Tag: photography

Charley Crockett is Suited for Rain or Shine

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

I had never met Charley Crockett before, though a list of our mutual friends would be long — and would span the country.  I first heard his music on NPR a year or so back and was struck by his style and voice.

I figured I was picking up a soon-to-be new friend as I drove up to meet him at the Basement East in Nashville. Within moments we took off towards our location, knowing the rain would begin to fall at any moment. However when on tour and just passing through a town, that one day is often all you have for the photoshoot — rain or shine. Naturally, we got straight to work.

I count it a very lucky thing that Charley happened to have the perfect two suits to completely match the color palettes I was working with. We started with any shots we could outside, and then the rain fell just in time to fog the car windows for our interior shots. I most definitely had to stand in the rain and cover my gear to protect it all from the elements, but it was so worth it to make these images. We talked about photography, working hard, tour, and life. It was nothing short of a wonderful start to a new friendship. Charley is such a world-class person and artist, and it was such a pleasure to finally befriend him and photograph him for this piece. — Laura Partain

Charley Crockett

Charley pictured in a custom Fort Lonesome suit, vintage Stetson Rancher hat, vintage bolo, and ’70s era Champion boots.

Details of custom Fort Lonesome suit and custom CC ring by Scott James Jewelry.

Charley pictured wearing a Rockmount custom suit from Pioneer House in Knoxville, TN, ’60s Texas Imperials cowboy boots, vintage Stetson Rancher hat, and his 1930s Le Domino parlor guitar.

Detail of the Rockmount suit, chain stitching by Union Western Clothing. A custom belt by Vincent Neil Emerson, CC ring by Scott James Jewelry, and a vintage ancient falcon necklace from Dolly Python.

Vintage ancient falcon necklace from Dolly Python, CC ring by Scott James Jewelry.

Charley wearing the Rockmount custom suit, ’60s Texas Imperials cowboy boots, and vintage Stetson Rancher hat with his 1930s Le Domino parlor guitar.

All photos by Laura Partain

Logan Ledger Adds ’70s Style to Film Noir Flair

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

I met Logan Ledger at Santa’s Pub in Nashville, sometime late in the winter of 2016. It wasn’t long after that I first heard his voice — one I would never forget and can always identify. Part of me would love to tell you to imagine Ray Price dropping acid with The Grateful Dead on a misty San Francisco day, through the lens of a film noir feature. All of me, however, implores you to listen to his music and dream up your own visuals, which is easy to do when listening to his wonderful, burgeoning body of work.

These photographs (I hope) capture a small slice of the magic he and his music hold. We shot these somewhere in Tennessee. — Laura Partain

Logan in ’70s Levi’s “Action Slacks” and vintage zip boots.

Logan with a Madcap vintage mock turtleneck and the Levi’s “Action Slacks” with vintage zip boots, on a bridge “somewhere in Tennessee.”

Logan in a vintage Montgomery Ward suede, fringe jacket and a vintage “Career Club” shirt, circa 1970s.

Logan in a Jefferson turtleneck sweater and a vintage, double-breasted jacket made for the James Davis Store for Men in Memphis, Tennessee.

Logan’s Jefferson turtleneck sweater and vintage, double-breasted jacket from the James Davis Store for Men, in color.

Button and lining detail of Logan’s James Davis Store for Men double-breasted jacket.

Logan in the Jefferson turtleneck sweater, vintage, double-breasted jacket, and vintage slacks, circa 1970s.

All photos by Laura Partain

Back 2 School with John C. Reilly, Mandy Moore in Photographs

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

On Saturday, November 2, community-minded music fans from all across Southern California gathered at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles for Back 2 School. The variety show, presented by Kensington Presents, the D’Addario Foundation, and BGS, benefited the D’Addario Foundation’s important work supporting music programs in underserved schools and communities. John C. Reilly, Jim James, Mandy Moore, Garfunkel & Oates, and many others took to the stage with our five-star house band — helmed by the Watkins Family Hour and Mike Viola — to share music, songs, and laughter to bolster the cause.

If you didn’t have the good fortune to be in attendance on Saturday night, check out the magic of Back 2 School (thanks in no small part to our stellar drum line) right here on BGS. Good news, too: You can give to the D’Addario Foundation at any time, wherever you are. Donate here.

