85mm Gmaster 1.4

The Most Important Photos I Have Ever Taken:

Clickbait aside, I really do have some strong thoughts about these last few photos of 2017. Please forgive me while I wax poetic for a little bit. 

I'm pretty lucky, all things considered, to be able to have made it this long and still have all four of my grandparents still alive and in mostly good health– (as far as I know anyway).
They have been around for my entire life to this point, and aside from a few minor complaints–

(we don't see eye to eye about politics, I'm probably not getting married anytime soon, certainly not having any children, and sometimes I only need to eat one plate of food instead of an entire stove's worth)

they have always been there to learn from and to love. 

So where did all this come from? Strap in, this is gonna get a little dark.

Earlier this year there was a death in my extended family, and although we weren't very close it still hit a little closer to home than I would have liked it to. I looked at the social media feeds of my grandparents– (they SOMETIMES use facebook to...I dunno...look at old people memes or something) and came to the realization one day they will die.

(That realization came to me a while back, but just bear with me...I tend not to think about the death of my loved ones on a regular basis).

When that time came, it would be up to Myself or another member of my family to find a photo of them for a memorial service of some sort. And very quickly we would find that the photos that existed were either very old or taken with some sort of smartphone with the resolution somewhere between a potato and an iPhone 5. And to be honest, I just couldn't let my loved ones have to be remembered that way. So I made it a point while I was home for the holidays this year to sit everyone down for a formal portrait session. 

I got about 5 or so minutes each before everyone got a little antsy, but I'm fairly happy with the results none the less:

James "Jimmy" (Paw-Paw) Griffin

Gladys "Granny Grump/Nana" Griffin

Lula "Granny Lu Lu" Wilkerson

Olin "Papa Charlie" Wilkerson

If you ever wondered what I am going to look like in 40 years, here is a pretty good idea. With each passing day I see more and more of these four people every time I look in the mirror.

I wish they could be around forever, but at least I have a record of how they will always be remembered by me. 

Is it a little dusty in here for anyone else? Or is it just me?

On a happier note, I would just like to wish everyone a Happy New Year in the next few days. 2017 has been an interesting one in many ways, and I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

I may be consistently tired, I may be a little grumpy sometimes, but I always enjoy my time spent behind the camera. Whether you are my subject or just a follower on this journey. My best wishes are to you and yours in the coming year. 

See you all on the other side.

-B

Zy_Gote - 2017.

Zy_Gote was brought to life by producer Stan Pavlov, fusing mixtures of different noise and industrial genres, molded together like Dr. Frankenstein constructed his infamous monster. Invoking dark atmospheres while unleashing distorted soundscapes aggressive beats and unsettling samples all at once upon the listener. 

Check out his debut album Potential for Destruction below. 

2016: A Year in Review

Oh hey there! Yes, I know it's been a while. But fear not, I'm still around. Just unintentionally took the last two months of the year off. I guess I just needed to take a bit of a break. Right now I'm lying in bed, getting over the last little bit of some flu or some other sickness. I figured if I can't be good for much else, I may as well get my yearly review post out of the way. 

Much like last year, I had a very hard time getting things narrowed down to just 5 images. But since this is my blog I guess I'll do what I damn-well please.

 

On a rainy Easter Sunday, Sara and I took an afternoon just doing whatever we could. Just being cool. Some great photos walking around Atlanta and getting caught out in the weather. 

Cody, Damien, and Coco from Ecto Proxy asked me to shoot some promo photos for them this year. We had planned on a few different shoots, but this one was the only one that materialized. Not that I am complaining. We had fun with a simple white background set up in the practice space. 

I actually don't think this photo of Hada Pixie ever got shown in its full resolution this year. Long story short, we were trying to save it for publication, but it never did get chosen. None the less, I still like what we were able to do with such a simple setup.

Sig and Nikki. So glad to get the chance to shoot them both together. After having individual shoots with both of them over the course of the year, October came and with it came Halloween photos. I was extremely happy with a lot of the photos we captured that day, but this one still stands out as one of the best of the year.

Unintentionally 2016 became the year of the cosplay. Shooting with Sig (also mentioned above) with his Red Hood costume, got me tied in with Hysteria Machines (and with it Risky Sour, Persephone Phoenix, and Jesse), as well as Estella Zorn and her great gender swapped Tuxedo Mask. I never really fancied myself a cosplay photographer, but if the shoe fits...I'm not opposed to wearing it.

Honorable Mentions:

Estella – Tuxedo Mask – 2016.

Estella is another great individual I have been introduced to over the last year. Firstly while shooting makeup tests from earlier this summer, and then again during the Much Ado About Nerddom performance with Hysteria Machines a few weeks ago. 

She is an accomplished performer, cosplayer, and photographer, and I was more than stoked when she answered my call to arms looking for someone to shoot. Expect to see us working together much more in the future to document various costuming themed sessions. 

Model: Estella Zorn
Costuming: Pinky Shear
Mask: Estella Zorn

At the time of posting this entry, I also am in the process of working on some non-cosplay themed photos taken during the same session. I'll be posting those as a separate entry in the coming days. 

God Module: eVISCERAte Tour w/ Finite Automata & Cursed Earth Corporation

There are a few perks to being close with bands in your local area. By supporting them you are helping other artists support themselves and their dreams, and if you become really close with them it means that you get a chance to regularly see great live music AND get a chance to do what you love. The guys from Finite Automata are currently on tour right now, and made a stop here in Atlanta with God Module and a new up and coming band Cursed Earth Corporation. 

Naturally I had a standing invite (in case you haven't figured that out yet) and was given the chance once again to shoot. 

First up was Cursed Earth Corporation. Based out of Lexington, SC and performing live for the first time. If they didn't mention it, I would have thought these guys were a driving force that had been well toured and ready for action.  If their future is anything like they played this show, I can see them going places. Be sure to check them out on Soundcloud.

Next was Finite Automata. These guys are no stranger to this blog, and there is little else that I can say that hasn't already been said. Even though there were some casualties during the tour opener, the guys brought their A-game and performed a set full of the theatricality that they are so well known for. This set also featured a relative rarity, Scott and his keyboards were set up in a much cleaner lighting situation, so I was able to capture a few great shots of the deathpimp himself at work. 

And finally, the headliners of the night, God Module. Performing their album VISCERA in its entirety to celebrate 10 years of the album's release. I was given the opportunity to shoot them last year for a magazine article that never really materialized, but I happily now can share some images taken during this very foggy performance.  

For someone who doesn't consider himself a band photographer, I sure am shooting a lot of bands lately. Not that I am complaining, any time spent with a camera in my hands is a good time. 

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