“ I believe I was blessed at an early age, and because of this I was able to grow and develop from the mistakes I made, and in a magical sense it made my camera and I grow together as one. Looking back in my youth I realized why I was hooked, this medium of photography was both dangerous and exciting!” - Boppin Around!(Rockabilly Photographic Culture) The Eye & The Mind –Maggie St.Thomas 2006
My parents met at an LSD party, and I was born November 29, 1978 in Dearborn, Michigan. I was raised by my father, and grew up wearing Converse All Stars, Ramones shirts, and blue jeans while listening to everything from Wagner and Captain Beefheart, to The Dictators and MC5. I remember marching with hundreds including Chef Ra and NORML Freedom Fighters, for the Legalization of Marijuana at the Ann Arbor Hash Bash, Michigan; Chicago, Illiniois; and Madison, Wisconsin; all before the time my age reached double digitsl. In 1992, I photographed
Dr. Timothy Leary who gave an emotional speech at Chapman University (Orange, CA).
Living the rock 'n' roll dream of a child who snuck into a Motorhead concert at six years of age, or being snuck into the Coach House in 1987 wearing moms original platforms from the1970’s to see a drunkin classic performance by Johnny Thunders, who performed alongside New York Doll players including Arthur Killer Kane and Jerry Nolan. These events unquestionably played their own roles in my life for the love of loud music and raw, intense live performances.
Some might say it all clicked at the age of eleven when dad took me to see those New York bad boys that I loved so much, The Ramones!!! I was hit with such a driving force that became my calling, and my passion, to capture spirits through the eyes of my camera in my own 35mm way…
I was given my first camera in 1994 ( a Nikon 4004) by my father, I’m not sure if he really thought I had an eye for photography in the beginning, or if he just wanted to give me something to do on all those late nights with him out in downtown Los Angeles at Anarchy Punk and Goth clubs when a babysitter couldn’t be afforded. In 1994, days after my 14th birthday I was published for the very first time in Angry Thoreaun Magazine, a 2-page spread featuring my photographs and written word. High school knew it couldn’t compare to meeting and working with musicians and rock stars from all necks of the woods… Since my craft was developed much before the digital age of photography, I was never one to be picky with the brands of film I used, and I was always happy to have film when it could be afforded
. TRI-X, Kodak, Ilford, T-MAX and FUJI were all brands that I played with, each with a magic of their own.
As a photographer, self-taught, through trial and error, and studying many books from Diane Arbus to Leni Riefenstahl, I attended ISOMATA School of Music & The Arts to learn about lighting direction, and various darkrooms and techniques during the Summer Programs, and attended college courses in Film Studies, B&W Photography, Portrait Photography, as well as Criminal Investigations in the Forensic Sciences, Undercover Surveillance, and Private Investigations.
My photo work has enabled me to travel throughout he U.S., be featured in books overseas even with my own chapter in Italian import release 2006 RAMONES Blitzkrieg Rock & Art published by Frederico Marconii (Italy), 2001 ‘Heaven Needed A Lead Singer tribute to Joey Ramone’ by Jari Pekka (Netherlands), and RAMONES Japanese Import by RAMONES estate in 2007.
Today I work as Staff Photographer of Kush Magazine (California & Colorado), and PT Budtender at Orange County's Premier Cannabis Collective, and offer 1st assistance when needed to Pencil Box Studios.
Past Exhibits Include:
‘Rockstars & Cigars’ @ 2nd Street Cigar Box & Lounge
Los Angeles, California April 2009
‘The Airliner’ Music Concerts and Music Photography, Chinatown, CA. Feb. 23rd, 2008
‘Light Gallery Skater Show’ alongside Tiki Ray, Justin Barry Feb. 07th, 2008 Costa Mesa, CA.
‘NUDES’ @ The Doll Hut, solo fine art photography exhibit Nov. 25th, 26th, 27th, Anaheim, CA.
‘Tiki Ray Explosion’ Tiki Inspired work by Maggie St.Thomas and Shannon Brooke, Inland Empire, CA 2007
Joey Ramone B-Day Concerts & Photo Show’ @ Irving Plaza May 19th 2006 including Joey Ramone as an angel with painting by Ken Ruzic & Maggie St.Thomas, Arturo Vega and Roberta Bailey.
‘Joey Ramone Photo Exhibit’ @ CBGB’s 313 Gallery May 12th, May 13th New York City, NY alongside Arturo Vega, Suzanne Gruber, Roberta Bailey, and more.
‘Long Beach Car Show’, Photo Feature May 06th, 2006
‘Rockstars & Pin-Ups’ solo Music and Pin-Up Photo Show Dec. 16th, 17th, 2005 @ Art Hub Orange, CA.
‘Girls On Film’- PinUp Photography Group Show with Shannon Brooke, Marco Patino, Mike Nightmare @ Caged Chameleon Art Gallery Santa Ana, CA. June –July 2005
‘Dirty Show’ Erotic Visual & Performing Arts Valentines Weekend 2005, 2006 Detroit, MI alongside Pablo Davis, mark Arminski
Xmas Music Gallery’ @ Fingerprints Record Store Long Beach, CA 2002
‘XXX-Mas Show’ (featuring portraits of my feet) @ Charles Todaro Gallery Westminster, CA 2002
‘Dirty Mattress Group Art Show’ –X years of Rock History’ Photo Exhibit featured in Mean Street Magazine. Los Angeles, CA 2001
‘It Could Happen’ Highschool Photo Contest 1996 placing 1st and 3rd (Southern California)
Publications I have worked with as a photo-journalist/ photographer/ interviewer…
Angry Thoreauan (U.S.A.)
Atomic Kulture Magazine
BAM Media
Billboard Magazine
Black Moon
Blender Magazine
Boppin Around(Netherlands)
Color Magazine (Canada)
ConcertLiveWire
Flipside
Freddy Lynxx (Johnny Thunders fanzine, France)
Guitar World
High Times Magazine
IE Weekly Issue I Volume 34
Jam Rag (MI)
Kush LA Magazine
Kush CO Magazine
Make-Up Magazine
Mean Street
OC Register
OC Weekly
Paste Magazine
Pollstar
REAL Detroit (MI)
Rockabilly Magazine
RockLove
Seattle Weekly
Skratch Magazine
Sonic Iguana
Spazz Magazine
UK Rock
Underscope
-Television & Radio-
• MTV’s Kroq Weenie Roast Coverage -Sublime Interview 1995
• Fox 11 News- Punk Rock Show w/ Dave Quackenbush (Vandals) 1996
• Blairing Out Show ½ hr Documentary featuring over 4 months of footage of me
working with Heidi Van Horne and Kitten DeVille, introduction by Marky Ramone. 2005
• LTN’s Red Light Episode 106 10 min segment w Crucifiction memorial to my Mother R.I.P.2005
• Blairing Out Show Ramones ½ hr episode featuring footage of me from 2005, 2006
• 88.1 fm Detroits Power Talk Feb 12th Detroit MI full hour long 7-8 pm 2005
• 88.1 fm Hodo Show & The Other Viewpoint full hour long talking about my work with The Blues and Blues music in between.
• 89.3 fm The Wrekking Hours w/ Alan Contino from 4-6 pm full 2 hr interviews (2005, 2006 Valentines weekend). Topics discussed include Rockabilly and Pin-Up Photography.
• 103.1 fm Indie at Warped Tour 2006 with TK host and Arturo Vega