A few weeks back I had the opportunity to do some portrait photography for long time collaborator and friend, Apollo’s Sun, real name Bill. Apollo, as I’ll refer to him from here on out for SEO purposes, is an extremely talented emcee and producer from York, Pennsylvania. Well, he, along with Finnish producer J. Boom of the Boomjacks, is working on a new album entitled, It Can Get Better.
As with any new project you’re preparing to present to the public, photos need to be had. And luckily for me, Apollo squallered in my direction. I have been listening to Apollo’s Sun for a long time, since our days on STLP together, so I’m familiar with his music. But when he told me the name of his new album, I had to hear a sample. He sent me some of the unfinished tracks he had recorded, and they are definitely a step up. While the production is still boom-bap as what, the intention behind his writing is one of growth and forward momentum; not complaining about the pain of life, but using it as motivation for introspection and growth.
The portrait session took place on a foggy, overcast day at Bill’s cabin along the Conewago Creek in York County, Pennsylvania. The location was never up for debate. Not only was the album conceived and written there, it also serves as the physical representation of Apollo’s current space. The album represents both Apollo’s and the cabin’s intentful, necessary remodeling and updating, for neither of them would have lasted much longer as is. But back to the photography, this would be the absolute perfect time to shoot some environmental portraits, as the cabin was/is an integral part of the album/process. I shot the entire session using only natural light and 2 lenses, my 28mm f/2 and trusty 50mm f/1.8. Unfortunately the morning fog dissipated by the time we were scheduled to shoot, but I was more than happy to have the soft light of the overcast sky that was left in its wake.
Have a listen to a few of my favorite Apollo’s Sun songs.