The Four Horsemen | Promo Session

September 04, 2019

I had this shoot marked on my calendar for over a month. The absolute best Metallica tribute band, The Four Horsemen, sought my expertise on getting high-quality images to promote their already expanding music careers. I mean, these guys already were selling out the House of Blues in Cleveland, but now they’re doing the same thing, but in theatres across the eastern US now.

Originally supposed to take place in the middle of August, but the band had to quickly reschedule due to a high profile gig at the last minute. Last Saturday we finally met up at the abandoned Westinghouse Electric Factory. Sean Perry, the frontman demanded he wanted the location to go down here. I couldn’t disagree. Every time I visit this place, I’m always finding new spots.

Over 3 hours, the guys prepped this shoot down to a “T” by integrating a different era of Metallica through their years. First was the Black album, all-black attire, and shades. For this shot, which you will see below, I kinda sprinkled in “And Justice for All...” throwing a subtle nod to the music video of “One.” Step back even further, and the guys transformed into Metallica’s ‘84ish wardrobe. Gun belt, beat-up white sneakers, and blue denim. Finally, the last spot was a salute to their heavy “alcohol” days, but could you take a guess what inspired the photo? I’ll let you take a wild stab. So much nostalgia wrapped up into one shoot. Damn, I loved it!

Labrynthine | Artist Promo Session

August 22, 2019

It’s inspiring and makes my job even sweeter when clients from out-of-state hit me up asking for portraits. Ben, who goes by Labrynthine (pronounced Lab-Ryn-Thine), performs as a horrorcore hip hop artist from Pittsburgh. How he discovered me? Well, he’s a massive follower of the Monster Dolls and found my work floating around on their social media pages.

When Ben inquired about shooting some promos, he distinctive told me his vision was a dark and gothic approach. I had a few ideas. One an abandoned church in downtown Cleveland, but didn’t want to risk my gear and to be trespassing in a sketchy part of the area. Immediately went to my go-to suggestion of a cemetery. In my mind, Lakeview Cemetery was an ideal location, but I couldn’t get approval. I remembered while designing the Olathia album, I shot a few photos at Monroe Street Cemetery. If you happened to purchase the album, inside the artwork booklet, there’s a picture inside an empty mausoleum. The main image you see in this blog entry is from inside that crypt. From there, we walked around the beautiful grounds that’s home to about 32,000 residents angling up fresh shots of old tombstones that much are unrecognizable now these days.

Thanks for hiring me, Ben! Ashley and I had a great time capturing these moments. We also appreciate you coming to my girlfriend’s aid with bug spray as she was being eaten alive! Death truly comes to us in many shapes and forms. Haha.

Sarah + Brian | Cleveland Couples Session

August 07, 2019

My lack of updates has been few and far between. I understand this. But I have my reasons. In the back of my head, I've been thinking of branching out for some time so that I could start developing changes in my photography. I needed an open window of opportunity where I could ease off the live music. Towards the end of 2018, I found myself shooting less and fewer shows in front of the stage. I admit I was getting a little bored simply because I felt I wasn't being challenged enough. Maybe that could contribute to the lack of shows coming into Ohio. Either way, I do need a change of scenery through my viewfinder. It's time to welcome a new set of moves and start resharpening the blade again.

So now that my live shows will take a back seat and won't be the forefront of my brand, I would like to focus my time on portraiture work. Don't worry, promos for bands/artists will continue. On top of this, headshots, engagements, and seniors will be exciting areas of opportunity to explore further.

This begins the first of what I hope will be many fruitful adventures. Sarah and Brian are my first official clients. I know Sarah from when she started cutting my hair when I moved to Canton about 7 years ago. Sarah has a bubbly personality, and it shows when she's hairdo masterpieces. Ever since I've been growing out my hair (maybe a visit soon couldn't hurt), my visits have been few and far between. BUT I couldn't recommend anyone else to keep that hair in tip-top shape. She's a black belt when it comes to coloring hair!

We had a lot of fun and laughs on a late Sunday afternoon in Cleveland. Sarah loves the city of Cleveland, so I couldn't recommend a more appropriate backdrop. The two left the window of creative open as we started off at Cleveland Museum of Art at University Circle and concluding at the famous 4th Street in downtown.

Thank you so much, Sarah and Brian!

