1. Hi Shawn, welcome to All the Cores and More! Would you please introduce yourself for readers, such as where you’re from, a little bit about your backstory, and what you do in the realm of photography in broad strokes?

Hi! I am genetically New York, particularly the Hudson Valley. I fell in love with live music as a teenager and loved going to The Chance/The Loft in Poughkeepsie where I would see bands like Saves The Day, One King Down, and Fear Factory.

I started photography in 2008 because I had already started my own music blog called Kata Rokkar in San Francisco and wanted to begin photographing the concerts I was reviewing in the Bay Area.

After lots of moving around the country, I ended up in Maine where I shoot the local scene from the basement hardcore shows to the arena concerts downtown.

2. Who are some of the major artists you’ve photographed?

Neil Young, Billie Eilish, Janelle Monae, Florence & The Machine to name a few. Lately, being able to shoot bands like Terror, Bane, and Converge has been an honor, though. Those bands mean so much to me and being able to capture them has been pretty cool.

3. When did your love for music start and who were some of your foundational influences?

It all started when I was in kindergarten when I watched the Michael Jackson music video for “Thriller.” It was all over from there.

My foundational influences have been pretty consistent over the past few years. Björk, Aphex Twin, dredg, Far, Converge, and Glassjaw. Pretty much any band that exercises their full creative control and compromises nothing outside their own style.

4. What made you want to get into photography and immerse yourself in the world of live music?

I was reviewing concerts in San Francisco pretty regularly when I was offered a photo pass from the band Frightened Rabbit. I didn’t own a camera at the time so I panic-bought a Nikon D60 with a stock lens and took a bunch of blurry, underexposed photos of them at The Independent.

For some reason, I didn’t quit and kept going. I would eventually buy better gear and meet lots of very talented photographers who would influence me to go outside my comfort zone. Still learning, but I feel a little better about my abilities.

5. What does your kit currently look like?

I primarily use the Nikon Z6ii. I would love a second body but gear is expensive and I just bought my first 2.8 70-200mm. So one step at a time.

6. Are there some prerequisites for your line of work? What educational background and/or experiences did/do you pull from?

Street smarts!

Honestly, I just keep working and keep tweaking my skills. There’s so much more I don’t know and aren’t afraid of learning by doing. Everything from long exposure photos with a flash, promo sessions with bands, to yelling obscenities at Lightroom.

7. What’s some practical advice you have for anyone looking to get into the world of photography?

Don’t focus too much on gear. I’ve gone almost 20 years without some items that other photographers would deem essential. Just get out there and develop your own style before getting the latest and greatest in equipment.

Also, if you’re shooting live music, avoid just “taking pictures of the band.” Anyone can point a camera at an artist and take a picture. Explore angles, photograph the audience, and look for moments. Those are the things that’ll set you apart from all the other photogs out there.

8. What would you say have been some of your major career highlights beyond question number two or experiences that stand out in particular?

Probably when I got my first concert festival photo pass under my own music blog. It showed that if I just wrote and photographed what I enjoyed, I could still get access to these huge events with artists I loved. I didn’t have to compromise my own integrity and that felt good.

Secondly, I would say being welcomed into the alternative community here in Maine. Not just the hardcore scene but the queer culture movement here. There’s this feeling of being your unfiltered self in both communities and I’m the most in my element when I’m photographing them. I love it.

9. Is there any work you’ve done in the Maine hardcore scene in particular that you want to highlight?

I shot the promo photos for Satiate and when I was done, I walked around the abandoned building just taking random creepy photos of the joint. I emailed them to Ethan (from Satiate) because I thought “eh, whatever, these fit his vibe. I don’t know if anything will come of it.”

Sure enough one of the photos became the album cover. I love a happy accident.

10. Last question: You’ve been granted magical powers to bring five bands or artists past or present, living or deceased, together, at their peak, for a one-night show only. What’s the lineup?

Shit, that’s hard. I would want a full California 90s alt/hardcore music line-up in a small stinky club; Deftones, Far, Will Haven, Human Waste Project, and Snot (with Lynn).

A sampling of Shawn’s work: