If someone asked me what is my favorite content to capture, I would say it is musical artists in their element. Their energy is unmatched, they connect people through their music, and their creative process is often times under-appreciated. I capture these images to bring additional emphasis to these amazing artists and their craft.
From Far Left, to Top Row, to Bottom Row:
Henri B. Styles - I love this photo because I think it truly showcases how Henri was hitting. them. notes!
Isaiah Rashad - Isaiah is such a down-to-earth and calm guy. It was cool to be able to meet him and learn that he actually has a passion for film photography. I love this photo of him because of how well it isolates him during what was a calmer part of his performance.
Crowd - No concert is lit without its crowd. I actually can’t recall whose set during Afropunk that I took this photo, but I loved how the overcast weather created this flat, non-textured sky. Between that and the intense shadows that showed on the faces of the fans, I had to capture this moment. It also reminded me a bit of a photo of Lil Uzi Vert that I saw taken by a friend Jada Imani M at Something in the Water.
Lucky Daye; Afropunk - This was a majestic moment where Lucky was singing effortlessly with joy and lightness. I caught the spotlight just as it was highlighting Lucky, and his chained shirt vibrantly shined brighter than ever.
Meek Mill - This was taken during Bowie State University’s Homecoming. This is probably one of my favorite concert photos because of its composition. From Meek Mill on the left to the fading smoke on the right, along with both his chains and the spotlights shining, this photo is unmatched.
Afropunk in Brooklyn - This was such a jaw dropping moment for me. I was on the side of the main stage at Afropunk in between sets, and I saw this drummer descending from a platform that had his drumset on it. At that moment, I knew that angle had the potential for a shot that no one else would get, so I kindly asked him if I could climb up for the photo. He respected the grind, and told me to remember who let him take that photo. I simply love how this photo captures both the concert and its surrounding context. Definitely a great moment with a great person.
Rico’s Fans - This fan in particular might be one of the biggest Rico Nasty fans I have ever met. His energy was unmatched during her entire set, and if you look closely you can see that he’s holding a camera to take photos as well, which also came out incredible. His energy was unmatched, so I had to capture it.
Rico Nasty; Don’t Mute DC 95 Live Festival - Rico was performing “OHFR?” at the moment I took this photo, but she performed a go-go version instead of the original. I thought this was a dope was to pay tribute to the demographic she was performing for, and a cool way to pay homage to where she is from.
Doechii; Afropunk - Doechii is single-handedly the most energetic woman rapper in the game right now, and that is exactly what I sought to capture with this image.
Gunna; Rolling Loud - I may or may not have slipped through a gate behind the stage to take this photo. I plead the fifth. This was a difficult shot to take because at the moment I was standing on top of a square speaker that probably has a 5-foot width & length. Additionally, the lens I was using didn’t allow for much light to reach the sensor. However, I was luckily able to keep myself still enough to keep my shutter open for a bit longer and bring the rest of the light back when I edited the photo.
Lucky Daye Silhouette - Before capturing this shot, I saw an incredible photo of Bad Bunny at a concert that had a plain white screen behind it, and I just knew that I wanted to nail a similar shot. This is one of the few moments when Lucky was standing in the very center of the stage, and after noticing the display behind him, I knew this was a moment I would have to capture. I used my highest shooting speed possible and took rapid fire photos until I was able to capture this one.
Whitney’s Kaleidoscope - Whitney’s set during the Have You Her’d concert had this bright, shiny, and pink aura to it. Usually, this kaleidoscope effect can be done with a lens filter that sits on top of the lens like a pair of glasses, but I didn’t own one at the time. Instead, I took the photo, knowing that I would ultimately try to achieve this effect in my editing process.
Love, Damini - Burna Boy had a fiery energy to his performance to finish off an amazing Afropunk weekend, so I figured I would try to capture that in an image. The deep red tones emphasize the romantic yet energetic nature of his performance.