Artist Spotlight: Gates to the Abyss

May 11, 2019

April has shaped to be my busiest month 2019. To make things more exciting, I was hired to work with a new band from the Columbus area. So I packed up my gear and headed down to the capital city to see who this band was. Ladies and gents, I present Gates to the Abyss, a melodic death metal band playing music inspired by Lord of the Rings. Ah yes, you heard me right, straight from the underbelly of Middle Earth itself.

Guitarist, Ryan Atkins requested me early January about getting something set up for that month as the band was closely approaching their first album release entitled, “Sorcery of Melkor.” Unfortunately, my timeline didn't match with there's, but we were able to meet a few weeks ago in the surrounding Columbus area. The band who are fascinated with the LoTR movies and pretty much anything with dragons, trolls, castles, and blood-thirsty orks, wanted their promos to represent something out of Middle-Earth. Well, traveling to Mordor was definitely out of the question, and New Zealand's prime shooting location for the film was another unrealistic plan b, so we had to settle at Blendon Woods Metro Park. Columbus is a two-hour drive from my position, so I didn't have time to scout areas, but Google Earth supplied the aerial coverage I needed to give the guys what they requested. Trekking through the mud on a brisk April afternoon, we eventually found a clearing in the park where the trees provided a reasonable backdrop to where I could later color grade the photos in post to achieve a weathered Earth.

Thanks again Gates to the Abyss for hiring me to do your promos. I had a great time meeting you all, and I'm sure we had fun cleaning our shoes the next day! Be sure to check Gates to the Abyss out on all the social media outlets.

Cradle of Filth @ House of Blues (Cleveland, OH)

April 02, 2019

Back in 2004 while I was attending art school, my roommate at the time formally introduced me Cradle of Filth in the most brutal way imaginable. By setting "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids" to his alarm clock at the highest setting possible (he was a deep sleeper). When 6 AM hit, I didn't know if someone was in trouble or a pterodactyl was screaming at the door, but all I know was my heart felt as if it was going to burst out of my chest. My girlfriend, who loves the darkest side of music, got me listening more to the band and by the time the tour was announced she set it in stone that we're both going. Cradle of Filth kicked off "Cryptoriana - The Second Coming of Vice World Tour 2019" Tuesday (March 26th) as it made its stop at the House of Blues in Cleveland, OH.

Dani Filth @ House of Blues - Cleveland, OH

The whole tour brought two other outstanding bands that complemented one another. Raven Black and Wednesday 13 both hailing from Los Angeles, CA. Makeup, costuming, and light theatricals played heavily for all three. Sadly, I missed the opening three songs to photograph Raven Black but was able to snap a few from general admission. Vocalist Wednesday 13 really brought out the visuals. In my opinion, he edged out founder and frontman Dani Filth in that department and that's not easy to do. He pretty much had an outfit change for each song as dramatic lighting flashed across the stage and glow-in-the-dark body paint radiated the singer.

Dani possess a rare trait as a vocalist. One, his vocal range is off the scale from anything I heard. One second, he could be digging deep thirsty growls and at a flip of a switch, his octave range expands far beyond what most humans achieve. I encourage you to read a few passages of lyrics from COF. Dani possesses such a unique 'Renaissance' approach when he writes. It's not too literal nor concrete. It really makes you stop and listening to every word spoken. "Her Ghost in the Fog" fairs as a great recommendation.

When it's all said and done, Cradle of Filth really knows how to captivate the goth and metalheads of Cleveland. They've been on this stage for a better part of two and a half decades. Big strapping boots, leather ripped attire, face paint, glowing lanterns acting as mood lighting, and the fog, oh the fog. A cemetery atmosphere indeed took over House of Blues that night. Cleveland needed this show more than ever. Metal shows have been tumbleweeds blowing in the wind here lately. Even though Dani was sporting less makeup than usual, it didn't weaken the fact that the band came and performed all the "Filthy" hits for us in an hour and forty-five-minute set! After the show, I managed to catch up with Mushroomhead guitarist, Tommy Shaffner and from previous experiences, he admitted that this was the bands best he's ever seen them. Overall, I was blown away with my first COF encounter. The vocals sounded so crisp and the other instruments didn't seem to compete with one another. Hearing Lindsay Schoolcraft sing in the soft melodies of “Her Ghost in the Fog” and “Nymphetamine (fix)” really added emotional balance. Be sure to catch the remaining shows in the states as this leg concludes in the middle of April.

