one of my friends, cole senatore, is an incredible musician. his music is beyond words. i am lucky to call him a friend and am lucky to have had the opportunity to photograph his first concert, stargazers. it was in the school auditorium (that also acts as a cafeteria during breakfast and lunch periods) and the stage wasn’t grand. there were no risers or FX technology save for the lights—done by another classmate and close friend bella—and cole’s self-made visuals. it was beautiful. it was spectacular. even when his visuals glitched and he had to shut off the computer, his music alone and bella’s lights were enough to transcend this world and leave everyone wide-eyed and starstruck.

i had never done concert photography before. it was new experience, one i wasn’t entirely as prepared for as i should’ve been. but it was one of the best experiences of my life. it was beauty in all its glory. it was instrumental magic. i hadn’t come prepared for lighting and since the visuals cut off halfway through, i ended up working in a much darker environment than i anticipated. so i only ended up with three photographs. but i meant to capture cole, in his element, transforming the stage into something ethereal. and i hope i did.