Copa America 2016: Photo Prints

After a long month of constant traveling and sleepless nights, my adventures at Copa America have come to an end. I’ve decided to release some of my favorite photos to the public and make them available for purchase as I prepare the magazine I plan on dropping in the coming weeks. All photos sizes 12x18 and below will be available for $25.

I tried to balance out all these photos as much as possible but as you will notice, there are a lot of photos of certain players (Messi) as opposed to others. If you would like to contact me about a certain player or game that you would like to see more photos of feel free to shoot me an email and I will provide you more photos.

All purchases and questions will be handled via email. Thank you all. 

Email: 

rigoshotme@gmail.com

Future Hendrix: Purple Reign Tour

Purple Reign Tour, Sold out show at The Fillmore in Maryland. 

Shooting two sold out shows back to back is truly an experience I'm thankful for. Future had Maryland lit on a Monday night. Getting out of the photo pit was a struggle due to how packed the venue was; my friend even got his bag taken while trying to exit. The crowd definitely got their money's worth. Future performed every song you could think of and ended the night by inviting everyone to the after party. 

Shooting concerts has been something I've loved doing since I began, but it's also beginning to add stress. A sold-out show means that everyone is watching, so you have to deliver. This is the first show where I personally believe I did not deliver a quality body of work. I try to make my work as diverse as possible and give my audience different perspectives of the show, but I personally believe that this show I lacked a lot of things. I've enabled the comments section below to hear some feedback from others, good or bad, I would love to hear it. Thanks to everyone and enjoy.

TRAPSOUL: Bryson Tiller & THEY.

Sold out show. The Fillmore. 2,000 people.  All there to watch Bryson Tiller and THEY - Perform. 

As I pulled up, I saw the line to get in wrap around 4 blocks. Luckily, I got to skip those lines and go straight to the best seat in the house for about 15 minutes. I made sure to get some merchandise and made my way to the front once I got in.

THEY. started off the night; feeding them more energy. Their 45 minute performance left everyone impressed. The two artists are on the come up to say the least - be sure to check them out. 

Following THEY.'s performance, the DJ came out to get everyone ready for Bryson Tiller. After three songs, all the lights shut off and the show began. Tiller came out in a stage filled with smoke. The stage lights were on point, allowing him to set the mood for the fans. Overall the show was insane, not one fan will tell you that they were disappointed.

Recap: NYRB vs. CREW SC

As I get closer to releasing my first project, I have decided to share some photos that I never posted. The photos are from the MLS Eastern Conference final between New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew. This was the first game i got to cover with press credentials thanks to 8by8. With the help of Nate and 8by8, I present to you guys these photos. 

Wiz Khalifa x University of Florida

I flew down to the University of Florida to cover Wiz Khalifa’s performance this past weekend. I decided to get to Florida a week early to catch up with some old friends - and enjoy the weather of course. The blizzard in NYC was rough, so I figured going down for some extra days would be a nice change. Once I got approved to shoot Khalifa’s sold-out show, I booked my flight immediately.  Getting to shoot probably my favorite rapper was going to be a dream come true; so I needed to make sure I was prepared for the concert. I rented some extra equipment to make sure I was good to go, and double-checked all of my personal equipment. I was ready. 

The day of the show arrived, and I was hyped. While all my friends were busy pre-gaming the concert, I was at home getting myself in the right mindset. I arrived early and got my press credentials. Now, I waited. It would be just two hours till Wiz came on, and K-Camp came on in less than an hour. After some time, we got escorted down to the floor. Once there, they held us behind the crowd until it was time for the show to begin. 

 At the beginning, the show it was a nightmare. The staff consisted of current students who had no idea what to do and shook off responsibility. K-Camp came on stage and the staff said, "Go ahead and shoot, you have three songs." They expected us to shoot from the floor - alongside of a sold-out crowd consisting of kids who were turnt. Having equipment that adds up to five thousand dollars and dealing with rowdy students is not ideal; especially when they have a wide open photo pit available.  I started asking questions. I wanted answers as to why that was happening, but no one knew anything. By the time I got an answer, which was cryptic and for lack of a better word bs, the three songs were over. We were pushed to the back and had to put our equipment away. I didn't take a single photo; the lighting was terrible, and so was our designated location.

After the first set, I went looking for people to talk to in order to get an answer from adult - as opposed to some unprofessional student staff member. No one was to be found. They told us to come back down around 8:40pm for Wiz and that was it. 

8:40 pm:  I switched lens, and tried to do my best. Wiz came out, looking hella stoned wearing all white. I even believe he was wearing the same pants Kanye West said were "cool pants" since Kanye's album was supposed to drop that night. We were supposed to get three songs for his set as well but the staff was more worried about personally seeing the show than working. I worked the floor, literally running around the whole crowd to get shots from both sides of the stage. I also noticed the staff wasn't paying attention to the left side of the stage so after the third song I made sure to stay on that side to get a couple extra songs in, which worked. Then I heard someone saying "hey you guys are supposed to be done" so I just turned around and out my stuff in my bag and jumped into the back of the pit to avoid having to watch the show from the bleachers. At one point wiz began standing on the bars and holding on to the fans and singing - everyone was going crazy. I took that opportunity and moved up to about the 4th row of the floor and saw the opportunity for a dope photo. I quickly pulled out my camera and took a few photos.

