As always, I had my trusty Canon 5D Mark IV slung over my shoulder, paired with my go-to workhorse: the 24-70mm lens. Versatile enough to dance between wide crowd energy and tight performer focus without missing a beat. Nothing fancy. Nothing overthought. Just what works when instinct hits—and the stage starts breathing fire.

I wasn’t there to shoot.

Or was I?

Let’s just start there. Hardwired, a Metallica tribute band I’ve come to know and support, was taking the stage at Fake Fest—an event packed with enough amps, attitude, and throwback adrenaline to fuel a decade of chaos. I went to cheer them on. That was the plan.

But you know me. Plans break.

Somewhere between the rumble of the first riff and the crowd roaring like a beast with a thousand voices, I reached for my camera. No client. No checklist. Just instinct—that gut-pull that says, “Catch this. Don’t let it vanish.”

What followed was a night that felt like time travel and thunder all at once. Tribute bands poured their hearts into legendary sets, but for me, the lens kept drifting back to Hardwired. The lights weren’t always kind. The smoke wasn’t always placed. But the energy? The devotion?

Undeniable.

These images? They’re not clean. They’re not staged.

They’re loud, emotional, and beautifully imperfect.

Just like the music.

The Top 5

I could’ve posted them all. Believe me—I was tempted. But there’s something about restraint. About choosing the frames that hit the hardest. The ones that hold sound even when you’re staring at silence.

So here they are—my top five from that night with Hardwired at Fake Fest. No fancy edits. No fluff. Just moments frozen in sweat, smoke, and sound.

Each one says something.

Each one still echoes.

And if you’re hungry for more, the full set lives over on [Facebook].

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MasMiami5 was an event presented by the full cast of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz at the intersection of music, art, and sports to get a taste of Miami’s diverse culture. During this 5th year’s MAS, there was a buy-in domino tournament, Zoo Miami’s own Ron Magill, as he unretired his “Sex and the Animals” presentation, a live art installation featuring some of Miami’s most talented artists, and a live art auction, with proceeds from the auction going to the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

There were even performances but some great bands such as Les Greene And The Swayzees, whose fun Motown influence turned rock and roll into rock and soul, and the LeBatard Show’s very own Mike Ryan, whose DJ sets always swing between fun, funny and funky. The best part for me closing out the night was the one and only G Love and needless to say I have been a big fan of the man behind hip-hop blues fusion ever since I heard “Slipped Away” in 1997. Supported by South Florida’s very own Juke, G. Love did not disappoint. 

Now while I have been caught up with a few projects in these last few months, I didn’t want any more time to slip away (see what I did there?). Before I share with you this particular night and better yet, G Love. You know how I do. I share with you my final selection of images in an album on my Facebook page. Then, I will bring you my favorites here. I’m hoping that if you haven’t taken a listen to G. Love, this post inspires you to give him a try and let me also suggest that you attend the next MAS MIAMI so you can know what a great night of music, arts, and sports is all about.

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Of course, it was a work function I was attending and while I knew my time would be limited, you know I had to bring the Beast with me. Not only was it my first time heading up to Boston, but it was also the Beast’s as well. So I packed him up to be part of my carry-on items and off we went. Boston bound and the excitement was real.

Now, again I will say that this was for a work event, and partaking in the 9-5 was required. My employers also did have activities planned out for us so you can say it was a busy stay in Boston and that time was an issue however one thing I know for sure is that if someone wants to, they do. We make time for the things we want. Especially in today’s era when busyness has become the norm. 

So of course from the moment our plane landed I was sorting out how I was going to make it happen. I wasn’t intending on anything too crazy just a quick little walkabout. So I woke up early enough on day two to give me time to walk and still make it to work when expected and while the morning was gloomy and foggy, off I went into the area known as Back Bay. I set my sights on the river I was able to see from my hotel room and decided to work my way back from there. 

Now, before anything here is a quick little disclosure, I love architecture and let’s just say that I am in love with all the brownstone vibes in this lovely little town. Granted, construction of this neighborhood began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the availability in the city at the time, and the area was fully built by around 1900. It is most famous for its rows of Victorian brownstone homes—considered one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States—as well as numerous architecturally significant individual buildings, and cultural institutions such as the Boston Public Library, and Boston Architectural College. Initially conceived as a residential-only area, commercial buildings were permitted from around 1890, and Back Bay now features many office buildings, including the John Hancock Tower, Boston’s tallest skyscraper. It is also considered a fashionable shopping destination (especially Newbury and Boylston Streets, and the adjacent Prudential Center and Copley Place malls) and home to several major hotels. All of which had me walking around in awe even when I wasn’t behind the lens.

Now, enough of the historical information, let me show you my favorite images. Again, I was pressed for time and so I basically walked a straight line from the river back to the hotel but I did snap a little bit of everything I saw along the way. I am breaking away from my top 5 in this entry and have included a total of 20 images in this little collection though there are a few more on my Facebook page you are welcome to browse through. Let me know what you think. I for one fully intend on going back to Boston.

