A series of less-saturated options from Luis Garrido, Jr.’s (Slumbersun) shoot in support of their debut EP.
Selected screenshots from “Family and Friends”, a music video I shot and edited for Bobby Syvarth. Directed by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth, and produced by Gil Coronado of CILA Management LLC.
Documentation of Alyssa Vee’s first dress design, inspired by and made with wiring and circuitry in support of “Caught in the .Net”, an interdisciplinary residency at Mignolo Arts Center in October 2022. Modeled by Sophie Camila.
A selection of stills from a day of filming Bobby Syvarth’s video for his song “Family and Friends”. Directed by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth, and produced by Gil Coronado of CILA Management, LLC.
‘Visitor Parking’ is a live, immersive multimedia, dance-centric piece piloted by mignolo arts. Featuring a completely original sound score composed by Teddy Hyde, myself, and composited together by Charly&Eriel Santagado of mignolo, the piece explores the intricacies of mental illness and the human mind.
The live performance will take place in December, 2021 at Gardenship Art in Kearny, NJ, and tickets can be found HERE!
More on the piece from mignolo:
“Visitor Parking is a live, immersive, site specific multimedia piece rooted in contemporary dance that explores a variety of mental health problems in effort to advocate for the recognition and de-stigmatization of mental health related conditions. The piece calls upon mignolo’s developing “translation” movement vocabulary accompanied by poetry, original music, set and costume design. Join a cast of eight dancers on a sometimes tangled, sometimes illuminating journey through the complexities of the mind.”
Selected stills from a shoot with Luis Garrido, Jr., also known as Slumbersun, in support of his debut EP. Taken at Sandy Hook, NJ.
‘Soldier Island’ is an upcoming feature-length film by mignolo arts. Shot over the course of a month and a half at three locations, this is the by far the most ambitious project I’ve been fortunate to be a part of to date. The film is a dance-translation and modern interpretation of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, visually inspired by the 1940’s motion picture of the same name. The majority of these shots were taken on the same day, toward the end of filming, at Sandy Hook Beach, NJ. They also took place on the same day as the candids from this project, so sorry for the redundancy (but if you’ve noticed it, thanks so much for browsing so thoroughly).
This was my first time working with Kris Khunachak, an incredible multimedia artist who lent an essential hand to ‘Soldier Island’ and filmed some of the most beautiful takes I’ve ever seen. It was also thanks to his involvement that I was able to spend this particular day shooting stills, so thanks Kris!!
‘Remember Me’ is an original piece by Reframe Dance Theater. From Nathan, the company’s founder:
“Inspired by the facets and flaws of memory, ‘Remember Me’ is a reflection on who, what, and how we remember. We will traverse the ways our memories impact our lives; ranging from song lyrics, to past relationships, to living in the moment.
This project was cultivated in fertile a bed of discussion and collaboration. As artists, we shared the turning points of our lives that made us who we are. Remember Me is not simply about ReFrame, but how we come together and what happens after.”
This shoot took place at Mignolo Arts Center, a swell place for artistic endeavors of all sorts. The space can be rented HERE
‘Arcadia’ is an original short film by mignolo dance. We shot the project in January of 2021 at 10PRL in Long Branch, NJ, with this photo shoot taking place after about five hours of filming. The piece itself is a relatively mysterious one, and I believe spontaneity was a large part of mignolo’s concept for the piece. I remember telling Charly and Eriel that I pictured the piece taking place in the hollowed out trunk of an old tree, with the dancers miniaturized in Keebler elf fashion. While that probably doesn’t come across in these photos, I bet you’ll get what I mean if you have the fortune of seeing the whole piece or yourself. For the curious, HERE is a link to a preview of the piece.
A feel-good photo shoot from late September, 2020. Alexis, a great friend and talented actress, singer-songwriter and playwright, was in search of some new headshots, and I was trying to learn how to take pictures of things that aren’t frogs, turtles, and leaves. With our powers combined, these photos emerged into existence.
The barn and abandoned house that serve as the backdrop in some of these photos has been a go-to photo and adventure spot for me for years. I was sad to see it all boarded up for the first time after exploring its dusty depths since my late high school days, but maybe the house feels differently about it. Either way, I owe that special little parcel of land a bunch for the inspiration it has sparked in me for so long.
