As a music photographer, South By Southwest is a dream come true. I have been wanting to go to Austin, TX for this yearly event for many years, but only just got the chance this year. And it was great. I decided to make this trip a fun getaway with my husband and friends, rather than focusing on shooting non-stop, so I didn’t try for a media pass. Instead, I took pictures where I could, but just soaked in the whole experience without any demands on me. It was nice to sit back and relax.

We set out for SXSW on a Tuesday afternoon with our good friends, Last Fast Action. Good thing we’re friends, because we spent a long time in the van together. From Chicago, Austin is a 20+ hour drive. (more…)

Butch Walker is hands-down one of the best performers that I’ve ever seen.

He can captivate the audience to the point of a hush coming over the crowd, where you can literally hear a pin drop during his acoustic songs. But then, in the next breath, he can the venue clapping along to an upbeat song. His voice is powerful, emotional, and unique. He interacts with the audience by telling jokes or calling people out; shows are not a performance, they’re one big party. (more…)

For a while, I’ve been wanting to do a post about the basics of having a small photography business. I finally wrote one, and teamed up with Brian of Epic Edits and with Tracy of Three Heart Photo to boot! The article covers things such as branding, website creation and portfolios, networking, and legal issues – check it out HERE on the Epic Edits blog.

And that’s not all. As part of the blog, I’m giving out a gift certificate to Moo.com, and Tracy is giving a 50% off gift certificate for select design services. All you have to do is head on over to the blog and let us know about a photography business goal you have for 2009. But, the contest ends March 20th, so do it soon!

I have seen Company of Thieves many times, and have even blogged about them several times. It is no secret that I am a fan. However, this time they really impressed me. (more…)