Carlin Ma Media

05/17/2024

Last Friday, my ultimate dream came true... capturing Northern Lights (and being able to see it with the naked eye)!! More photos to come later, but here's one of my favorites!

Watching the lights, one could sense the violent beauty of the solar activity interacting with Earth's magnetic sphere. Splashes of light painting across the sky. Flickering fields dancing at a cosmic scale. Us tiny humans, wondering when stars will reclaim our dust...
.. and speaking of dreams realizing, so excited for my documentary premiere, "Mother" with Emerald City Music tonight and tomorrow!! If you're around, come join us at 8pm (Seattle) or tomorrow 7:30 pm (Olympia)!

Trailer - https://bit.ly/3V48bxW
Ticket link - https://www.emeraldcitymusic.org/calendar

05/08/2024

My debut film documentary, Mother, is premiering next week! I am beyond excited, grateful, and humbled for this opportunity with Emerald City Music!

The documentary is the search to understand who we are because of our Mothers, as we recognize inherited patterns and decide whether to grasp or let go of moments. The stories are told directly by people from all classes, cultures, and ages.

The film will be juxtaposed with live chamber music selections, chosen by renowned violinist and ECM's Artistic Director, Kristin Lee, violinist. This unique format lets the music act as space for reflection and enhancement for each chapter of the film.

Enjoy the trailer preview (first minute of the documentary) below! Hope you enjoy this “creative child” of Kristin and me!

Seattle, WA | 415 Westlake | May 17 @ 8pm
🔗 https://www.emeraldcitymusic.org/season/mother
Olympia, WA | The Capitol Theater | May 18 @ 7:30pm
🔗 https://www.emeraldcitymusic.org/season/mother-olympia
Streaming - Summer 2024
🔗https://www.emeraldcitymusic.org/login

05/07/2024

I am grateful to have created this video piece for Seattle Symphony, documenting their cultural outreach/collaboration with the Indigenous tribes of PNW. Swil Kanim is an eloquent ambassador, being a musician, storyteller, SSO board-member, and most importantly a humble human being. I feel it's really important to tell the stories of the Native Americans here, and I hope this is the first of many.

I'm really glad SSO is genuinely trying to reach out and reach the community as equal collaborators.

Thanks to all who made this possible!

01/02/2024

Happy New Year 2024! Here's to a continued journey of discovery through delights and distresses!!

What a rolicking New Year's Eve Party with Symphony with Kahchun Wong on Beethoven 9, followed by body-bopping electroswing with Good Co Music! Enjoy the highlights!

11/17/2023

Throwback time! Having photographed San Francisco Conservatory of Music for over a decade, it feels like home, every time I go back and photograph. I recently saw these banners in front of their school and realized a SFCM post is long past due... so here are the "behind the scene" photos featured in front of their school, plus bonus ones that I personally love!

05/19/2023

It feel great to be in San Francisco briefly again, breathing the misty air and its green, urban streets. Here's a photo that captures the magic essence of SF with a dear, old friend, Jeffrey LaDeur, Pianist A brilliant pianist and thoughtful soul, Jeff LaDeur asked me to create these photographs to launch his CD "An Artist's Journey" of Liszt's works about a year ago. (Check them out to be transported!!)

Jeff LaDeur and I met at Indiana University Piano Academy as teenagers and were reunited at San Francisco Conservatory of Music in our adult lives. It was a treat to collaborate together, as we shared how our own personal journeys formed our art and life.

11/24/2022

Happy Thanksgiving to all out there! May we understand gratitude deeper with each year.

The bison of Theodore Roosevelt Park demonstrate here demonstrate how to properly feast up + the after effects.

One of the things I'm thankful for this year beyond family, friends, and food, was the opportunity to solo drive across country and back. One of the more memorable stops was at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where the bison lazily grazed the field nearby in the 104 degree air. We stared each other in the eye, animal to animal ...

08/13/2022

Wow, time flew by... ! After trekking across country, I nestled into magical Berkshire woods , photographing the training grounds of talented precollege musicians at ! ....I can't believe it's already the last weekend already ...

Here are some of my favorite coaching/campus shots, where song birds and practicing musicians meld together as one.

08/18/2021

Wow, I can't believe Aspen Music Festival and School is almost over... Here's another collection of fun moments of hands and hair flying/praying with pianists and conductors.

