I’m super grateful I had the opportunity to photograph this event! It was the first festival I’ve taken photos of (and been to), and it was definitely a memorable day. Second Sky was so unique because the lineup was handpicked by Porter, so they were all his friends/people that have inspired him. Over 30,000 people were in attendance over the two days!

I got to shoot the event because I applied for a media pass (I worked for my school newspaper) basically right when the show was announced months ago. Before I photograph an event, I try to get familiar with the artists’ music if I don’t already know it, so it’s easier to predict certain moments and just vibe better. I barely had the opportunity this time around (except for already knowing just a few songs), but I still had a blast at the festival and discovered lots of new music I loved!

The event lasted two days, but I could only go Sunday. It was a 10 hour event but even in the beginning, people were pouring in because Porter himself was opening the show as Virtual Self. It was pretty cool because it encouraged fans to check out artists they might not have known otherwise. Porter’s love and appreciation for everyone in the lineup was seriously amazing and contagious.