Ashley
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Ashley for a photo shoot downtown. Ashley is a local artist, and having seen quite a large chunk of her portfolio I can tell you she's a very good one (she has her own little store online, which you can check out here). She's also an all-round good sport, as we ended up trekking to as many downtown locations as we could cram in before the sun went down. This was back when the evenings were still kind of miserably humid, but this didn't deter Ashley, no sir. I always appreciate working with people with such unwavering enthusiasm, and it made the shoot a lot of fun.
Desgraciados by Madisons
What you're looking at here is the cover for Desgraciados, the debut album by Madisons (artwork by Sergio A. Soto). If you've had a gander at this blog before, you may already be aware that I love Madisons with an almost embarrassing intensity. Like those women in their forties who still obsess over Twilight, you'd think there was something wrong with me.
I have had the pleasure of shooting Madisons time and time again. For those who don't know, they are an Austin band in the indie-folk / folk-rock genre. The members of their seemingly ever-expanding lineup play a multitude of instruments, including acoustic guitar, electric guitar, upright bass, violin, banjo, pedal steel, trumpet, harmonica and all kinds of percussion (including a washboard and a home-made stomp-box). And I've said it before and I'll say it again, frontman Dominic Solis has one sexy, sexy voice.
"How can I get my hands on this wonderful new album?" you ask? Well, as it turns out, very easily. If you go here, you can stream and/or download the whole thing for free. For free! To new or casual listeners, I would recommend checking out opening track "Sweetwater," the crowd pleasing live favorite "Hold," or the closing track "Flying Car," which you can also listen to below. Featuring vocals over just an acoustic guitar and violin, it's certainly their most mellow song (it's never included in their raucous live shows), but it's pretty gorgeous and definitely worth a listen.
Steve Syx & Syxgun at Ruta Maya
This monochrome set of Steve Syx and his band was taken at Ruta Maya Cafe in Austin, which I believe has actually moved to a new location since these photos were taken a few weeks ago. It was a cool space for live music, and there were good opportunities for some interesting camera angles (some of my favorite shots of Steve were taken peeking out from a curtain behind the stage). I don't know what will be replacing Ruta Maya, if anything, but I hope it stays a music venue.
As for Steve and the boys, although you guys only get to see the moody black and white shots, I can tell you that they are musicians that clearly enjoy what they do. It's always a pleasure for me to shoot performers that are having a good time on stage.
Chris & Dee Dee's Wedding
Chris and Dee Dee had their wedding at the very lovely Plantation House in Pflugerville. It's a really nice venue for a wedding, and my deepest gratitude goes to the bride and groom for keeping the outdoor ceremony short and sweet on such a blisteringly hot August day! Chris and Dee Dee were such a great couple, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Their wedding also marked the first time I'd ever seen a flash mob in person, and not just on some grainy YouTube video. Good times!
Kittens
Until I got married, I led a relatively cat-free existence. Ever since my wife came along, though, my life has become whatever the opposite of cat-free is. Catful? Anyway, five years ago I considered myself strictly a dog person, and I would've scoffed at the idea of the thirty-two year old me being a cat owner. I'd always kind of dismissed cats as selfish creatures with somewhat of an evil streak. Well, time has passed, and I can say without any hesitation that my preconceptions were absolutely spot on. If I wasn't the one who fed my two cats or scooped their litter boxes I'm pretty sure they'd have worked out some way to murder me by now. But I have to grudgingly admit that they have a lot more personality than I initially gave them credit for. You might say I've grown rather fond of them, a fondness that still remains even when I come home to find that they've crapped in the houseplants. The twenty seven-year old me would hate me.
But on to some actual pictures. Being an elementary school teacher, my wife has summers off, and she'll sometime foster kittens for Austin Pets Alive! (a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping Austin a "no-kill" city), giving them a home and keeping them fed until they are old enough to be adopted by new owners. These little guys were only eight weeks old, and stupidly cute. You can claim to be a dog person as much as you like, but it's impossible not to be smitten by a bunch of kittens. And if you're not, then what are you? Some kind of soulless empty husk of a human being? Get off my blog! Weirdo.