You can see that photo at the end of the gallery, it's my new favorite photo. Makes a dope laptop background btw. Overall great performance by Wiz, he's never disappointed in the past and didn't that night either. My apologies for the long rant all the photos are below, hope you all enjoy. 

G-Eazy: When It's Dark Out Tour

My First show of 2016 was ironically the same artist that I shot first in 2015. I traveled to New York last weekend with hopes of shooting one of three sold out shows. I was originally approved to shoot the event, but New York's second biggest snow storm in history was in my way. In order to make it out there, I had to beat the snow.

So, I hopped on a bus at 1:30am and arrived in the city around 5am. That same night the blizzard began. The first show had already been pushed back a couple days due to the weather. After several back and forth emails, I was set to shoot the show on Monday night (2nd show). I gathered all my equipment and made my way to the venue.

I arrived there around 7:45-8pm and proceeded to ask for my press pass. Surprisingly, my name was no where to be found. I emailed the guy who I had spoken to earlier that week but I didn't heard back. An hour and a half went by and I received a phone call and was immediately let in. The people were looking for me on the wrong list, which is why they couldn't find my name. After all that was taken cared of, I was able to get in minutes before ASAP Ferg got on stage. The set began with a visual of ASAP Yam$ speaking and then the show began. Ferg was lit; performing all of his latest tracks and made sure the city was ready for G-Eazy's performance. Once G came out it was show time, I'm not gonna lie I kinda blacked out while shooting his set because I can't remember the three songs he performed but don't worry shots still came out dope.

After the first three songs I was escorted out and made my way to the pit and enjoyed the rest of the show as a fan. The performance lasted almost two and a half hours. It was one of the craziest shows I've seen to date. I've made hella missions to shoot G but they have been worth it. Enjoy the gallery and let me know what you guys think.

 

8by8 x Carli Lloyd Superflys

Over the weekend I got the opportunity to team up with the guys over at 8by8 to photograph a piece of history. In hand we had the extremely limited Carli Lloyd 'Leave Your Legacy' Mercurial. To celebrate the legacy of the 2015 Women's World Player of the Year, Nike surprised Carli Lloyd with a special edition of the Mercurial Superfly IV boot. 

2015 Recap

2015 was a very good year to me, I appreciate the support from everyone and I hope that you guys continue to follow my work in the new year. All the photos posted on Instagram during this past week are available below in full resolution. Be sure to refer back to the photos on Instagram to see a short description about the photo. If you'd like to save any of these photos, please double click the photo and open it on a different tab in order to get the best photo quality possible. 

- Rigo

Chaz French x DC9

After the successful listening/ release party of the 'These Things Take Time’ Chaz French had his first show the following Sunday at DC9. I was able to tag along and shoot the event. The city showed up once again. When Chaz stepped out the venue was packed. The show was nothing but good vibes and a lot of energy from both the fans and artist. Peep the photos below and be sure to download the project here.

Timeflies at The Fillmore

Made in the District got together with Timeflies for their last show of their  'Just for Fun Tour'. The sold out show opened up with acts from Kalin and Myles. Be sure to check out the interview here for more cool stuff and clips from the night. 

The Madness Tour

I had purchased tickets to this event during the pre-sale a couple months ago. Being a big fan, I did not want to miss the show in my hometown. Then, two days prior to the show, I got the news that I was approved for a photo pass. “Be there by 7PM if you would like to photograph the opening acts,” read the email. A combination of excitement and nerves overcame my body as I read through the entire message. I was ready to go.

The morning of the show I spent a good amount of time researching all three artists, as well as readying my equipment. Being able to capture both The Weeknd, Banks and Travis Scott was going to be an incredible experience. At around 5:30 I left my house and headed to DC. An hour later we arrived at the Verizon Center. I had to make a quick stop by Will Call in order to pick up the tickets for the people I was with, but it was anything but quick. The clock kept ticking, but I still didn’t have my tickets. Tick, tick, tick, seven o’clock kept getting closer. While the lady asked me to calm down and stop with the attitude, she didn’t understand that even though I had plenty of time until the show started, I didn’t have the luxury of time to find the media entrance. After about 15 minutes, but what felt like an eternity, she gave us the tickets and I rushed to find the media entrance. 