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In one of my last entries, I mentioned there was one particular day that was the epitome of can’t stop won’t stop. As a reminder, it was on a Friday, I worked my daily grind, the 9 to 5 so to speak. I also had an assignment for I”M Music Magazine taking place in Longwood Florida. For reference, I work in Boca Raton, live about an hour away and Longwood is a four-hour drive from me. So yes, it was looking to be a long day however I was definitely looking forward to it. 

For one, I love to drive. Secondly, I was getting to shoot a venue new to me and check out some live music. Basically, this night was going to be a win-win.  There were a couple of supporting acts starting off the night, but this post is about the main event. You may have guessed it from the title of the post, I got to check out Tantric, and on an up-close and personal level. They have been rocking the scene since the very late 90s and still out there doing their thing. 

It was amazing seeing so many different age groups and a variety of people coming together. It will always be wonderful to me just how much power music has. But you’re not here about that. You are here for the images. It was another night of pack light and shoot clean although the venue was slightly challenging with the overflow of green light, all things considered, I am quite pleased with how they turned out. The Beast loves a challenge and he never fails to impress me with what he allows me to do. Between him and my 24-70mm, I am always good to go.

So here they are, I decided to give you guys a top 10 instead of my usual top 5. Of course, I shared a little more on my Facebook page you are more than welcome to go browse through it. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed this night. I didn’t end up back at home until after 2 a.m. though it was very well worth it for me. 

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Let me give you a little bit of backstory. Thanks to algorithms and whatnot, my feeds on social media are typically filled with one of two things; cute animal videos are beautiful places to go. I tend to share them along the way. I came across this one spot that is local to me that just took my breath away. It truly called and to me and so when I shared it with a long-time friend of mine, her first words were “let’s go”.  That’s all that needed to be said.

I hadn’t seen her in quite some time and we were overdue for a little escapism and so the plan was set. It was an early wakeup on a Saturday morning in order to make the drive however I will do it again in a heartbeat. Where did we go? Well, this little spot of paradise is called, “Patch of Heaven“. A non-profit nature preserve located in the Redlands in South Florida, this place has it all. it encompasses tropical hammock, pine rock-land, tropical gardens, and historic structures. When one enters POHG it exudes a sense of both spiritual oneness with nature and a serenity engendered by being apart from the urban milieu. It possesses a special sense of place and peace. Heaven in the midst of a concrete jungle, and I was all for it. 

While I did take Beast with me to snap photos, I’ll be honest I didn’t capture much. I was far too lost in the atmosphere and how it made me feel. I kept saying I was ready to move there in the instant. What I did capture does not even begin to accurately depict that serenity felt,  I’m sharing my images with you nonetheless. There are a few more images to be found on my Facebook page if you would like to have a look-see although I can’t say it enough, it’s a spot you’ll want to see for yourselves. 

There was a self-guided tour option, which we did and while we got lost a couple of times, it always felt like home. Needless to say, I already want to visit again. That and pick up a little more of that honey they produce. It is divine. Enough delay, here are my top ten favorite images. Let me know what you think.

[See image gallery at throughtheeyesofaqueen.com] “I feel the reason we are all here, our purpose of being, is to help others find their little piece of happiness and heaven right here on earth.”
― Ken Poirot,

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Based in South Florida, not only do they make it their mission to expose us all to a new cultural experience, but they are also solely run on a donation basis. They have gallery nights, visit schools and also host events at other art centers in our area. No, they don’t get paid to put together these events, nor do they charge for admittance to their exhibitions, they do this because they love what they do and even more so they love the experience that it brings to us both young and old. 

I’ve been working with them ever since I began my Through The Eyes of a Queen and while I don’t typically share my images from their events, I wanted to share this particular set so that I too can share music in another form. I also wanted to let any locals know that such events exist and if you would like to experience art in many forms, definitely look into them and stop by. 

Now that my intro is done, let me give you my top 5 favorite images. I have a few more that I selected for my Facebook album though I kept it to a small few. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy partaking in these events. 

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Take the passengers of ValueJet Flight 592. Some of you may not know of it or perhaps you remember but it seems so long ago. ValuJet Flight 592 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami International Airport to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. On May 11, 1996, the ValuJet Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9 operating the route crashed into the Everglades about 10 minutes after taking off from Miami as a result of a fire in the cargo compartment caused by improperly stored cargo. All 110 people on board died. Their lives and those who loved them changed from that moment forward. 

Up until last weekend, I had not known there was a memorial for those souls in the Everglades until I was on the search for something different to shoot. I looked up a few spots before quickly settling on heading to this particular location. While I hadn’t really done some creative shooting in a while, I woke up inspired that day and was longing for the open road. Well, the open I received. It was about an hour and a half drive for me, no traffic, clear skies, and otherwise the perfect circumstances for a mini road trip.

Yes, it was hot and my time at the actual memorial was brief but I shot and captured what it felt like for me to be there, in remembrance of those no longer with us and with a renewal of appreciation each and every day for the presence of those I love. I only shot about an hour and I had even brought along my lens ball just in case the mood struck. All in all, I put together a small set of just under 40 images that are up on my Facebook page and I’m bringing you my favorites here today.

