Mikaela Davis - 3/5/17

     Few sets have made me speechless. Few sets have made me actually tear up. I've almost never seen a set where the artist had the audience so entranced that an entire room was nearly silent and enraptured in a sort of fixation. Mikaela Davis was ethereal; a soft, gentle spirit with immaculate harp skills and a beautiful, angelic voice to boot (not to mention, her outfit was simply darling). Myself and my friends with me were completely shocked and dumbfounded by the beauty of the act.

     I was so glad I brought both my camera and prism along to the show. The venue was incredibly dark (the darkest one I've ever shot), and I wasn't in an area where I could use the back lights to cast a glow on the artist, so I relied pretty heavily on my prism. The prism really helped to capture the otherworldly feeling of the show.

     Mikaela is definitely on my radar now and I cannot wait for her and her lovely voice and harp to return to Nashville. Truly a memorable experience.

CIVILIAN - 11/20/16

     There's something about concerts that really brings people together. That shared love of music allows for a group of people to come together under the same roof even just for a little while and have that unique shared experience. Concerts are also a great way to get introduced to new music and new people. This time I was introduced to CIVILIAN. They had a way about them that was comfortable and genuine, like an old friend or a cozy rainy day. They were personable and had such a connection with their audience, which was truly refreshing, honestly.

     As with any opening act, though, the lighting was a bit difficult. Any photographer knows very well that the opening acts are often the most difficult to photograph because of the lack of lighting, so flexibility and creativity are necessary to get good shots. I was determined to work with the environment, to feel it, understand it, and therefore capture it. 

I think it all worked out for me.

     I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan, the lead singer, after the show and I was immediately struck by his kindness and sweet nature. It was such a pleasure to meet him and to shoot the show and I'm so glad that I get to do this, especially since my main career focus is Biology. Isn't music truly something?

Here's to connections made through music. Hopefully sometime in the future I'll have the opportunity to shoot a show for CIVILIAN again.