How did you get into photography?
I had started a band (@beaconsfl) when I was living in Florida in 2010. Shortly after trying to write songs for our first EP I realized we needed band promos and soon after we would need music videos. Also, much quicker than we realized we needed to acquire these things was when I came to the conclusion that these things were very expensive and we however, were very, very poor. So, being the 'Do it yourself'er' that I've always been, I thought Id give it a stab. I picked up a Canon T3i off eBay and started shooting. I shot our first band promos (that were slightly above trash) and then started shooting other bands live (also trash). Then shot a few music videos for my band and continued to progress and it slowly snow-balled and I started shooting music videos for other bands, flying out on the weekends to different states to have fun with a band I had never met, to sleep on their couch for a few days and make art. Rest is history I suppose. \m/
Why the name Mean Shadows?
For me, mean shadows is not only one of my all time favorite songs by probably my favorite artist of all time (He is Legend) but also in the song Schuyler says,
"And you know I am all you need
Bound to the top of your family tree
And I'll be there everyday
So kick and scream if you feel better, but you'll never get away"
These words always resounded with me. To be very specific my "father" has never been in my life (well atleast since around 5 when my mother stopped letting me go to his place) and for me, the lyrics above just meant; Look kid, you can't control how you got here or why you're in the situation that you're in but simply, you're here. So, you might as well embrace your mean shadows (or the flaws or negative or band things in your life) now instead of hiding from them and it will get you to where you need to go much faster.
With that being said, its also a rad play on words for photography.
Why Outcast?
I always felt like I didn't quite fit in with any one group in particular. This started I believe in JR High when I already knew 100% that I would not be going to college like the rest of my colleagues who seemed to look forward to it so much. I found a lot of individuality in skateboarding at a pretty young age and that lifestyle really was the closest thing to a home I guess I had ever felt.
I started screen printing my band's (mentioned above) tee shirts because we were real nice and broke and shirts are real nice and expensive. For whatever reason the word outcast just kept surfacing in my life over and over and it felt almost as if I was supposed to do something with it but for a long time I didn't know what. I then started Outcast Clothing Company back in 2013 with some awful designs but designs with individualistic ideas sewn in. It fizzled out a few times over the years just because of life. But I re-launched it back in Spring of 2018 and its done amazing so far. Really excited for the future of Outcast. (Click the MY BRAND tab at the top)
What do you shoot with?
I started with a Canon T3i that I got from eBay and a kit lens. Then purchased a nifty-fifty for it and rocked that for a long while. I then upgraded for video work with the Panasonic GH4. Still currently using this for video work. Sick 4k camera.
For photography I'm using a Canon 6D with a 100mm 2.8 Macro for buttery close ups and some awesome bokeh'd portraits. I also use my Sigma 24-70 2.8 like its going out of style, a nice all around lens. I also recently picked up a Sigma 30 1.4 and a Sigma Fisheye 2.8, excited to put these to work.
What/who inspires you?
A lot. I get stoked on lots of things, some stuff is super small and seems insignificant but I think its the little stuff that can sometimes make the biggest impact. I think just spreading positivity and laughter always has to be the goal. Its just no fun any other way and I like doing things differently and very un-corporate-like.
Some people that inspire me are loads of musicians of course. He is Legend,the underground metal community is a huge inspo for me. Kendrick, Yela, Nothing, Nowhere. Its hard to keep the list small. But mostly anyone thats an outcast like me really makes me appreciate all I have and feel inspired to keep on keeping on. TB