What do these make you feel? What thoughts come to mind? If one of those is to show those you love them you appreciate them, do it. Do it now because you might not be able to later. Yes, it’s a somber thought but such is life. If you don’t stop and look around, you can miss it.

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The goal that I set out for myself was to take the Beast out on a quick little walkabout with only a 50mm 1.4  prime.  That in itself is not the challenge as while I don’t really do it as often as I would like, I love shooting with my shorty. Using a prime lens encourages you to envisage the composition by the constraints of your focal length. You get set in place to take the shot even before holding the camera to your eye, whereas zoom lenses can make a person lean a bit towards the lazy side. 

The more you get used to using just one focal length, the quicker you’ll be able to visualize your final shot by looking at the scene (with your eyes, sans camera!). In my opinion, zoom lenses with their varying focal lengths options don’t encourage you to develop this skill as much. It can actually make a photographer lazy with their compositions and lazy is one thing I am not. 

While I do always visualize my final shot even with a zoom lens on Beast, there is something to be said about my feet being what brings me closer to my shot. It actually allows me to connect that much more to a subject allowing me to more accurately emote what I am seeing in my eyes. Let’s not even get started on the depth of fields these lenses with their wider apertures allow for.

While shooting with a wide aperture won’t make you a better photographer, it does allow a higher degree of creative control over your image. Being able to fine-tune what is and isn’t in focus in your picture using a wider aperture is just one other great way to take your photography to the next level. Now on this day, my real challenge was to not only visualize my final shot, it was to produce that final image with no cropping or rotation at all. I wanted simply produce my images exactly as shot with the only editing being by way of color, tone, etc.. 

That is exactly what I did. I met with my obligations as early as I could in the morning and carved out a bit of time at the Intermodal Center at Miami International Airport. I haven’t shot just for me in some months and I decided that while I was presently wrapping up a set for a client, I would take a little time to work on my craft. Yes, there is another bit of learning taking place for me behind the scenes in my photography, I needed to take the time and allow my eyes to create their vision.

That being said, I am bringing to you my top 5 images from this little project of mine. I did upload a few more to my Facebook page and as always, you are welcomed to click the link and have a peak. Let me know what you think. Are you able to see any difference between what I typically share and what turned out from my little project? 

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Hello Readers. It’s been a little while. Have you missed me? I’ve missed you. This absence hasn’t been without reason though. Obviously, with the pandemic we have all been living through, there haven’t been any new gigs for me and so I have been taking advantage of this mandatory time off to focus on a few other avenues. Yes, I have a few collections from before all this that I have to share with you all. However rather than continue on with the same old wash, rinse, repeat, I decided to take this time to try something new and see what potential and possibilities there are. After all, one can never be too big to grow.

That being said, let me share with you what I’ve been up to. I have been learning my way around a new image processor. Being that I do not typically do much photo manipulation, I’ve almost always done all my post work on lightroom out of both convenience and simplicity. After all, we become creatures of habit, and with my image catalog being housed there, why not keep my editing there as well? Up until recently, I didn’t even consider the possibility of changing my routine. That is until COVID happened and I was able to take some time to breathe and open my mind to new and possibly better things. 

I gave Capture One a try since I had been hearing many great things about this software. How it’s a good mix of both Photoshop and Lightroom combined. Why not give it a go? And I did. Let me tell you, it’s been great so far. Granted, I have ALOT to learn but I’m really liking it and my flow. There is so much that it can do and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of it but I wanted to stop in and share with you guys a little sample, so to speak.

What I did was I cho0se my first ever official outing with my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel T4i, and running it through its paces at the zoo as my subject. I figured the best way to compare both Lightroom and Capture1 was to place them on a level playing field and the only way I could fairly do that was to take it back as close to the beginning as possible. Case in point, my first foray into DSLR as well as post-work editing with Lightroom. The plan was to go through the RAW images and edit them as if they were freshly taken and I was getting ready to post them so that I could compare both sets afterward. 

I won’t bore you guys with comparison shots I’m just going to share with you what I was able to do with Capture1. Of course “my style” that you’re used to seeing isn’t there. It’s a different software and therefore no customizations but I kind of dig the film feel I feel in to for this set. Let me know what you think. 

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Today was that day. I turned in my photos from FKJ and Lou Phelps this morning (I can’t wait to share them with you) and while I attempt to wait patiently for the time to post, I decided today would be the day. I am working on a set from a museum event last night though I just couldn’t help myself. It was in fact a gorgeous day out today and I had been wanting to go exploring.

It’s a quick little set and all but it means something special on account of my not taking this Beast out on this little expedition but rather I took my dad’s camera. I don’t really shoot with Little Miss Sunshine very often and I’m still trying to get used to her flow (she’s a Nikon and I’m a Canon Girl) but I wanted to share a beautiful day and what better way to do it than to take dad’s camera with me and let him see through my eyes.

So I’m bringing to you a quick little set. I decided to give them that matte/ film vibe because that’s what I was feeling today. After all, I am an analog girl in a digital world. So these shots for me are simplicity embodied with a bit of my soul behind it. I hope you enjoy.

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