Setlist (House of Blues - Cleveland, OH)

Gilded Cunt
Nemesis
Right Wing of the Garden Triptych
Heartbreak and Seance
Bathory Aria: Benighted Like Usher / A Murder of Ravens in Fugue / Eyes That Witnessed Madness
Wester Vespertine
Dusk and Her Embrace
You Will Know the Lion by His Claw
Encore:
The Promise of Fever
Saffron's Curse
Nymphetamine (Fix)
Honey and Sulphur
Her Ghost in the Fog

**More Cradle of Filth

Young Thrashers Bring Metal Back to Cleveland

March 26, 2019

This year already has been a significant failure in the shortage of metal bands traveling through Cleveland. Even 2018 left to bring the noise with a sprinkle worthy of mentioning. It’s as if detours are pointing anywhere but The Rock and Roll Capital of the World. When a city like this goes quiet for too long, one band is bound to emerge from the shadows. Revealing themselves as crude descendant 80 thrashers, Assault awoke and reunited the fire that thrash is NOT dead and metal still prevails!

Pictured Right: Dylan Andras (Circ. 7/17)

It’s time to wipe away the saliva from your face because Assault is right up in your space. Most of the band members, still in high school, have already made a name for the city of Cleveland. Their big break happened last month at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as they took second place in the “High School Rock Off”. I will admit, I shortchanged myself. Did not think this event was worth paying much attention to until I heard these guys made it as finalists. When I first got wind of Assault back in December playing the famous Metal Food Drive from a good friend, I deliberately opened my schedule to attend their recent show on March 21st at The Grog Shop. It’s funny how small the world can really be. Lead guitarists/vocalist, Dylan Andras and I briefly met in July ‘17 at the House of Blues when Metallica tribute band, The Four Horsemen played that night. The kid was right up front by the barricade screaming at me for a photo. This was all before I even knew he was a musician, let alone in Assault.

Ten o’clock rolled around on a Thursday night. A decent local crowd scattered throughout the venue leaving empty pockets around the stage. Before any cymbal was struck or string was touched, Dylan alerted the crowd to bring it into the stage. Every last soul needed to come together. Immediately, I was taken back with the leadership already shown! The whole band was a unit throughout the evening with Dylan showcasing the most power and charisma. The best way to describe Assault’s demeanor would be to hop onto Youtube and watch Metallica’s performance from the Metal Hammer Festival in ‘85. They played so damn fast, so loud, they immediately brought back the nostalgia of watching my favorite band. Not only did they include covers of Metallica’s “Seek & Destroy”, and Slayer’s “Raining Blood”, their original material beautifully blended into that signature 80’s thrash sound. Considering it was a school night, their performance lasted little over half an hour with an encore that officially slammed the book shut for the night. I’m sure if they can keep bashing down the door with the adrenaline and creativity, we’re bound to witness something truly special in the near future. Assault...I’m on board!

**Expanded Photo Gallery

Review: Metallica @ Quicken Loans Arena

February 17, 2019

When it comes to "thrash metal," what one band comes to mind that tops the totem pole? Okay, well...with the word "metal" engraved in their name, Metallica has ultimately become the most relevant heavy metal band our generation has seen. If you don't agree, well allow me to throw a tidbit of knowledge your way. Eight Grammy wins, sixteen Billboard charted hits with the Black album recently clocking in its 500th nonconsecutive week on the Billboard 200 chart, the only band to play on every continent, and the third highest earning band of 2018. This list is a small needle in the haystack in terms of what they accomplished so I'll get on with it.

Soon after Metallica released their tenth studio album in late 2016, the "Worldwired Tour" shortly followed and two years later, it's now in the home stretch of completion this August. The Four Horsemen finally stepped back into Cleveland at the sold-out Quicken Loans Arena on February 1st for what was almost a decade from their previous "Death Magnetic Tour" and Rock-n-Roll induction in 2009. It may have been ten years since their absence in Cleveland, but I'm sitting about 16 years ever since the "Summer Sanitarium Tour" in '03. Now I feel old!

James Hetfield (Metallica)
©2019 Moser Photoworks

Acclaimed comedian and hardcore Metallica fan, Jim Breuer opened the evening with his usual funny antics and building up the minute-by-minute countdown until Metallica hit the stage. I wasn't too thrilled to hear a comedian opener, even though I love Jim Breuer. Around 9 PM, the lights inside the arena faded to black and the band's famous entrance music of Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstasy of Gold.”