‘Soldier Island’ is an upcoming feature-length film by mignolo arts. Shot over the course of a month and a half at three locations, this is the by far the most ambitious project I’ve been fortunate to be a part of to date. The film is a translation and modern interpretation of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, visually inspired by the 1940’s motion picture of the same name. This set of photos takes place at the historic Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield, NJ. Built in 1742, and hosting General Washington and Alexander Hamilton during the Battle of Short Hills, the house lent a character and a depth of its own to the piece. To create in a space that has stood witness to so much was bewildering at times—it felt as though the spirits and stories of the house were watching as our chapter in the house’s history merged into the greater volume of time.
While there aren’t many of them pictured in this set, I was also happy to lend a good deal of antique props to the project, and it was a damn joy to see them coming to life on screen. Most of these items I scavenged from flea markets and trash heaps and lovingly nurtured back to health, whispering affirmations in their ears and singing them to sleep each night, hoping to one day find a purpose for what could be a slippery slope to my own “Hoarders” episode. Really though, this project has been a huge step in multiple linked directions for me, and I can’t wait to start piecing it all together in the compositing phase.
Keep up with Soldier Island progress HERE
Donate to the ongoing care and outreach of the Nathaniel Drake House HERE
Jack Linden’s debut solo album is a drastic change to the acoustic-driven folk I’ve come to know from him, which required a change in atmosphere for this photoshoot. To match the punk-rock vibe of the album, the photo shoot took place in New Brunswick, NJ. I focused on shadows and textures to create a dark-vs-light mood that matched the tone of the album’s music and lyrics.
For their EP, Start Again, Rose Boulevard was looking for a photoshoot somewhere rustic, with a twist. In keeping with the theme of their album, which focused on love and the journeys we embark on to chase it, the band had a train in mind. I brought them to Allaire State Park in Howell, NJ--a historic village from the 19th century, complete with an old train yard. The rusty train door, representing new starts for old stories, became the cover for their album. At some point, I plan to start a petition for a Rose Boulevard revival, so please stay tuned for more information.
Colton's album, Place to Settle, has a constant theme of motion and travel--the search for one's place in life and love. I listened to the album on repeat while hiking through some of my favorite photography locations until a spot felt right. The shoot, in a South Brunswick, NJ pine forest, captured the movement Kayser sought by contrasting the relative rigidity of the forest with the flowing bluestem grasses on the trail. He also insisted that the hat hanging from the belt loop thing was going to catch on, and while I haven’t seen that prophecy come to fruition yet, it wouldn’t be the strangest thing considering these last five years.
In support of their EP, Ricketts Wood, Rose Boulevard and I headed out for a photoshoot. They were looking for photos that matched the natural vibe of the album artwork, but wanted something more than some shots in a forest. I brought them to one of my favorite locations--a century-old farmhouse at the end of a utility corridor. That property, now boarded up by the township, was host to some of my favorite adventures and photoshoots. As much as I was sad to see the boards and signage on my last visit, I think it’s for the best. Over the last decade and a half, I’ve seen the house fall victim to teenage angst and aimless aggression—more broken and vandalized with each visit. Nothing lasts forever—not in this world, at least, but I’m happy to have recorded so many moments at this location.
(Updated 2.2021)
For Cold Weather Company's first photo shoot, the band wanted to show an immersion into nature. Seeking a forest with a healthy, dense understory, we headed down to the Pine Barrens near Batsto Village, NJ. All photos were taken with a tripod and remote. Update in 2021: Oh my goodness, look at us little fellas!
I remember this day so clearly—I was so excited (and nervous) to task myself with our first “official” photoshoot. We used these photos for years (and while we’ve had plenty of inside jokes about them, I still think they’re really pretty), but I think the best part of this day was the strangeness of what happened next. Somewhere between sunny forest photos and the sunset performance photo, we were approached by a fellow patron of the Pine Barrens, who asked us to help him get his Jeep out of the sand (sugar sand is about as effective to drive upon as ice). While there was nothing scary about this guy, following him a half mile down a shady unpaved road in the middle of the biggest forest in the state was a pretty big ask. Fortunately, with our powers combined, his Jeep was freed, and we lived to tell the tale!
