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.