Before the band got to the good stuff in their discography, "Hardwired" and "Atlas, Rise!" from their latest release provided a great warm-up and set the stage on what visually was going to take us into the night. As you looked up, cubes and cubes floated above the stage (which happened to take up the whole court) flashed various artwork on all sides relating to that specific song. It was only until the third song in of "Seek and Destroy" when all the cubes lowered down close enough as they hovered just above Metallica's heads. At this point, the hardest of the hardcore fans got their throat quenched by shouting the lyrics right back towards the band.

For a band who's been around for 30+ years, played thousands of shows, drank as much beer to supply Quicken Loans that night, surviving the tragic '86 death of bandmate, Cliff Burton, you have to begin to wonder if there's any fuel left in the tank. Many of the members today are raising families of their own. Priorities have shifted in the Metallica camp since the golden years, and yet they still tour, selling out stadiums and arenas across the globe.

Mid-set we finally got to the juicier part of the show when my personal live favorite, "Creeping Death" and "For Whom The Bell Toll" were introduced with a roar of yells echoing around the arena. As I watched from my seat, the crowd began to let their extremities loose, even more, allowing the horns to fly higher towards the stage. Even security had a handful picking up fans and also wheel chairing the select 'Alcoholica' fans out of the arena.

What makes Metallica even bigger now is not only the handful of hits they gave us or the accolades they earned but the generation they created among their fans over the years. Just glance in the crowd at the next show. You'll see the 50-year-old metal head kid from the early 80s and the kid on top of their shoulders ear muffs intact to your everyday head-bangin' hair thrasher who shares the exact number of times they've attended a Metallica show. It's the stories we share with friends and families that translates to the people we see at their shows. James Hetfield even took time to thank everyone in attendance, evening praising a dad with his 9-year-old son up front.

If I had to pick the member who carries that same persona from back in the day, it most certainly would have to be the drummer, Lars Ulrich — always leaping up and down from his drum seat, waving to the crowd, spewing liquids at the fans and going down towards the barricade to take selfies.

Three fourths into the set, Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett have this thing where they'll play tribute songs mashed up in a medley relating to the specific city they're playing. Cleveland got metal versions of James Gang’s “Funk #49” and Michael Stanley’s “My Town.” It was a nice creative touch, but I think Robert on vocals was too much. The band left the stage briefly after "Master of Puppets" concluded thinking that's all she wrote. If anyone is familiar with Metallica, they're notorious for stringing us along. A few minutes later, the intro tape of "Battery," fired up, followed by "Nothing Else Matters," and finally, "Enter Sandman." Looking at the setlist as a whole it wasn't my favorite, and it appeared they wanted to get a little bit of everything in for Cleveland leaving only seven classic thrash hits sprinkled into the night.

The nearly two and half hour set flew by quickly. Not to mention the time I was allowed to shoot them. I swear we all know Metallica is known for writing 6-8 minute songs and only being able to photograph the first three felt like minutes behind the lens. Metallica was everything I expected and much more. I was so grateful to cover my all-time favorite and writing this entry still feel surreal. Thank you to Uncivil Revolt and Nasty Little Man for making this happen! I genuinely think my step is a little more significant now.

As quickly as Metallica came and went here in Cleveland, they made sure to lend their hand to the Greater Cleveland Foodbank by donating $10,000 courtesy from their non-profit organization, All Within My Hands Foundation. Metallica, I raise my half-empty glass and ask you not to make us wait another ten years!

Setlist

The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone song)
Hardwired Intro
1. Hardwired
2. Atlas, Rise!
3. Seek & Destroy
4. Wherever I May Roam
5. The Unforgiven
6. Now That We’re Dead
7. Creeping Death
8. For Whom the Bell Tolls
9. Halo on Fire
10. Kirk and Rob’s Doodle
11. Hit the Lights
12. Fuel
13. Moth Into Flame
14. Sad But True
15. One
16. Master of Puppets
Encore:
17. Battery
18. Nothing Else Matters
19. Enter Sandman (with ‘The Frayed Ends of Sanity’ outro)

Review: The Amity Affliction @ The House of Blues (Cleveland, OH)

February 06, 2019

Better late than never. I welcome to 2019. It’s been a few months since my last entry. I hope you left 2018 with lasting memories and accomplished a few goals to set you up with new beginnings for the year. I’ve taken some time away from the stage to work on other projects and focus on other areas, but I did miss the spotlight of being in front of the stage capturing moments of music.

