Thank you Calgary Stampede!
Holy smokes.
It was the craziest 10 days of my life. A feeling I shared with countless musicians, band members, staff & bartenders across the city.
As the 2019 Calgary Stampede came to a close this week, I look back at previous years, previous work & work ethics, and I reflect on how far i've come. How far we've all come.
Previous years, I would go take photos of artists just for the fun of it. Just because I was there & I had my gear.
This year, I was hired by some of the most incredible musicians & teams to shoot some of the most important shows of their careers. Some who've been staples of the Nashville North "experience", some who played the stage for the first time. It was a surreal experience to work alongside them to make sure they had memories of their time at the Stampede.
I think what makes it so special is the fact that no matter how tired, stressed & sore our bodies were, everyone kept a big smile on their face & supported each other endlessly.
THEY SHOWED UP. For their fans, performances & families.
So i'm gonna take a second to recognize them.
The first big shoutout going out to Michela Sheedy.
Michela hired me to shoot the Nashville North show & to work on her creative team for the day.
Y'all know she is my bestie, partner in crime some would say. But she's also my client, my finance lady, my business partner, my creative outlet. Had it not been for her letting me shoot her constantly and her giving me such positive encouragement when I felt down, I wouldn't be nearly as successful today.
She played a KICK ASS show & I couldn't be prouder.
Find Michela here: http://www.michelasheedy.com/
Second on the list is Fedele Arcuri.
Fedele is a videographer & creative guru from Calgary.
We've worked together countless times over the years & I never fail to learn something new when he's around. He helps me when I need it & never gets impatient. He is a saint.
Find his work here: http://www.rumpunchmedia.ca/
#3 - Ryan Lindsay.
What a guy. Ryan is one of the sweetest dudes out there. He puts on an electrifying show. He runs a team like a well oiled machine. If you have seen a RL show. Go see one. Shooting his show was so exciting, no two moments were the same. That's what made it so exciting to shoot.
See Ryan here: http://ryanlindsaymusic.com/
Mariya Stokes - #4.
I got to kick off my Stampede madness with shooting Mariya's set with Nice Horse & Trixie Mattel.
This one was special for me.
Seeing the 2 most important things in my life collide on one stage was magical. The LGBTQ+ community embraced country music in the only way they knew how; drag.
The country music community embraced the LGBTQ+ community the only way THEY knew how; music.
We're in the right direction of filling the space for queer country folk. Now THAT is special.
Find Mariya here: https://www.mariyastokes.com/
Last but definitely not least, FOXX Worthee.
Dang can these girls ever put on a show. Real country girls from Saskatchewan, they sure know how to get down on stage. Literally. They were on the floor. With the entire band. (see photos). Thank you Crystal & Nicole for letting me capture your insane skills.
Find FOXX Worthee here: https://foxxworthee.com/
THANK YOU to everyone who consistently hires me to help them capture the moments that make you all so special at what you do.
Only 363 days til the #CalgaryStampede! YAHOOOO!
- T