Photos by Elli Lauren Photography and Harrison Pearl Photography as noted.
Lead photo: Harrison Pearl Photography

Be Together: Newport Folk Fest 2019 in Photographs

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Newport Folk Festival has always played host to singular, incomparable, once-in-a-lifetime musical moments. As you read this you can almost certainly think of at least a handful of examples, right off the top of your head. This year carried on that tradition and then some, displaying absolute magic across the festival’s four stages over the course of the weekend. Too many headline-worthy moments were sprinkled throughout, but BGS photographer Daniel Jackson was on hand to capture this folk and roots lightning in a bottle — from the performance debut of super supergroup The Highwomen to celebrating 80 years of Mavis Staples to surprise guests that make being green and looking cheap seem easy and effortless.

Perhaps the most meaningful take away from the festival, though, was not its star-studded stages, but its mantra — a timely reminder in this particular global moment: Be present. Be kind. Be open. Be together. Folk music, in all of its forms, carves out just such a space to allow for this togetherness. See it for yourself in these photographs from Newport Folk Fest 2019.

All photos: Daniel Jackson

Palpable Joy: Newport Folk Fest 2018 in Photographs

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It seemed that this year’s unanimous refrain from Newport Folk Festival, from veteran attendees and newcomers alike, was a resounding, “I THINK I LOVE THIS FESTIVAL.” We think we do too. Based on these gorgeous images from NFF, we’d say each and every human being on site — on stage, in the crowd, or rocking on the waves — loves it, too. And that overwhelming love translates into palpable joy, from Mavis Staples’ first smile to Brandi Carlile’s final headbang, and in every strum, lick, and beat in between. 

 

Photos by Daniel Jackson

Gig Bag: Sammy Brue

Posted on by Editor

Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, we look at what teen phenom Sammy Brue has to have handy when he’s out on the road.

Wet Brush: When you have as much hair as me, you have to have this brush to tame the mane. If not, I get dreadlocks bigger than Bob Marley. I’m a total man-bun guy when I travel, so right before a show, there is a 20-minute ritual we do to get my hair straight. I’ve tried others, but they usually tear my hair out.

 

Camera: Even though my phone has a camera that works well for social media, I always bring my Sony camera for portrait-style shots around the cities I’m in. I also do Vlogging with it, and the quality is great. Coolest part is that I can send my photos directly to my phone after I shoot. 

The Loar: I’ve been playing my Loar guitars for around five years now. I take my LO-16 with me everywhere. It gives me the ability to write new songs or practice anywhere. It’s usually in open D tuning to keep me motivated. 

Auxiliary Cord: This is a must! When you’re stuck in rental cars as much as me, you need a way to make it enjoyable. If you don’t have the aux cord, you are at the mercy of anyone that can reach the radio! 

Lede photo credit: Joshua Black Wilkins

Experience Your Favorite Cities Through These Vintage Photo Collections

Posted on by Editor

Everyone likes to talk about the "good ol' days" of their city — the days before high rises and high-end coffee shops took over and a little bit of history got squeezed out as a result. Most people, however, neglect to look much past the decade or two they've lived in a certain spot, forgetting the years of growth and change that brought the city to its current incarnation. We've rounded up some of our favorite spots on the web to check out cool, historic photos of some of our favorite cities, and you can give them a look.

Nashville, TN

Bob Grannis and Leila Grossman

Grannis Photography has an extensive collection of vintage photos of Nashville, from way back when at the Grand Ole Opry to the days when Green Hills Market was a fixture in what is now Trader Joe's and Whole Foods territory. The site is run by professional Nashville photographer Leila Grossman, who bought the photo archives of Bob Grannis in 1997.

Denver, CO

Photo via Denver Public Library

The digital archives of the Denver Public Library are a gold mine of historic photos, many of which are essential to understanding Western history. With over 50 collections of photographs available, the archive is sure to have something for everyone.

Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga has a lot of history, and Deep Zoom Chattanooga is one of the web's best resources for exploring it. The image galleries, which are categorized by decade and go back to the 1800s, were pulled together by Sam Hall, a history enthusiast who spent years making the project into what it is today. 

Portland, OR

City of Portland Archives, Oregon, SE 4514 E Burnside Street near SE 45th Avenue, A2011-013, 1964

Vintage Portland is a photo blog created and run by the City of Portland Archives and Records Center. With categories broken down by both decade and geographic location, the blog is a wonderful source for anyone looking for the history of a specific Portland locale.

Los Angeles, CA

Photo via Shorpy

Shorpy, an online archive of historic photos from all over, has an extensive collection of vintage photos of Los Angeles, ranging from Old Hollywood to early businesses in some of the city's most popular neighborhoods. 