A month into 2019, a show finally piqued my interest when Australian’s metalcore band, The Amity Affliction made their stop at the House of Blues headlining the “Misery Will Find You Tour” on January 27th. The Sunday show sold out about a week and a half before the date, so many fans were eager to catch up after their appearance two years ago when they supported Motionless In White at the Agora. And to be honest, it wasn’t one of their best appearances that evening. The sound quality was poor and I remembered Joel Birch (singer) was stationary on stage throughout the set. It was very odd as it appeared he injured his leg or something.

All was forgotten that night as everything was a significant improvement. Joel moved the stage like a frontman should involving the crowd, rather it was sharing the mic or helping falling crowd surfers from the floor. I gravitated more towards Joel probably like a lot of their fans of The Amity Affliction. His ongoing struggles with depression and as a recovering alcoholic, his lyrics become relatable in life to a lot of people. It's a no-brainer a lot of the band's hits contribute from downfall to redemption.

The "Misery Will Find You Tour" supports the band's sixth studio album, "Misery", released in August on Roadrunner Records. The setlist arranged six of the songs off the album leaving the band's biggest hit, "Pittsburgh" as the finale before coming back onto the stage for "All Fucked Up" for the encore.

Since October was the last show I covered and began wondering coming into The Amity Affliction, if any rust needed to be brushed off. Yes, I did feel a bit impaired, but I thoroughly enjoy covering them and witnessing the interaction between fan and artist. It's a family gathering when I go to shows where you peer into the eyes of both parties and everyone just lives in the moment. The full setlist that night can be seen below followed with my photo coverage.

Setlist:

Drag the Lake
Ivy (Doomsday)
I Bring the Weather With Me
Holier Than Heaven
This Could Be Heartbreak
Shine On
D.I.E.
Open Letter
Feels Like I’m Dying
Death’s Hand
Set Me Free
Don’t Lean On Me
Pittsburgh
Encore:
All Fucked Up

Review: Carach Angren @ Alrosa Villa (Columbus, OH)

October 11, 2018

Two hours south, I descended to the location of Dimebag Darrell’s tragic final performance in Columbus, Ohio at the Alrosa Villa. It's my first time stepping foot inside the venue, and as I stood there stage side, I felt a surreal void inside where it all happened.

The "Pitch Black Horror Over North America Tour" included Goatmill, Wolfheart, Mors Principium Est, and Carach Angren. Plentiful death metal screams filled to the brim at the Alrosa Villa. There were one reason and one reason only why I instantly sprang on this show. It was to see Mors Principium Est, but Carach Angren equally was up there of bands to cover. I didn't care I miss work or had to push the snooze button on my alarm the next day. This shit was going to happen!

Local openers, Goatmill opened the night with their dirty, apocalyptical stage visuals accompanied with heavy doom death vocals. It's not too often where a local opener's sound can compete with the rest of the touring bands, but these guys seriously impressed the hell outta me. Great guitar melodies carried a solid emotional tone to feed the belly of the beast with Drake Tulloh on vocals.

Coming off a well-received new album entitled, "Constellation of the Black Light," Wolfheart official kicked off their very first U.S. tour date in Columbus. I started listening to the melodic death metal band shortly after their announcement on this tour. The burly, tattooed guitarist (who dons a chain strap) and vocalist, Tuomas Saukkonen, may have an intimidating demeanor when you first notice him but comes across as genuine and forthcoming as he greeted the crowd with enthusiasm. Wolfheart is an auditory wonder with beautiful and dark harmonious tones that any metalhead would surely have as their soundtrack riding into battle.

Oh yes, Mors Principium Est (Latin for "death is the beginning"), the pivotal moment I've been anticipating. I wasn't sure they ever do a U.S. stop, let alone an Ohio destination, but a GoFundMe was set up and they raised enough cash to accommodate travel expenses for their first-ever U.S. show. Mors Principium Est, in my opinion, has one of the best guitar work of any working metal band today. The technical writing of lead guitarist, Andy Gillion, knows how to orchestrate a song to capture the raw feeling paired with Ville Viljanen's deathly vocals. Their latest 2016 album, "Embers of a Dying World" are chalked full of what I'm describing and a front-to-back flawless play through. If you're a fan of Lamb of God, these guys will suit nicely in your collection. The performance was exceptional despite Ville suffering an upset stomach that night from eating some bad fish & chips earlier that day. During mid-song, I remember seeing him leave the stage momentarily only to return to pick up vocals after Andy's guitar solo.

