Portraits

i know i can make it.- 5/3/16

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i know i can make it.- 5/3/16

(The title of this post is a reference to the song "Slam" by Southern California indie-rock band The Gromble. I saw them open for Parade of Lights in Los Angeles back in January.) 

After a relaxing weekend off, we headed to the University of Illinois- Chicago to set up. We ended up spending most of the day leafleting; while it was unfortunate to not have the display up, it was pretty cool to know we handed out literature and info to over 700 people! After grabbing takeout from The Chicago Diner (vegan buffalo wings and poutine loaded with vegan bacon? Yes, please- and better wash it down with a chocolate peanut butter milkshake!), we headed to Madison, Wisconsin.

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portraits: dead leaves at shakers pub in oakdale, n.y.- 11/13/15

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In 2010, when I was living in Cleveland, Ohio for college, I met some members of a local band, Call it Fiction, outside of a Cartel show. They played a song for me on a Discman and I liked what I heard so I bought their demo. A few months later, in the spring of 2011, they were one of the first bands I ever photographed. Call it Fiction called it quits in 2013, but their frontman / guitarist Elliott Blair and synth player Alex Tucker (who now plays bass) went on to form a new band, Dead Leaves. They're joined by Vince Defilippo on guitar and Gene Bernardo on drums.

In November of 2015, Dead Leaves toured with Canadian band PINE, and I finally got to see them live. Before their set, I headed outside with the group to take some photos. We got a few serious photos, but had fun and goofed off a bit too!

The full gallery can be seen after the break.

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2015: a year in review

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With only one more day left in 2015, it seems like an appropriate time to post a "year in review" blog (as I type that, this song is stuck in my head). It's been a wild year, and my hard work has lead to some incredible opportunities- some of which I never would've imagined happening. I'm going to delve in to some numbers and details and thoughts about the year, as well as share stories and some of my favorite photos from 2015. Check it all out below!

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portraits: brigades at today's mixtape festival and the common vision tour, 8/16/15 and 8/20/15

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I first met Brigades last May when they were opening for Hit The Lights on the Skip School, Start Fights Tour- the first date of the tour was in Asbury Park, N.J. and I interviewed them before their set. Afterwards, they admitted to having been super nervous, but I assured them that they had done great. I've shot them on every tour they've done since then. This summer, they were out on the Common Vision Tour with Every Time I Die, Real Friends, Counterparts, and Gatherers, which was insane. It was their biggest tour to date! On August 16 the whole tour package performed at Today's Mixtape Festival in Patchogue, N.Y.- it's a far trek out on Long Island, but Mixtape is always worth the trip (and it's cool to see how much bigger the event has gotten over the past few years). I interviewed Damian, Darren, and Charlie after their set, and also took a few portraits of them.

A few days later, on August 20, the Common Vision Tour stopped at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, N.J. I grabbed Damian, Darren, Charlie, Frank, and their new bassist Byron for individual portraits in-between sets.

Here's a shot of Damian and Frank cheesing at the end of the night- the rest of the portraits can be seen after the break!

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portraits: stellar young at pinelands music festival in millville, n.j.- 8/15/15

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Pinelands Music Festival took place for the first time this year at a racetrack in South Jersey. You might think a racetrack is weird place for a music festival, but Warped Tour used to stop at the Monmouth Race Track in Oceanport. With plenty of open space for the stages, merch (and uh- a booth giving out free flower crowns), and food trucks (hello- hummus + a honey mustard topping?! YES) it worked out quite well for the event! Every first-year fest has hiccups but I hope to see Pinelands happen again and I'm excited to see what they do next year. I had planned out a few interviews and portrait shoots (check out my portraits of PALMAS here), but at the last minute ended up meeting with Stellar Young, an indie band from Albany, N.Y. We took some shots in a field, but they also goofed off posing at the Pinelands sign.

The full gallery can be seen after the break!