Chicago, IL

Photo via Shorpy

Shorpy is also a wonderful resource for historic photos of Chicago, collecting early images of landmarks like Grant Park and showing what 1910 Chicagoans saw as a "Changing Chicago."

Lede photo: City of Portland Archive, Oregon, Logan Oldsmobile Company on the corner of SE Grand Avenue and SE Yamhill Street, A2011-013, 1961

Meet BGS Photographer Laura Partain

Posted on by Editor

We at the BGS love including beautiful, original artwork with our stories and we couldn't do that without the help of a handful of talented photographers. Meet Laura Partain, one of the photographers who keeps us looking good. Partain, who now lives in Nashville, grew up in east Texas and southern Illinois, and says she was creative from a young age. 

"I've always had a hyperactive imagination and a ton of energy," Partain says. "I used to set up 'photoshoots' with my brother Andrew when we were around 6 and 2 years old. I'd get blankets for the backgrounds, and props would range anywhere from stick ponies to plastic 'pretend' pizza slices."

Those photoshoots led to a photography class in high school, a wedding gig, and a new digital camera … and the rest is history. Partain ended up in SIUC's photography program and has been making pictures ever since. "I learned to shoot film, and mostly quit digital photography all together," she says of her time in college. "I got tough and learned how to work my ass off. I learned how to make good work, focus, compose, create. Photography made me feel brave, and gave me a voice. It still does."

Now, Partain is fortunate enough to make a living doing what she loves.

"Photography is my first love, and I'm committed for life to the craft," she says. "Music, however, is always my close second. So, if you're wondering why I shoot music, my best answer is this — I have to. I get to record in the visual sense, and that's my means of creative participation. Today, I'm a full-time photographer living in Nashville, and shooting just about anywhere. I photograph for album covers, press shots, music festivals, shows … you name it. I photograph for fun, too. All of the time. I dont really stop."

In addition to providing wonderful photos for the BGS, Partain also shoots for outlets like SPIN, NPR Music, and Spotify. Check out more of her work here and browse a handful of our favorite photos below.

Son Little for our November 2015 Artist of the Month feature

JP Harris and Chance McCoy for our August 2015 Artist of the Month feature

 Willie Nelson at Heartbreaker Banquet

Hurray for the Riff Raff's Alynda Segarra, as seen in her Call to Folk Singers op-ed

Old Crow Medicine show during the "Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer" video shoot

Lede photo via Instagram

Spotlight: Photographer Emily Blincoe

Posted on by Editor

If your Instagram feed just isn't beautiful enough, we have an account you need to follow ASAP: @emilyblincoe. Emily Blincoe is an Austin- and Nashville-based photographer who, in her own words, "find[s] inspiration in faces, shapes, colors, light, and quiet little moments." Below, we've rounded up a handful of our favorite Blincoe Instagram photos, but be sure to check out the photography on her website, as well. 

Who knew bugs could look so pretty?

 

 

A photo posted by emily blincoe (@emilyblincoe) on

We can all relate to this sleepy pup.

 

 

A photo posted by emily blincoe (@emilyblincoe) on

Toothbrushes washed up on a Mexican beach.

 

Yes, that is a real place.

 

 

A photo posted by emily blincoe (@emilyblincoe) on

The artsiest breafkast we ever did see.

Go Behind-the-Scenes of Jonny Fritz’s Leathermaking Side Hustle

Posted on by Editor

Jonny Fritz is one of the more singular voices in the Americana community. Formerly Jonny Corndawg, the singer/songwriter is known for his humor, sure, but he can also pen a poignant tune with the best of them. His most recent album, Dad Country, earned him critical acclaim and a broader audience. What Fritz's fans may not know, though, is that he's also a talented leathermaker, adorning bags and guitars with cacti, desert scenes, and, of course, naked yoga.

While on the road in Austin, Texas, Fritz gave BGS photographer Sandra DahDah a glimpse into the renaissance man's mobile workshop, which you can check out below. And don't miss the man himself at the L.A. Bluegrass Situation this weekend, where he'll be performing and making custom leatherworks for fans.


Putting the finishing touches on this cool new Southwestern themed tote


Bag and koozie


Naked yoga bag


America's Sweet Creep


I know how to do it


Words to live by


What dreams are made of


"…AND STAY OUT!"

All photos by the talented Sandra Dahdah