Madison's own talented Anna Vogelzang has moved with her husband to L.A and continues making music on the Sunny side. When I was in L.A a few weeks back we did a little update photoshoot to represent her new creative space, we spent the day in their home studio as well as walking around their Highland Park neighborhood.  

A few weeks back the oh so talented Anna Vogelzang released an E.P entitled Driftless at a wonderful brunch gathering at Old Sugar Distillery catered by Underground Food Collective and coffee by Crescendo. A unique and lovely way to celebrate music, Whitney Mann & Dietrich Gosser   opened up the show and Anna played with a full band and it was a magical way to spend a Sunday morning. I love Madison for community we have in music, and this coming Saturday (12/13/14) these three amazing musicians along with Corey Hart, Crane Your Swan Neck, Count This Penny & Faux Fawn will be performing at Wintersong at the Barrymore Theatre   ---  grab your ticket, and a few friends and we will see you at Wintersong 2014!

A couple weekends ago I flew out to Massachusetts where I then hopped in a car full of instruments and musicians and drove to a coastal town called Westport. We showed up at sunset to this beautiful home, I could have just stayed there - beautiful woodwork, wonderful lighting, 3 fireplaces and a mile walk from the ocean -- a photographers heaven. I spent the whole weekend at this house with Hillary Reynolds and her talented band (along with the ever amazing Violet from LA who did hair and make up and haircuts for all!) we cooked meals together, built fires, played music and drank wine and I documented the whole weekend. The Hillary Reynolds Band is currently working on their second full length and wanted photographs of them in a place where they often come to write, rehearse and just get out to the city and relax, here is a collection of the images that I captured during my weekend with them.

"The songs of the season, the music for that special time of year, when families gather and when friends...chatter. When one night's oil can light the lamps for eight and when a very large man laden with a sack of gifts for the whole world can sneak in through a chimney...even if you live in a place that has none." Oh Wintersong the second annual all-ages holiday event that is tomorrow, December 6th, at The Majestic at 7pm SHARP-  and proceeds benefit the Second Harvest Foodbank, which serves more than 140,000 hungry Wisconsinites each year -- for more information on Wintersong, read this article by Isthmus. 

So come spend some time with Anna Vogelzang (the brain behind this operation), Count This Penny, PHOX, Whitney Mann, Corey Hart, Dietrich Gosser, Crane Your Swan Neck and Paul Otteson & Faux Fawn (where you will find me playing the Autoharp) tomorrow night, DOORS AT 6:30pm, this event will be starting on time at 7:00pm and last year we sold out so if you would like a seat and to not miss anything please plan to get there early.

Last night all of the musicians got together at the Phox Den for a fire, mulled wine and some music making. Paul Otteson is a musical genius who has put together a few numbers for us to sing all together -- so we learned, played and all got really excited for Friday -- so please come out and celebrate the holiday season with us!

Click here for the facebook event with a link to purchase a ticket(s) in advance.

It is always a little bit sad when Labor Day is coming, it's that feeling that summer is coming to an end, where even though I have been out of school for years, I still get that feeling that it's time to go back. Rock County Folk Symposium has changed this feeling for me, every Sunday of Labor Day weekend I get to go to Janesville, drink Furthermore beer, eat walking tacos and watch all of my friends play music until the early morning hours. This is one of my favorite events of the year, it makes me happy I have chosen the midwest as my home. If you are someone in the band and would like to use some of these images or see more (there are many more) please contact me through my contact page on my website.

About a year ago I joined up with Paul Otteson to sing harmony on a couple of songs and now a year later we are Paul Otteson & Faux Faun and this summer we have recorded one EP and yesterday we started on a full length. We will be playing a free show tonight at Tempest Oyster Bar around 9:30 for the whole night, so stop by for some oysters and music.

Last week I got the opportunity to photograph one of the most promising new movements in youth culture, Girls Rock Camp. Girls Rock Camp Madison is an intense, one week day-camp for girls ages 8-18. Campers of all skill levels learn guitar, drums, keyboards, bass and vocals, form a band, write a song and perform at the end of week for friends, family, and hundreds of screaming fans - Girls Rock Camp is great because it recognizes the potential of every young woman to be a strong, talented, creative and empowered individual while providing a safe space where all girls rock. I have been photographing their showcases for a few years now and I finally have gotten around to write a blog about it. If you would like to learn more, send your child or if you wished this was around while you were young, no worries - they have Ladies Rock Camp as well - visit their website here. 

I met the Hillary Reynolds Band before their show for Mile of Music Festival in Appleton, Wi this last weekend for a photo shoot in a cornfield. I have done several shoots with Hillary but this was the first time I was able to meet the band,  they are quite lovely. Check out their music and see their tour dates to see if they are playing near you!

Summer time become my busiest time of year and it is hard to stop working when your work is always on your mind. With this year being a bit more packed than normal with my trip to Ethiopia in the middle of the wedding season, I have a lot to finish and a lot to plan all before July 9th. The terrace has become my place to relax by the lake, sip a beer and listen to my friends play beautiful music. Last week at Dietrich Gosser's show, this beautiful boy had his Mother make him a jet pack - oh to be young again, how I long for the days where summer vacation existed and all you did was play with your friends and go to the pool to get summer blonde hair and have your skin smell like chlorine, always.

My friend Shannon asked to do a session with her and her friend Chris - they both teach private music lessons and at times play shows together.

This morning I went for a walk to find out that this lovely band was playing a free show at Context. One of my favorite things about living in Madison, Wi is the music community; people really love live music here - whether they are listening to it or playing it and it is a beautiful thing to be apart of. This group, PHOX hasn't been around very long, but they really have become known and I am eager to see where they will go with their ridiculous talents. I have seen them play countless times and I have never walked away disappointed - in one set they manage to play 10 different instruments, perfect a 6 part harmony and Monica will always warm your with her adorable banter. I highly suggest checking out their music and their woodroom sessions on YouTube and make sure to check them out live.

Anna Vogelzang and Dietrich Gosser will be hitting the road together this summer on tour, so they contacted me to get some promo images of them together. We met at Mickey's Tavern - a place where I have seen both Anna and Dietrich countless times, and spent a few hours hanging out and taking photographs.

I first met Anne while she was in a Ladies Rock Camp session a few years back. Anne recently contacted me to let me know that she has further continued with music and was in need of some images for an upcoming album. I drove out to her and her Husband's beautiful home in Belleville, Wi where we walked around her land for the shoot. I am hoping to get back out there this summer when all of the snow is gone - it was a photographers paradise! Enjoy these images: