When photographers shoot other photographers

Another frame from my Epic Nashville series features Rory White aka “Rorshak” many know him as the infamous  front man for the band Copa, others as a conceptual photographer, all as the eater of durian, but I know him as an irreplaceable comrade in arms. I call this photo – “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. 

check out Rory's work here

Epic Nashville

I have made the decision to capture Nashville and hold nothing back. A series, still in search of a title, that will capture local musicians in their native habitat. My hometown overflows the brim with characters brewing forth sonic talent. The time has come to take full advantage of this and burn these unsung Nashville heroes into my sensor. And so, it has begun; February places ToddZilla, the musical monster of mythical proportion, front and center in both lens and city where he will devour the tallest building with a single sound and style that is all his own. 

Cory Basil for Native magazine

Cory Basil now officially qualifies as one of my favorite creative talents ever. He’s a brilliant author, illustrator, painter and other stuff I’m not supposed to mention yet. Mysterious, yes, but with a well-defined vibe all his own. Fun shoot.

Location, Location, Location

Scarpati Studio has now opened its doors as “StudioVilla” a Nashville Photo Rental Studio. Nestled in the heart of Nashville's 'Belmont District', StudioVilla comes fully equipped with all the tools necessary for producing a top shelf experience for any financially savvy client. A space specifically designed to meet the needs of small to medium sized productions, “StudioVilla” is open to friends and colleagues vouched to be 'one of ours.'

StudioVilla web site

"Shooting here really is like being an Art Director in some stylish European film from, well, some other decade. The kind made by guys who wore berets and meant it."

Book: Cramp, Slash & Burn: When Punk and Glam Were Twins

On the making of CSB…
I didn’t set out to document the “Hollywood in the 80’s” part of my career.
Starting about five years ago, I got a series of random phone calls and emails looking for images from one band or another for this project or that project. I had always thought of my archives as being at least somewhat organized…then I had to actually locate something in them. There were at least three different filing systems…alphabetical, chronological, and “hey! There’s still room in this box!”

Mohawk Photography & Design Show “Winner”
preview the book online

Blue Chair Bay Rum

Shooting major country artists is all in a day’s work for me. And I’ve done a fair number of ad campaigns. The twist here was shooting both at the same time. That, and making a pretty good sunrise read as a magical moment at sunset.