We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Psychi Media a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Psychi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

My photography business was truly one of those I was in the right place at the right time stories. On February 22nd 2014 I went to a local rave in my town when I was sixteen years old, it was my first time ever going to a rave. It was at this small little venue I have never heard of before. My friend was the photographer at this event and I was talking to him. He knew I owned a camera because my dad was a nature photographer and that I have been doing portraits of my friends for awhile so he invited me to work under the company he works for. Without hesitation I said yes, the first event I photographed was on March 17th 2014. Photographing events is totally different than photographing just normal portraits because people are moving so much and the lighting conditions are so harsh especially in a small venue with not a lot of production value. On the way home from the rave I got into a car accident, this accident made me second guess if I was doing the right thing, if photographing events is what I’m supposed to do or if something was telling me I should go on a different path. When I arrived home I looked at my photos and they didn’t turn out great but what they did was capture the energy and psyches of everyone in the room. I did that for a few years, photographing different raves in Washington State. The rave community was very welcoming to me. I would arrive and people would run up to me saying my name asking for a photo of them and their friends in their rave outfits. After every event I was filled with positive responses of how grateful people were for my photos and slowly I saw my friends list changing their profile pictures to the photos I took, I felt fulfilled. In 2016 I was getting bored of raves, I wanted to change things up so I entered the local metal, hardcore and rock scene in Washington. The metal shows were a very different environment than raves, it wasn’t as welcoming but I knew I was good at what I do so I started networking and getting gigs. I brought my rave style photography with a fisheye lens and colorful shutter drags to the metal scene and at the time that’s what set me apart from everyone else.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a disabled and hard-of-hearing concert photographer based in Washington State. I specialize in live concert photographs along with promotional material for musical artists. I have a rare progressive genetic disease called Stickler Syndrome which causes hearing loss, skeletal abnormalities, vision loss and more. I cannot hear music like other people do, or see as well as they do, but concert photography is my passion and I have been doing it for nearly a decade. I starting photographing raves in early 2014 and since then I have photographed multiple different genres of EDM and rock music. Some of the well known artists I have photographed are All Time Low, Rico Nasty, YUNGBLUD, blessthefall, Chelsea Grin, Cannibal Corpse, Mindforce, Low Steppa, S3RL and many more!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Being a disabled concert photographer is no easy job. Every event I have to be mindful of my body and take care of it or it can cause a flare up which will leave me out for a week. Pain medication, stretching strengthening exercises, massage, acupuncture, chiropractor, physical therapy, braces and even mobility aids are all things I utilize throughout the week and at shows to navigate my disability and make sure I can get the job done.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a concert photographer is being able to supply musical artists with content to promote their craft and themselves. I love seeing my photographs on social media, streaming platforms, album covers and on merchandise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://psychimedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychi.media