Monthly Highlights: September 2014

For some reason, September feels like it was the longest month of the year. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t hair brained busy with shoots this month, which was actually a good thing because I really needed the down time to focus on other projects. So, all this is to say that September wasn’t the most eventful photo-wise, but the few shoots that did come through were pretty exciting in and of themselves.

Music Photography

September, despite starting off with Bumbershoot, was full of rejections–Katy Perry, Linkin Park, Sam Harris, Interpol, Die Antwoord, Drake, Lil Wayne, Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton…it was one no after another and it was pretty depressing. There were a couple of wins, such as the opportunity to shoot Heart at the Showbox as part of the venue’s 75th anniversary, the acapella group Pentatonix at the Puyallup Fair, and a few Decibel Festival shows. But then the end of the month hit and two big unexpected yeses came though: Elton John and Tom Morello + Chris Cornell! Saving the best for last, and it helped boost my overall feelings toward the month of September.

Event Photos

Event-wise, September was also a rather quiet month, but I had a few events come through that were pretty noteworthy. The first I’m still not allowed to disclose much information about, but it involved photographing and listening to a speech made by Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s newest CEO. Happening just after Microsoft announced its billion dollar purchase of Minecraft, I was captivated by Nadella’s professional but very charismatic charm. If you have a chance to hear him speak, take it!

I also had a couple of fun opportunities this month to do some photo work for the City of Bellevue by documenting some of their cultural events including the annual Blueberry Festival and a documentary screening of One Big Hapa Family. This ended up being a pretty educational and eye-opening opportunity as I admittedly didn’t even realize how culturally diverse Bellevue was. If you love cultural events, do yourself a favor and keep your eyes on the City of Bellevue’s Cultural Diversity website and calendar of events.

Another event I serendipitously stumbled upon was a cider pairing dinner held at Capitol Cider, featuring the culinary talents of many up and coming Seattle chefs. If you love cider and gluten-free menus, don’t miss the next cider pairing dinner.

One final event for September was the documenting of a summer “out to lunch” concert series plus traffic safety fair at Swedish Cherry Hill medical center. It was the first event I’ve ever done at a hospital facility, and I ended up loving the modern architecture of the building, fusing it into my event photos.

Restaurant Photos

While the restaurant front was also on the quiet side this month, there were a couple of noteworthy openings. The first was Josh Henderson’s new Pioneer Square sports bar, Quality Athletics. Quite the departure from his other eateries such as Skillet, Westward, and Hollywood Tavern, Quality Athletics is without a doubt for the sports loving crowd, with lots of throwback, nostalgic elements in the design.

Another press-worthy opening was Trove, the newest Korean fusion restaurant by husband and wife culinary team Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi. Located on Capitol Hill, this was the couple’s first eatery in the quickly changing modern neighborhood, and it features lots of new elements including a made-to-order noodle bar and walk up ice cream window.

I also had a few portrait photography opportunities this month in the form of repeat chefs: Jason Stratton of Spinasse, Artusi, and Vespolina, Renee Erickson of The Walrus and the Carpenter and Boat Street Cafe, and Dana Tough and Brian McCracken of The Old Sage and Tavern Law.

Food-wise, I was honored to work with Chefs Jason Stratton and Carrie Mashaney to document their new menu items at the newly rebranded Vespolina restaurant. Featuring delicious Italian dishes and pastas, Vespolina’s menu is incredibly rich in visuals and flavors. I highly recommend stopping by for a pasta dish or cocktail.