This is new. This is different. I’m okay with it. I had the best time ever. I didn’t know anything about Lindsey going into this. Okay, that’s kind of a lie. I didn’t know much about Lindsey before getting this gig–but by the time I showed up, I had done my research. However, the amount I learned about her on the road blows any prior knowledge out of the park.

I got this job through a friend of a friend, which is how I like it. I am never hired by a label, by a company, by anything other than the person I am shooting for. I like it this way. I want a relationship, and I want to know the person I am photographing. I had just gotten done being in the studio with Pierce The Veil and I went right to this tour. My first day with Lindsey was in Orlando Florida. It has been a few years since I went on tour with a band and crew that I didn’t know. I knew her keyboardist, as I had met him briefly, but that is about it. So going into the tour I was a bit, err, unsure as to how it would turn out.

I showed up at the Hard Rock in Orlando and was greeted very nicely at the catering area by Lindsey and her crew. Everyone was nice right off the bat and I never felt unwelcome. The last time I did a “cold tour” (or whatever you want to call it) was Asking Alexandria. I only knew their Tour Manager and he told me to come out, so I did. TOTALLY different atmosphere. Lindsey is Mormon so the tour was dry so that already changes a lot. Not for me personally, but for the people, I get to work with. Honestly, I prefer it. I don’t drink, smoke, or do anything of anything at all when I am on my own. I almost have to learn how to drink just to exist on my other tours, and I don’t really enjoy it aside from a beer or two once in a while.

I was excited to learn. This was my first time touring on a dry tour, with a religious person, a violinist, dancers, and with a girl. So many new things which mean lots to learn which means I’ll never be bored and if you would have seen me right before I got to the venue I was all kinds of giddy. I like new things!

7/3/14 – Orlando, Florida – Shatter Me Tour

7/4/14 – Orlando, Florida – Shatter Me Tour

Our second day… was get this… the 4th of July… at Universal Studios. Are you kidding me? Such a good start to a tour. I was so happy. I couldn’t control my excitement that whole day.  I knew this was a chill group when they could handle me at my most hyper.

That night we partied it up in the hotel parking lot. Honestly, it was a little different for me. I am used to a bunch of drunk people getting belligerent. But this was just wholesome fun. I loved it. So many smiles, great food. They welcomed me like family and I was pleasantly surprised. All around great people.

7/5/14 – Boca Raton, Florida – Shatter Me Tour

I had been to this venue before with A Day To Remember. I love it because it’s outside. Natural light always makes for a different feel with images. Soundcheck was a treat. Sunset was the cherry on top.

3/21/2014 – Birmingham, Alabama

7/7/2014 – New Orleans, Louisiana

I had never been to the House Of Blues in New Orleans. It was tiny but had a lot of character. We got some beignet donuts that day and hit a record store. When I work with new artists like this I never post images until they post them. I barely do that with any of the artists I have been working with for years. A lot of images don’t get posted, because I honestly just don’t know right off the bat- how they like to portray themselves. Its a fun learning process.

7/8/2014 – Houston, Texas

I was impressed. I didn’t know Lindsey very well, but we had planned on doing a shoot that night at sunset. I wasn’t sure if she remembered we were going to do a shoot, but then she found me before we went out to eat all dressed up and ready to go. Something outside would have been pretty but then Lindsey found a blue wall inside the hotel and suggested that. I was excited because… she was stoked to shoot! That doesn’t happen all the time with the artists I work with, but she wanted to. In addition, it was in a hotel lobby. Most people would just be embarrassed, but we just went for it- for 30 minutes. Some people even came in during the shoot to use computers and she did not give a fuck. We just kept on shooting. Respect.

7/10/2014 – Houston, Texas – Shatter Me Tour

I had been to this venue before with Pierce The Veil and All Time Low on The Spring Fever Tour. I got some of my favorite stage shots at it. Mostly because the venue distributes the smoke so uniformly so all the lights appear at the same power on stage. It is also a very open and dark venue, so the falloff is great on the sides of the stage. Easily one of my favorite venues to photograph in the USA.

Quick and easy. I wasn’t able to spend too much time on this tour, unfortunately, but I am hoping to go out with Lindsey again in the future. It’s a change of pace from what I am used to, and I really enjoyed it. A bunch of positive and productive people traveling the world like family. Count me in!