Nikki Glaspie is a force to be reckoned with in the world of drumming having taken the sticks for non other than Chaka Khan, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Destiny’s Child and Beyonce.
I shot Nikki in my friend’s Greenpoint apartment. Of course she was lovely, and of course I asked about Beyonce..
Here’s Nikki gracing the back cover of Issue 10 of Tom Tom Magazine: The Glamour Issue:
Back in the summer I was asked to shoot the latest He Said/We Said fashion spread for the folks over at Dapper Q. Using the notorious Take Ivy shoot as inspiration, a glorious day was spent exploring the grounds of Colombia University with a selection of the best dressed queers of Brooklyn.
Autostraddle love a bit of queer fashion too..
And here’s a few more from the shoot..
I think I was actually more spoilt than I realised when I used to shoot parties in the uk. It helped that I was straddling the worlds of club/performance/circus all at once whilst living in Bristol, but they sure knew how to dress a party and themselves up to the nines. Until I was gratefully thrown into the magical world and minds that make this party, I feared it was nowhere to be found across my adopted vista.
..and then I found JUDY
These days it kind of feels rare for a group of people to put so much heart, thought and prop making skills into throwing a party..just because. No route to inflate any egos or chance of being discovered (unlike many of the reasons while sometimes prevail here), but for them it’s fun and they clearly want to share that. And boy do people respond to that kind of intention..
Taking over tiny sweaty manhattan clubs, illegal warehouses in brooklyn and even setting sail to take a bunch of queers on a tourist trip for the night, JUDY does it right.
..here’s more
I think I first discovered her music about 4 or 5 years ago and it was probably because I was looking for some music to wallow in after a break-up or someone I shouldn’t have fallen in love with. Her stuff is more than great for that. I missed out on seeing her perform the last time in nyc so this time I pulled some strings and literally got in to see her through the back door. Thank goodness.
I’m not really sure what I expected. Perhaps a slightly morose personality and presence to match her honest and heart wrenching and pretty depressing lyrics, but no, I found a happy, engaging beauty who oozed ‘I’m doing great thanks’.
There’s something a little special about watching someone perform the soundtrack to your memories created so far away and so long ago. And then you realise that life is always on ‘shuffle’ or ‘repeat’, just like her album.
..and here’s a review with some of these photos.
I’ve already mentioned just how wonderful I think this night is so I won’t repeat myself but on this particular night of shooting it exceeded all expectations. Packed to the rafters cause JD Samson (M.E.N/le tigre) was providing the soundtrack, my eyes and my camera feasted on an array of beauties and wall to wall joy.
Where JD plays, babes follow..
Did I mention it’s full of lesbians..?!
And here’s a few more for your visual delectation..
Every year The L Magazine releases their much anticipated list of Brooklyn/NYC bands that they thing are going to make waves over the coming year. Along with fellow Brooklyn photographer Aaron Richter, I was asked to shoot one half of this musical motley crue and a joint effort for the cover.
In bedrooms, in back rooms or over beer; here’s a few more of each band..
