them for months or even years. Such is the nature of the touring industry..

What advice do you want to give to aspiring tour photographers/videographers? photographers/videographers?

Value your work and value yourself. That's not to say

never do favours, never work for free. The sad reality is that the industry is so competitive, you have to put in the graft and hours. But rather, view all your work as an investment, be that for gain financially, or gain in terms of contacts or whatever else, particularly when starting out. What I would always say is that as a solid rule, if a client has enough money to pay other members of crew, you should be getting paid, you are just as a valuable a member of crew as anyone else, just in different ways. But realistically, a small band doing their first tour aren't going to be able to support you financially. Keep plugged into the underground scenes, link up as early as you can with up and coming artists, build a reputation of being not only someone good at their job but also as a person that people WANT to keep around. You can be the most talented photographer/film-maker in the world, but if you act like an asshole, the chances of you being taken on tour drop dramatically. And besides all of this, as I said earlier, value yourself, social media can be such a blessing and a curse. Something I've had to really train my brain to do is to use social media comparison as a force for making myself improve, rather than beating myself up. Failing that, keep it at arm’s length, it can be a useful tool but it's not worth losing your selfworth over.

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As It Is

by Ian Coulson

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iDKHOW

by Ian Coulson

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