Two weekends ago, I got the opportunity to volunteer at BUKU Music + Art Project with my roommates. We had applied for the gig a while back and when my brother heard, he threw in his hat for a press pass. I’ve mentioned before that my brother, Geoff, is a talented photographer who does his best work on the rave scenes of DC. Of course he was invited, and so the four of us set off on our adventure. You meet so many different people at raves, but the one thing that always stands out – the fashion! I don’t think you’ll find someone wearing basic clothing to a rave, at all, no wonder websites like https://lycheethelabel.com/collections/rave-ready are set up, people want to come in something that definitely leaves a lasting impression.
BUKU is a two-day festival featuring dozens of artists on multiple stages set up around Mardi Gras World. The venue provides the perfect backdrop, day and night. Friday we worked the ticket booth and got to meet a ton of personalities on their way in. Saturday was spent in the VIP lounge catering for the performing artists. I must say that I preferred catering in VIP because I love event planning and anything that allows me to get my hands right in the middle of the execution of the event.
Oh and did I mention, serving two volunteer shifts got us a weekend pass? Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. When I attend events of this magnitude it always amazes me how photographers can capture the expansive scenes and energy in a picture. I just imagine getting blurry lights if I were to attempt this.
So in the spirit of inspiration I decided to ask my brother a few questions about his work. He was just finishing middle school when I left for college so I missed much of the progression of his work, and I think it’s amazing how much he’s accomplished in just a few years.
What do you shoot with?
I shoot with a DSLR. The body of camera is the canon 6D. I have various prime and variable zoom lens’.
When did you get your start in photography?
I always sort of messed around with photography. My first interest/experimentation with photography was when I was 6. I had a Star Wars film camera that would expose a Star Wars character onto the film strip when I took a photo.
I didn’t learn to use a dark room and develop film until 2 years ago and it wasn’t until the summer going into my senior year of high school that I actually bought my first DSLR and started taking photos. After that, I prominently took photos of local underground parties. I quickly got my foot in the door and have been devoting myself to getting better at filming and photography ever since.
What got you interested in photography?
Hmmm… Well mostly the idea that I could snapshot a point in time that you could never recreate. I was also naturally drawn to the stars so I used to go out in the middle of the night and my photos allowed me to take snapshots of the galaxy.
Do you have a favorite situation or setting to photograph?
My favorite photograph situation has to be either when I meet someone new at a festival and together we brainstorm a photo and make it happen! (i love participation of the subject in the photo) or when I am somewhere up very high taking photos down upon the rest of the world. Height is a pleasing aspect of photography for me.
What has been your most influential learning experience as a photographer?
My most influential learning experience in photography was learning that no one is the best photographer and that photography is a perfect balance of both style and a profession that can be easily learned just like you would learn how to be a plummer or a carpenter… just with a camera lol. But no seriously, when you get into the professional aspect of photography every pro will be taking a quality photo, but it is the way that you shape a photo through the creative techniques that makes your style different.