Recently artist Ira Mency aka Cindy Fahenstock-Schafer shared these great vintage looking pictures with us. A few weeks ago she took country music performer Michael Palmer (Martinsburg, WV) down to the Shenandoah Valley and spent a day trying to get the best shots for his portfolio. She said, “He was a performer at my husband’s Hogging Up fundraiser event, and he wanted some pictures for his portfolio. He’s pure country, so I wanted to find the perfect setting for him to feel comfortable with.” Schafer settled on the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds in Woodstock Virginia that has buidings still standing over 100+ years old. The photos above and below were shot at the old Smokey-the-Bear Forest Fire building that stands on the midway.
Schafer explains that Palmer is a local performing artist in the Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia area doing country covers and originals. “He does a lot for the community and charity organizations as in benefits, so I wanted him to have some great photos for his new website, MichaelPalmer.org. The day we shot the photos, it was already 80 degrees at ten am. It took us a few hours to get the perfect shots and for him to feel camera comfortable. ” Schafer says ironically, the best shots were in the barn, which smelled of animal feces, but she didn’t want to jeopardize the shots so she hung in…
When asked what her best photo was, Schafer says, “The one (below) where he didn’t know I was shooting, it shows the shine of his Yamaha and his tattoo which he got for Autism Awareness. He’s deep in thought about what chords to play. I think sometimes you can’t force it and it has to be what comes natural. Sometimes, you can’t take the country out of the boy.” Schafer says on the way home they passed an old Masesy-Ferguson tractor and took more shots. See them here.
Schafer says Palmer lives in Martinsburg with his wife Heather and three lovely kids and mainly plays local bars and events. He can be hired via his Facebook page and according to Schafer, gives a jam-packed energy charged performance. “We’ve used him for several events, and told everyone we know about him.”
Schafer said filming some portfolio videos was a bit more of a challenge, as Palmer isn’t used to all the attention. “He’s a private kind of guy and sticking a camera in his face all day in a barn ful of sh_t is a little intimidating. However, I managed to get this golden gem….”
Find out more:
Michael Palmer Website
Michael Palmer Youtube
Michael Palmer Tumblr
Michael Palmer Facebook <— for booking
Related Reading:
Massey-Ferguson Photo Shoot with Michael Palmer
Now your little loved one can play with something 