I made it to the entrance with two minutes to spare, went through security check and walked down the stairs to meet up with our escort. She had me fill paperwork and handed me my photo pass. As Travis Scott’s set approached, she informed all the photographers that we weren't allowed pit access during the opening sets anymore. Instead, we had a designated location to shoot from. Huge game changer. I remained confident in my abilities, however, and thought to myself  “It’s okay, I will make it work somehow.” As we were being escorted to our location, she also informed us that we would only get the first two songs to shoot Travis. In other words, four to seven minutes tops. Once we arrived to the location I realized that my lens wasn't going to cut it. I was too far out and had hundreds of people standing in front of me enjoying The Rodeo. I tried everything, changing angles, lifting my camera up, and standing on the chair. Nothing worked. His lights were too dark to get any sort of detail from that far out. In the pictures you can tell it was him, but not see any detail. The second song began and I needed to find a way to get a shot. I looked at our escort and slowly moved closer to the isle furthest away from her. The moment she looked away I rushed to the front of the stage and got as close as I could. I was able to get some close up shots (seen in the gallery), and then I felt a tap on my shoulders. The escort had chased me down and told me to go back to the shooting location. I played it off as if I didn't do anything. She encouraged me to “stay with the group from now on.”  

After the set we went backstage and waited for Banks. We weren't allowed to see any of the show while shooting, which I thought was kind of ridiculous. However, throughout Banks performance I behaved and stayed at the location as to avoid getting kicked out. Then, it was almost show time. We were waiting for our queue to photograph The Weeknd. As we walked in I took my phone out to record everything for Snapchat, shout out to my followers, and made my way to the stage. Once we arrived I tried recording again and the escort told me I couldn't do that. Why? It didn’t seem like a 10 second video would hurt anybody, but regardless I listened. I was moments away from shooting not only the headliner, but also my favorite artist. As ‘The Party’ began to play we were finally allowed in. Three songs is all we had so I had to make it count. I took as many photos as I could and worked my way around the stage. During the three songs I remembered the escort’s voice “put it away,” and I pulled my phone back out to record a short video from the pit. The three songs ended and we were pushed out, back to our original meeting spot. Lucky for me, I had kept my ticket and met up with my friends after taking photos. I was able to enjoy the rest of the show as a fan. It was an epic night to say the least, I hope you all enjoy the photos.

Beat Duke

After a long ride to Chapel Hill, I was greeted by Miker at the crack of dawn. A short nap later and homecoming weekend had officially started. I asked for a campus tour and was amazed by the beautiful campus. All around me I saw Carolina blue and activities in preparation for the big game against rival Duke. I was then lead to Kenan Memorial Stadium. I expected a lot of people getting a look at the field before the big game, but it was eerily empty. I was able to explore the stadium for a good hour and capture all the photos I needed. Due to the weather and stadium policies, I was unable to bring my camera along with me on game day. So I kept my camera safe and dry, instead using a simple iPhone to encapsulate the raucous atmosphere. My first game day experience was insane. I'm not sure how I managed to get up and start drinking so early but it was very necessary - a three-hour game is no joke. UNC destroyed Duke, and the fans were involved throughout the whole game. The Game ended 66-31, but was over long before then. UNC celebrated while Duke fans left Chapel Thrill feeling D.U.M.B

DC United vs. New York Red Bulls

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Washington, D.C., utter perfection for a soccer match. DC United's fans were chanting and cheering upon their entrance at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium. Once you walked in you could immediately smell the fried food and beer. You could see the families trying to control their energetic children. And you could see the excitement every single DC United supporter had on their face and in their apparel. Walking down to my seat I noticed the Barra Brava getting ready for the game. Waving their humungous flags, jumping up and down, and playing the drums. They definitely knew how to get the crowd excited for the game. At kickoff the crowd went crazy. DC United came out strong initially, gaining possession, and attempting to create opportunities on goal. The New York Red Bulls fought back hard and eventually took control of the game. The Red Bulls' captain, and former DC United player, Dax McCarty was the difference maker scoring the only goal of the game.

Big K.R.I.T. at Howard Theater

Howard Theatre hosted Big K.R.I.T. and others this past Tuesday for the Kritically Acclaimed Tour. The concert opened up with Armani White, Delorean, Scotty ATL, and Smoke DZA. They were followed up by the main event, Big K.R.I.T. The sold out crowd interacted with every single artist that came out. In the crowd you could feel the floor rocking with all your newest friends surrounding you. At the end of the show Big K.R.I.T. came out for an encore and then went up and down the stage shaking everyone's hand for about 10 minutes. It's safe to say that the crowd got their moneys worth.

New York City FC vs. New England Revolution

I traveled to New York this past weekend to catch the last New York City FC game of the season against the New England Revolution. Despite the teams' inability to make the playoffs, nearly every seat was filled. I recap the stressful 3-1 defeat NYCFC suffered and the environment felt around the stadium below.

Lightshow at MITD Studios

Made in the District hosted special guest Lightshow on their latest weekly segment of 'what you missed'. During the special occasion I was asked to do some behind the scenes shots. Be sure to check out the interview and download ‘ If These Walls Could Talk’ on Spinrilla.