In particular, it was meaningful to be reunited with Susan Zhang after over a decade in Babayan Academy. There's a certain pride in seeing our generation reach out and do good for the community, like her The Concert Truck project with Nick Luby, bringing high quality classical music outside the concert halls and into town.

There's also an interesting story behind Joyce Yang's photo, where the rain pummeled down on the tent like an oblivious chamber partner, drowning out her and the entire orchestra. Imagine the tent ceiling acting like a huge drum head, trapping all of us inside to feel its awe-striking power.... The face of her looking up captured the moment when she and the entire orchestra stopped, unsure of whether to continue through the storm. Ultimately, they stopped for 10 minutes to let the storm pass, before resuming a beautiful 2nd movement of Liszt concerto to a rousing finish!

08/04/2021

What a star-studded last two weeks at Aspen Music Festival and School of piano glory (Daniil Trifonov, Andreas Haefliger, Behzod Abduraimov, and Tengku Irfan) with truly special conductors between Vasily Petrenko's impossibly fluid and lyrical lines and powerful, young female presence of Gemma New and Erina Yashima!

Visually speaking, I must admit I took extra delight in the seeing the limbs and hair flying extra high ....

07/12/2021

Concerto galore reigns at Aspen Music Festival and School and School as we near the halfway point! Excitement crackles from a stunning Mozart concerto (that's some of the best Mozart playing I've heard) from Stephen Waarts, to a haunting Delage song cycle with Julia Bullock, to Beethoven's triple with Stefan Jackiw, Alisa Weilerstein, and Inon Barnatan, under the batons of Nicholas McGegan and Ludovic Morlot!

07/09/2021

From chamber music to solo performances last several days of Aspen Music Festival and School have been action packed! Marina Piccinini brought an entourage of friends to harmonize with her golden tone in a fun, variety show, spanning from Gubaidulina to Beethoven.

As for Conrad Tao's solo show, it was a treat (especially as a pianist) to hear live Rzewski's People United Will Never be Defeated, an epic (nearly) hour long work that spans musical history, with its theme rooted in a hope for national solidarity in freedom. It might have been the first performance of the piece since Rzweski's death (June 26, 2021).

07/03/2021

From a drop-dead gorgeous sunset with a beautiful couple, Amara and Jeff! It was raining earlier in the day, and though we were not sure of the weather conditions, we forged ahead, only to be treated with the sun beaming out last minute for these precious moments...! Looking forward to capturing their wedding later this summer!

01/03/2021

Happy New Year 2021!!

10/07/2020

It's senior portrait + autumn photoshoot season!

It was super meaningful to capture Neha for her senior portraits. She joined my piano studio when I first moved to Seattle, so I've been lucky to see her mature through the years. Consistently, she's been one of the hardest working and diligent students, and I will miss her when she graduates. I am thankful to be able to give her something both from my musical and photographic side, which hopefully will last into her future.

06/17/2020

Part 1 of Seattle CHOP Story Series
Signs of /

Photo excerpts from my photonarrative blog post - https://www.carlinmaphotography.com/…/chop-in-seattle-capit…

Seattle has been home of both peaceful and violent-outburst protests. Both sides have had peacekeepers and rabble-rousers, from looters to police tear-gas users (even after Mayor Durkan’s ban on tear-gas). Now, Seattle protests have evolved into CHAZ / CHOP (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, renamed to Capitol Hill Occupied Protest), a 6-block radius around the Seattle Police Capitol Hill precinct. Some conservative news outlets claim it is a lawless zone with high crime and extortion, but that is far from the truth of what I witnessed.

Here's a realistic summary from Politico - “It seemed by turns like a commune (as in Paris 1871), an anarcho-syndicalist and small-L libertarian dream, a ’60s-style teach-in, a street fair and street market, a campout and weekend party, a poetry slam and pilgrimage, a school service day, a mass healing circle, a humbler urban version of Burning Man, and of course a protest rally.”

As a local photographer, I felt the need to emerge from my COVID-19 shelter-in-place and witness/document this historic event and counterbalance the negative spin. Business were still open, and many food places had increase of sales/traffic. CHOP should not be weaponized to silence peaceful protests.

If you want to donate to fight systemic racism, check my blog link for hyperlinks to Legal Defense and Education Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, and American Civil Liberties Union.

06/08/2020

At the basic core, we must dare to dream for something larger than ourselves. Whether it be love for a community or love of a unit, it's this dream that pushes us to expand.