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portraits: PALMAS at pinelands music festival in millville, n.j.- 8/15/15

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I'm always excited to check out new music events and festivals; this year, Pinelands Music Festival happened for the first time, on August 15 in South Jersey. The fest took place on a racetrack in Millville, which I think is near Vineland- it was a far drive and took awhile to find the venue, but it's always fun to spend a day in the sun taking photos, interviewing, and meeting new people. I'd planned a few interviews and portrait shoots, but I'm always up for anything- so when PALMAS had some down time before doors opened, we did a portrait shoot. I took photos of the whole band on a picnic table, and then some individual shots... and then they goofed off on the bleachers!

The full gallery can be seen after the break!

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portraits: major league at vans warped tour in darien center, n.y.- 7/15/15

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I've shot Major League many times over the past few years, but shooting them at four dates of the Vans Warped Tour last month (Camden, N.J., Mansfield, M.A., Darien Center, N.Y., and Holmdel, N.J.) was great- what a pleasant change to shoot them in outdoors (at the Darien Center and Holmdel shows they played at the Golden Hour before sunset, which made for perfect lighting). A few minutes after their set in Darien Center, I grabbed Kyle, Brian, Matt, and Luke for some portraits. While I'd done portraits with Brian for the Inner & Outer Portraits series that I do for Circles & Soundwaves back in February (check that out here), this was the first time I'd taken portraits of the whole band- and we had a lot of fun! With perfect weather, a lovely venue, and quality time with good people throughout the day, Darien Center may have been my favorite date of Warped this year.

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portraits: M4SONIC at vans warped tour in darien center, n.y.- 7/15/15

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Warped Tour is obviously mostly known for the various flavors of punk and related genres that tend to fill the stages, but one of the most underrated parts of the tour this year was the EDM and hip-hop acts that performed on the Beatport Stage. One of these is M4SONIC, a.k.a. Australian DJ / producer Nick Boundy. I'd photographed his set in Camden (check that out on Circles & Soundwaves here) and loved the energy he portrayed on stage. Darien Center was my favorite date of Warped- the weather was perfect, no set times overlapped, and the venue (right next to an amusement park!) had plenty of space to explore, making it the perfect setting for portraits. (I also did some portraits of Major League, which will be coming soon.)

For many overseas artists, Warped is their first U.S. tour. Nick is one of them, but the experience was made even more unique for him seeing as he stands out from the rest of the crowd genre-wise. On my last day, in Scranton, we were chatting as The Wonder Years were playing in the distance- he'd never heard them before Warped, but seeing them every day had made him a fan. When doing our portraits, he was eager to find cool spots to shoot and try out some different poses. (Later that day, I shot his set, which you can see on C&S here.)

Check out my other Warped portraits with Bebe Rexha and Trophy Eyes, and see the rest of the portraits of M4SONIC after the break!

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portraits: trophy eyes at vans warped tour in camden, n.j.- 7/10/15

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Last month, I shot six dates of Warped Tour, and on my first day (Camden, N.J.), I did portraits with Bebe Rexha and the Australian pop-punk band Trophy Eyes! Midway through the day, I met up with the band at their merch tent, and we headed to a shaded area under a tree to do the individual shots. We went exploring to find somewhere to take group shots, and then realized- what place better than the water and a city skyline behind them? The Susquehanna Bank Center is right on the Delaware River, so I had the band members sit on a railing, with the Philadelphia skyline behind them. What a great view!

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portraits: bebe rexha at vans warped tour in camden, n.j.- 7/10/15

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I've always loved going to Warped Tour, and this year I was able to shoot five dates. In addition to live photos and grabbing candids throughout the day, I also set up some portrait shoots. When I arrived to the venue in Camden, New Jersey- my first date- I checked schedules and sent out a few text messages to set up shoots. I knew I was in for a busy day, but I was excited- I thrive off the energy of a packed schedule! My first portrait shoot was with the very lovely Bebe Rexha. I caught the second half of her set (check out photos from that on Circles & Soundwaves here), and then met up with Bebe and her tour manager behind the amphitheater. She was a pleasure to work with and photograph! Check out some of my favorites below.

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