The stage is now cleared. An eerie backdrop now hangs pictured with a desolated town with "Carach Angren" printed across the stage. Red stage lights just dimly illuminate presenting a drum kit visible as if someone dug it up from an 18th-century cemetery and decided the gates surrounding graveyard would pair nicely around the kit. Soft cryptic background music fills the venue which at this point makes me feel like a sacrifice might take place soon. The church bell rings and the band finally reveals their nightly form. The symphonic black metal band, Carach Angren arguably could be the most theatrical band I have covered. Frontman Dennis "Seregor" Droomers dramatically acts out every song on stage, pulling you into the hellish nightmare story. There's no shy side to Seregor as he greeted my camera numerous times through the set. Carach Angren has a different side compared to other black metal bands. The vocal work is a bit cleaner which compliments nicely to hear the cryptic stories of each song. The keyboards, piano, orchestrations of Clemens "Ardek" Wijers adds a brilliant cinematic Broadway touch. Anyone who's interested in black metal, horror, chilling discoveries, or wants to be damn right entertained, Carach Angren delivers on those.

Goatmill (Columbus, OH)

Wolfheart (Lahti, Finland)

Mors Principium Est (Finland/UK)

Carach Angren (Limburg, Netherlands)

Review: Inkcarceration 2018 @ Ohio State Reformatory

August 15, 2018

Down at the world famous grounds of the Ohio State Reformatory located in Mansfield, Ohio where such films as The Shawshank Redemption, Air Force One, Tango and Cash, and recently, Sylvester Stallone's upcoming Escape Plan 3 were filmed, new blood hit the prison yard during the weekend of July 13th. The music and tattoo festival known as Inkcarceration, not to be confused with Ink in the Clink as years previous, officially started its sentence for being the most prominent music and tattoo festival in the Northeast Ohio region.

Under new owners and a fresh name, Inkcarceration expanded what Ink in the Clink failed to do during their short 3-year run. Everything increased in size in almost every category. Starting things off, the marketing was amped considerable with stylizing posters and ad time reaching major airwaves, including Octane on SiriusXM. There seemed to be more sponsors representing the festival local and your tier 3 majors such as Monster, Bud Light, and even PRS Guitars throwing out some sweepstakes for fans in attendance. The stages, main and second were increasingly substantial supporting such bands like Bush, Rise Against, A Day To Remember, Black Label Society, Hatebreed, Sevendust, and Corrosion of Conformity. That's just naming a few of the bigger names in the music industry that took part in the 3-day weekend festival. Even Hellzapoppin, the world renown theatrical rock-n-roll circus sideshow performed the whole weekend with their death-defying stunts. Besides the entertainment value at your fingertips, the yard was stock full of a arrange food and drink trucks, 70+ of the best tattoo artists providing fresh ink inside the prison, and free roam to explore most of the prison grounds.

DAY 1 Winners

Of Mice & Men

A Day To Remember

Rise Against

DAY 2 Winners

Through Fire

The World I Knew

Bush

DAY 3 Winners

Sevendust

Devil Driver (Best of Show)

Hellzapoppin

Hatebreed

Black Label Society

The three days I covered the event, temperatures reached in the mid-90s the whole weekend. On top of the heat, I was carrying two camera bodies, a 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, and 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens for daylight capture while carrying separate gear in my backpack. With my military boot camp weight of equipment, none of this would be remotely possible without the assistance of my girlfriend and here providing some muscle while I was shooting. The blisters on my feet and sunburnt skin, I could have easily dehydrated myself before the weekend.

CONCLUSION: I had a blast again at the Ohio State Reformatory. Besides the excellent entrainment value, the fans were a pleasure to interact with on the grounds. Only a few rotten eggs to toss out, but many generally wanted to converse and to be captured on camera. The amount of effort that went into making this bigger surpassed my expectations. I was on the fence this year rather cover the event or not since I wasn't too excited about the acts. Not being overly enthusiastic turned out for the best on my end. Different bands, I'm not familiar with named for new captures. I was disappointed with the clearance granted for some of the media. Photo pit access by the stage was limited to around 15 photographers. The rest of the media were restricted to general admission only. Not sure what qualifies a person between pit access and general admission but seeing a few people using their smartphones inside the pit and other photographers renting out longer glass with their own money was a slap in the face to others. The festival felt more like "who you know" rather than the experience you can provide. I would like to throw out my gratitude to Adrenaline PR for giving me access and also to my publication Uncivil Revolt Magazine. Thank you!

Full Gallery Below