Pre-COVID, I had the great pleasure of witnessing and capturing Sid's and Anita's blooming love. The ties to each other were tangible, as we romped around San Francisco, hitting up the beautiful, iconic spots, smiling into the sunset. I look forward to capturing their big day, once COVID-19 lifts!

05/26/2020

It is meaningful to see musicians are reaching out during these times to make a difference and be recognized for their efforts. Thus, I was delighted when Alexandra Simpson, a viola student from my alma mater, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, was interviewed by Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella - Fans Page for the Hidden Fabric Music Project, a project co-founded by SFCM friends, Sam Weiser, Evan Kahn, and Cynthia Sun.

In my February San Francisco trip, Allie and I had a blast shooting creative portraiture for the school, showcasing the life and excitement of budding musicians at SFCM.... Breaking bounds with cheek and smile :) Here's some of my favorite photos from the shoot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sx2VYHEql8&fbclid

05/26/2020

05/05/2020

In love with music and the city of San Francisco!! Going through the archives, here's from a fun 2017 shoot with San Francisco Conservatory of Music and their wind quintet, as we hopped around the city spreading music to passerbys!

04/30/2020

Husky tones of night, seeping into the fading chorus of day. What is reality but a play upon perceptions in ever-changing light?

It was a beautiful sunset at Reflection Lake of Mt. Rainier. Mists floating in and paving a platform for the crepuscular colors. Here, I experimented with "manual" triple exposure, shifting the camera to different angles. Instead of light painting by moving the subject, I moved the camera. Enjoy!

04/20/2020

A post dedicated to family. In times of social distancing, we come to really learn what family is.... our central unit that we wear through it all, through thick and thin, through surprising and stable times. Most importantly, we must find a way to laugh together.

One of the families I've become fond of over the years are the Moons, whom I first met when their son Jason Moon participated in Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival and Institute. The love and support from the parents were palpable, as was their quiet pride in Jason, who's on a successful track in Juilliard of virtuoso violinist. It was a treat being able to capture their smiling spirits last year in this special shoot.

04/06/2020

When worlds burn blank to silence,
I face my darkest shadow.
Ashened face etched sharp and white
Poised, perfect,
Present
Until winds splinter my ashes
Free of form, free of Fate
Free to be.

02/19/2020

From a beautiful 27th floor balcony at a donor event for Seattle Symphony last night... and yes that's Mt. Rainier in the background!

It's an interesting perspective, being above a city that retains his older historical culture while merging with the new, balancing between the booming financial/tech sector and its humbler trading port culture.

12/23/2019

One of the fun projects during the summer was working with American Brass Quintet to create this promo video for their summer seminar!

Information on the American Brass Quintet Seminar @ Aspen Apply by January 2nd at https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/students-welcome/admissions/programs-of-...

12/22/2019

It's the season for Messiah, one of the classic staples to celebrate this time of year! Bravo to Seattle Symphony and Seattle Symphony Chorale !

12/11/2019

Sitting at the ledge of in the dark night, I could feel the multiple layers of time, from the celestial clocks circling the skies, to the water far beneath, etching another sediment layer away. Who are we but passing particles in this greater cosmic play? A quiet night to contemplate our beautiful nonexistence, away from all the tourists that would flood it during the day.

On a technical note, I was super thrilled to dip my toes into star trails for astrophotography. One day, I'll have to stay out longer when it's not so cold and get the full motion of the stars spinning above....

09/22/2019

Bravissimo to Emerald City Music for a truly delightful evening of Histoire du Soldat re-told with dance, sans narrator, in partnership with Michael Barrett, Mark Campbell, and Josh Bergasse! Interwoven with the music, the dancers told the tale with words and movement, creating a powerful performance of a tragic tale. It is such a treat to watch dancers (from NYC Ballet and American Ballet Theater) express the beautiful through the purity of our body.

Congrats to Kristin Lee and Andrew Goldstein for pulling off yet another brilliant performance!

09/05/2019

-- photos from our recording session for with San Francisco Girls Chorus, Director Valerie Sainte Agathe, The Knights, Conductor Eric Jacobsen, Trinity Youth Chorus, and Director Melissa Attebury. The energy was electric during these recording sessions. I can’t wait to share this music! Three world premiere recordings: my piece “My Outstretched Hand,” and gorgeous works by Aaron Jay Kernis and . Preview/pre-order: smarturl.it/MyOutstretchedHand
Photos by Carlin Ma