sxsw - day one.

It's been a while since I've updated, and so much has happened. I left California in mid-March to head to Austin, TX, to photograph South by Southwest for San Francisco-based hip-hop magazine Oh Dang! Magazine. I met up with editor and writer Zoneil Maharaj to do a couple interviews and cover some of the hip-hop showcases. We started off the afternoon with Hollywood Holt, who was a total character and a really fun interview. Afterward, we stuck around the Beauty Bar to check out a showcase featuring Ninjasonik from Brooklyn, Yelawolf from Alabama, Chicago's Kid Sister, Dam-Funk of Los Angeles and a few others. It was a small venue, but a total blast! Great energy from the crowd and the performers alike.

While wandering the streets, I ran into Jim Merithew, one of my college mentors and a photo editor for Wired.com. We caught a set in the street by San Francisco's Ferocious Few, who I saw a few months ago at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (and also on the street).

I ended up at the Fader Fort to meet up with JFP and check out the scene. I went up to the photo pit with him to catch the last set of the night, which ended up being Damian Marley and Nas. The light at the Fader Fort is always amazing, and it's a lot of fun to shoot there. Had a great dinner with JFP before heading to Ace's Lounge to catch one last hip-hop showcase with Zoneil. Sat through some interesting sets, including an unexpectedly entertaining performance by Kelley James where he covered (with an acoustic guitar) Kanye and Taylor Swift, and then proceeded to freestyle an intense diss on a couple in the audience. The night rounded out with performances by J Cole and Bun B.

All-in-all, a pretty epic night. Here are a bunch of photos from the night that I dug. Stay tuned for more updates... I swear I'll get 'em up quick!

tejas.

Took a break from the west-coast life to meet up with some friends in Houston, TX. Photographer Todd Spoth and his lovely lady, Libby, have been gracious hosts. They put me up for a few nights, helped me find a new (used) car, took me to the park and to the rodeo, and showed me just how nice folks can be in the "Great Nation" of Texas.

Here are a few of my favorite frames from my Texan adventure... mostly from the carnival at the rodeo. Kite-flying, turkeys in pens with photos of their roasted fellows, powdered sugar fights and lots of other fun things. Now on to shoot South by Southwest in Austin tomorrow!