trinidad, CO

in trinidad, colorado, for a week continuing to photograph a story documenting Elena Kelly's transition from male to female. her surgery was yesterday, and she is doing well. meanwhile, i'm editing through photographs from the last few months of shooting. update to come soon.

one year later.

I can't believe it's been a year, come and gone like one long dream. I feel guilty that I don't feel sad every day because you're not here. I used to, but now I keep myself busy so I won't have to think about how much I miss you. And I think you'd be alright with that, because every day I work, I hope to make you proud and you can see that.

But it would be better if you were here.

I miss you dad, and I love you.

tent city.

a lot to process still, and the story doesn't wait. these folks out here have been so open, so welcoming, and i'm struggling to justify in my head how life can take you down one path just as easily as another.

more to come.

SXSW - last take.

to round out about a week of music, walking and constant people-watching, Zoneil and myself dove head-first into one last day of action-packed SXSWing. after meeting up with some kids we knew, we followed them to catch a set by Ebony Bones, a British actress-turned-musician. the music was dance-y, and the outfits on her and her band were epic. this was definitely on my top 5 SXSW performances, both to watch and photograph.
this was drawn on the guitarist's hand:
eventually worked our way over to the South by Seattle showcase to catch some Northwest hip-hop care of Common Market and Blue Scholars:
closed out the evening with the lovely Erykah Badu way out on the outskirts of downtown. on the plus-side, the show was on an outdoor stage in the park and it was nice to get the fresh air. on the down-side, Badu was running late and only had time to perform two songs before rushing out to a performance at the Fader Fort on the other side of downtown. even so, those two songs were worth it. plus, it was fun to shoot with some real stage lights again.
following ms. Badu was a band i'd only barely heard of by name. Austin-based instrumental post-rock band Explosions in the Sky proved to be an incredible show. if you haven't heard of them, i would definitely check them out.
SXSW was a whirlwind experience. as much as i thought i knew what to expect, i realized very quickly that it was more overwhelming than i could have known. it was amazing to see so much music and to roam the streets with thousands of music fanatics. i'm looking forward to trying it all again next year. we'll see if this couple makes it back next year too:

SXSW - take 3

day three of the seemingly-endless madhouse that is austin.

started out the day by catching a set by a new band from L.A. featuring friends Bryan Harris and Robin Fehr called The Nights. the band includes former members of the Hanks and Selegna Sol. they played at the Troubadour, and even though it was a mid-day show, there was a decent turnout. then it was on to the show i'd been counting down to the entire week: THE BOUNCING SOULS! they played at the Red 7, following Dillinger Four and a reunion show by Recover (Todd can tell you all about that show). the Souls is one of those bands i grew up listening to, and i've tried to see them every time they come to town. this year is their 20th anniversary, and funny enough, their first appearance on the SXSW lineup. P.O.S. made a special appearance to perform "Argyle" after watching the set from backstage. pretty funny that none of the punk kids in the audience had any idea who he was, but everyone was still into it, crowdsurfing and rocking out to every lyric.
Bryan 'Papillon' Kienlen's "born to lose" tattoo (and my favorite Souls song):
after Red 7, Todd, Chris and i wandered around, got some food and got off our feet for the first time in hours. we met up with Zoneil and ended up... yup, on 6th street again. this time we were delighted to find a faux-scuffle between two very drunk guys that consistently ended in one guy's face in the other's crotch. their friends hardly took notice of the ongoing fight.
we soon realized that the fighting was happening in front of the live soundstage where they film the drawings for the Texas Lottery. these folks were standing at the viewing window, hoping to be holding the winning numbers:
more waiting around, more watching people:
we saw this girl two nights in a row, and i was a big fan of her fashion choices. the first night, the jumpsuit was white and black, the second was gold and black. we were hoping to see her the last night, and were holding out for a glitter ensemble:ended up at the radio room to close out the night with a set by Canadian band Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains, followed by an overly-crowded set by Cursive. i never did manage to fight my way to the front for Cursive, but the performance was incredible either way.that closes out the third day. stay posted for one last update from SXSW.