Why Music Is Part of the Process

I love music. Always have. Music is a big part of my photography. Not only when I'm shooting, but also when I'm sitting at the computer retouching images. Put on the right album, and I can disappear into my own little world for hours. It makes me happy. It changes my energy. And somehow, it becomes part of the creative process.

During a Session

Music can completely change the atmosphere of a shoot. I'll often have something playing while we're working. It can help take away some of the formality of being in front of a camera and make the whole experience feel more relaxed and natural. The music might be energetic, quiet, atmospheric, or completely ridiculous depending on the day.

And yes, I love '80s music, so there is a pretty good chance you'll hear some of it. Punk. Lots of punk. But I also love Bob Marley and the Wailers, old-school reggae, rocksteady, and ska. My playlist can go in lots of different directions. New wave, alternative, electronic, rock, pop. Whatever fits the mood. And my playlist definitely doesn't stop at the '80s.

Your Music Is Welcome

If you have music you love, play it. Send me a playlist, bring a few songs, or tell me what you're into. Sometimes a familiar song can completely change someone's energy in front of the camera.

And honestly, I'd rather hear something you love than force you to listen to my music for two hours. LOL

There are no rules here. If you want silence, we'll have silence. If you want to turn it up, we'll turn it up.

Then There's Retouching

This is probably where music becomes an even bigger part of my process. When I'm retouching, I put on my headphones, start some music, and disappear.

I'm not just sitting there fixing skin or adjusting an image. I'm looking at the photograph over and over, paying attention to the little things, making decisions, trying something, stepping back, and looking again. And with the right music playing, I get completely absorbed in it. For me, that's one of the best parts of photography.

A photograph can start with a camera, but it doesn't necessarily finish there. There's a whole creative process that happens afterward — and music is often the soundtrack to that part of the journey.

It's Part of My World

Photography has always been more than just taking pictures for me. It's the people, the light, the locations, the music, the editing, the stories, and all the little things that come together along the way. Sometimes I'm working on an image and a song comes on that takes me somewhere completely different. And honestly, I love that.

Put on the right music, and for a while, I'm somewhere else.