While in quarantine due to COVID-19, Zoe Rain shared with us two of her favorite shots and the story behind them.
“This photo was taken in Los Angeles, in the basement of the Palace Theater. After months on the road performing across the entire US, everyone started to feel a little stir crazy. I have been touring with Macklemore for years, and sometimes he gets in this crazy mood where all he wants to do is play. This day, boredom led us to explore this hidden basement, which has become the dumping grounds for thousands of broadway props left behind. This elephant immediately stood out as an impressive and unique statue and Ben (Macklemore) immediately climbed on top of it. There are a plethora of poses and photos from this excursion, but this one stood out with its inherent wackiness and strange setting-color palette.”
“Being on tour is such a wild experience, because it isn’t what people expect. There are extremes; either it’s loud and exciting, or it’s slow and still. This image was taken around 2012, when I first started traveling with Macklemore to small shows on the West Coast. We were in Portland and this evening premiered a full stage of artists who featured on his newest album [at the time.]
This moment in the mirror captures the stillness in the greenroom right before Ben goes onstage. It’s such a powerful image, because it reflects so much about his story. Raw, alone in his greenroom, basking in light, a strong silhouette defines a heroic build and stature. Clothes for outfit changes hang to the left. He confronts the man in the mirror with an exhale, giving off an expression filled with nervous energy.”
Cutting her teeth as Macklemore’s full-time tour photographer, Zoe has since worked with some of the world’s largest artists: Chance The Rapper, Ed Sheeran, Kesha and Vic Mensa.
Zoe’s evocative and intimate style gained quick notoriety. Her work has been featured in publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine, Vanity Fair, MTV and The New York Times. Zoe’s high-impact photography and creative direction has been leveraged by brands such as Nike, Apple, Wolverine Boots, Swisher Sweets, Headspace and Redbull.
Controlled under pressure, Zoe’s ease and adaptability constructs effective, iconically defining imagery.