Madison Theater, Covington KY
I want to try something different with my coverage of Papadosio. Instead of just sharing photos, I want to dig deeper—to pair my favorite images with the story behind it. Why did I take this shot? What moment or emotion made me click the shutter? Maybe it’ll come across as overly technical or “camera nerd,” but I think there’s magic in those details. After all, every photo is a fragment of a larger narrative, and I want to invite you into mine.
This isn’t just another tour. With Papadosio stepping back from the road for the foreseeable future, these shows feel like a bittersweet farewell. I want to document this chapter not just as a photographer, but as a fan who’s lived and breathed these moments. My goal? To create something raw and intimate—a visual love letter to the community, the music, and the fleeting energy of live performance.
Down the road, I’d love to compile these stories and photos into a book. Imagine flipping through pages where every image is anchored to a memory: the way the crowd erupted, the backstage laughter between sets, or the quiet exhaustion after a long set. It’s about preserving the heartbeat of this era, not just for me, but for everyone.
Will it resonate? I hope so. But even if it’s just for me, that’s okay too. After all, isn’t that what art’s about?
One of my favorite images from the weekend. I saw this two-sided fireplace right away and knew there would be an opportunity for a great shot. I love the symmetry, the framing, and the colors in the moment.
Sometimes you get caught trying to capture a candid moment and end up with a completely different image. This was taken right after soundcheck. The crew puts in so many hours and effort to bring the show to life.
I really wanted to get a photo of Cincinnati at night, but it was too cold and I was too tired to make the walk each night. I’m happy with this one, though. I like how the composition turned out—the whole frame feels interesting, with each section having a different feel. This is as close as I got to Cincinnati, so I’m not sure if it counts as visiting the city
A ultra wide perspective from the van
From the moment I saw Billy in this hat, I knew I had to get a photo of him. What better place than a Waffle House? I just wish I had framed this a little better.
I really like how this image turned out. Being away from family can be tough, so I like to capture these FaceTime moments with family because you can always see the happiness on their faces. The composition of Mike’s silhouette as he tells me about a band’s poster on the wall—one of his friend’s bands from the area—adds a special layer to the moment.
This is always a hard photo for me to take—the mixed lighting, trying to get the lines straight. I don’t know, I feel like I’m fighting a lot of things. But I wanted to include it because I really enjoyed photographing in this venue. Each level offered a different perspective, and the side stage had some cool angles. This was my first show getting to photograph with Mike in the middle and Sam on the side, which offered a lot of different looks
Just a marquee shot. I wanted to bring a little more to the photo, so I waited for this guy with the hat to walk across and give the image some life. The front marquee lights were out, so I had to do a little work to bring those back.
Sometimes I point my camera at people and stand off to the side, waiting until they get the feeling that someone is looking at them. It’s kind of weird, but it gets me some genuine reactions when they realize what’s going on.
The genuine reaction.
Mike reading a letter given to him from the meet and greet.
Jake was telling me about a subreddit called Mirrors for Sale—a page dedicated to posting people’s sale ads on mirrors and other reflective surfaces where they’re awkwardly visible in the reflection. So, of course, in the middle of that conversation, I had to make my own.
I always have a dilemma deciding where to be for the final song, but moments like these tell me it’s the stage. Some of my all-time favorite photos come from these moments with the band and the fans—raw, intimate shots. This photo has a bit of everything in it. I’ll follow up with some more photos from this sequence.
Night 1 finale. I’m not really sure if Sam was making a Dosio logo or if I just caught him waving as he stood up. I like to think it’s the latter. Out of focus, poorly exposed, but I love the moment—the logo behind him, the weird lens flare.
This was really close to being one of my favorite images. I still really like it, but I wish I had gotten Sam’s face in focus—maybe some eye contact with the camera would have taken it up a notch. It’s a hard photo to take because I really feel like I’m intruding on the show a little too much. I’m shooting with a manual focus lens, so I can’t really tell what’s in focus.
This was the first time I’ve gotten to photograph Dosio with Mike in the middle and Sam closer to the front. This gave me a lot of new angles to work with. Even Rob, who’s usually in the same spot, allowed me to get more in front of him, which is normally hard to do without Mike’s drum set making me feel like I’m intruding on the show. I love getting these up-close, wide-angle shots.
Billy back stage watching Mind at Large
I’ve heard stories of skyline chili from my multiple trips through the area, but never got to try it out. our hotel was a 2 min walk from a skyline chili. Billy showed me how its done.
Always looking for interesting shots. Mirrors and reflections offer some unique angles. Mike was having a conversation with someone on the other side of the door, so I had to awkwardly stand here, waiting for the perfect moment when he was positioned just right.
This photo was close to being something special. I still really like it—I love how everybody seems to be going in their own direction. I’ve been trying to capture these layered shots where the frame is filled with people all kind of doing their own thing. If Rob and Anthony were a little more to the left, I think it would have worked perfectly.
Similar to the photo above—very wide and up close, which makes the edges a bit distorted.
The lighting is a bit rough on this one, but I love the moment. Getting this close to a guitar player who’s in the zone is always a risk.
I’ve captured this shot many times before, but the new stage setup allowed me to align the keys perfectly. The only thing missing is a bit more light on Sam’s face—it would have taken this photo to the next level"
Posting these images on a website allows me to play around with different crops that don’t work as well on Instagram. Here’s a panoramic shot of Billy during The End of the World
Some of my favorite images to capture are the fans on the rails. Unfortunately, not every venue has a photo pit that allows me to move around without getting in people’s way.
A shot ive taken a dozen times but never from center stage.
Not everybody can handle a wide, up-close shot, but Sam is usually up for it.
Another attempt at a layered shot—ended up just being a good photo of Jon.
Probably my favorite stage shot of the trip. It’s always tricky to get clarity on the stage while keeping the crowd lit up and the colors dynamic.
A moment from the meet and greet. This is the kind of image I’m always trying to create—a real moment, wide and close, with the whole frame being used to tell the story.
This trip was an incredible experience from start to finish. The town had such a welcoming vibe, and the venue was absolutely perfect. I knew this show would be something special—not only because of Papadosio’s recent announcement about their hiatus from touring, but also because of the deep connection to the band’s roots and Mike’s hometown. There was a palpable sense of nostalgia and celebration in the air, and it made for an unforgettable night.
I had an amazing time capturing these moments, and I hope the photos do justice to the energy and emotion of the evening. If you all enjoy this format of sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses and live shots, I’d love to keep it going for the rest of the shows I’m able to attend. Let me know what you think—your feedback means the world to me
