Kanye West photographed by William Hammel
My twin brother and I have worked on many productions, but we'd never had the chance to actually execute a project with full creative freedom. Most creatives will admit it's not something that happens very often. The Awaken 2020 conference was an extremely surreal experience.
It’s not every day you get a phone call from a friend or client asking you to run the photography team for their event, let alone a stadium-sized conference; I was honored and privileged to be a part of it. I was even fortunate enough to work alongside my brother, who led the entire film/video team for the Awaken 2020 conference.
We didn't realize that Kanye West was going to be performing his Sunday Service to close out the conference. It was a great surprise but it also brought the pressure to a whole different level.
Sunday Service Choir photographed by Young Wild Dreams
The picture above was actually my favorite photograph from the entire conference. Funny enough, Kanye wasn’t even in it; however, for me, it's not about the person, but rather the moment. The entire choir stepped off the stage and made their way into the crowd, you could hear the people screaming and singing the whole time.
The mission that I went through just to capture this single image is unforgettable; running through a crowd of dozens of jumping, highly excited people, with a monopod in my hand and two cameras strapped on each side, swinging uncontrollably as I tried to make my way to the area where the choir had stopped.
Kanye West photographed by Young Wild Dreams
My brother and I got to vlog our experience shooting the Kayne West Sunday Service so if you would like to check it out the link is below! I also want to send a special thank you to the whole Media team, especially Devin Perfumo and his lovely wife Loreli for trusting us with this great opportunity.
Article + Photos by Young Wild Dreams