sxsw - day two.

Onto more updates from South by Southwest 2010.

Day two started off a little more mellow than the first. Wandered around the streets for a while and met up with Austin-based photographer Bill Reeves to talk shop and compare stories. He ever-so-kindly joined me to catch a set at Stubb's by Sacramento band Middle Class Rut. I've never seen these guys in my town, but friends Lite Brite opened up for them during last summer's Concerts in the Park, and have spoken highly of them, so of course I had to see what the fuss was about. Afterward, I wandered back to the Mariott to meet up with Zoneil for an interview with hip-hop artist Donnis. He was really thoughtful and soft-spoken, and amazingly focused through his work and his music. I'll be sure to post up a link to the article (complete with portraits!) when it runs in Oh! Dang.

Spent most of the rest of the afternoon at Light Bar on Congress to shoot the URB showcase, mostly to see a set by Don Will, and also to check out Nikki Jean. Zoneil had told me a little about Don Will and his latest album, Don Cusack, which was inspired by the movie High Fidelity. Totally. Killer. A reference I can appreciate; that movie was such a big part of my teenage life. As someone who doesn't actively listen to a whole lot of hip hop, it's always fun to check out these shows because the energy is pretty amazing. Everyone is singing along, or if they don't know the words, they're at least feelin' the music. Also, a constant theme of conversation throughout SXSW this year was how blurred the lines have become between the hip hop community and the hipster community, from style to attitude and even down to the music. Which is nice for a little former-punk, current tight-jeans-wearing kid like me. Punk and hip hop were born of the same revolutionary ideals, diverged, and are starting to come back together.... but that's a discussion for another time.

Finally, rounded out the evening with an outdoor set by the Morning Benders. Those kids played probably 8 or 9 shows in a 4-day period, which is seriously impressive. I've dug their music, and after meeting Jon during his brief stint as roommate to the (soon to be) famous Bryan Derballa in NYC, I knew I had to catch them live. And I have to say I'm glad I saw them at the venue I did because it was just beautiful. It was in a gravel parking lot on the other side of the freeway, and the stage was just a lifted platform surrounded by fans and friends. It was like being at a show as a teenager again, kids drinking tall cans and singing along to every song. I'd say it was the perfect ending to a lovely day.

So here are a handful of photos from the day. Days 3 and 4 coming soon.

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!

prism.

While most people were watching the Super Bowl, a small group of folks were gathering for the annual anti-super-bowl punk show in Stockton. This year it was held at the Plea for Peace Center, and ran from the afternoon and into the evening.

I managed to make it out for the first time in a couple of years, and was stoked to see my friends' band, Hard Girls, was playing. So, I shot their set, but I tried something a little goofy, just for fun. I bought a toy, one of those little plastic prisms you look through that makes everything look like a bunch of tiny little versions of the scene. It cost me a 25-cent donation to Relay for Life, and was bright, lime green. Not sure how successful the shots are, but it was fun to mix things up a little. So here are a few shots I liked from the set, some with the toy and some without.

farming.

I was really excited to spend an entire day photographing at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, CA, on Monday for the Wall Street Journal. The folks there were amazingly open, and let me wander around the farm to shoot anything I wanted. The weather was sunny for once, and all the animals had babies in the last few weeks, which is definitely a plus for my sappy, fuzzy-animal-loving side.

The article is live online here, so check it out!

And here are a few outtakes that I liked. Definitely one of my favorite assignments in a long time.