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STAFF @ MPJ
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Nadine Swiger
Founder – Chief Editor, Chief Photographer, Journalist, Videographer
Nadine started Musician Photo Journal back in 1996 as a print publication. As MPJ grew, it became available online in 1998 in an early blog format. In 2001, Nadine converted MPJ over to solely being an online publication, where it remains today.
Her photography has been seen on several band websites and album covers including Mudvayne, Rob Zombie, and Orgy. Her work has also appeared in “Woodstock ‘99 guide” and was showcased at a local Central NY gallery during Woodstock ‘99. Her photos have also appeared in other magazines and fanzine around the world. You can check out Nadine’s work at: www.nadineswiger.com
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Brian DeFress
Photographer, Videographer, Journalist
Brian is a Filmmaker/ Photographer from Upstate NY. He grew up performing in various bands and venues throughout the upstate region. His love for music carries into his passion for videography and photography as Brian is always shooting photographs or video of local and national acts.
Check out his work at www.briandefrees.com
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Heather Penfield MacNeill
Journalist
Heather started her career in the arts at a very young age preparing to be a professional modern and ballet dancer. After completing the pre-professional training program at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in Manhattan, she went on to apprentice with several contemporary dance companies including the Sean Curran Company. Heather later joined an Indian dance company and toured throughout South India for a year performing Bollywood style dance and teaching local students. After returning to the United States, she joined the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, a company which fused martial arts with ballet and other contemporary dance styles. She toured throughout the United States and Europe with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company as well as performing locally in Manhattan and New Jersey. Throughout all of her time dancing, however, she always had a love of heavy metal music, and always hoped to become involved in the music scene in some way. She is extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with Musician Photo Journal, where she gets to interview some of her favorite artist and talk about their life on the road. In addition, Musician Photo Journal allows Heather to combine yet one more passion and talent: writing with her love of music as she explores her journalistic skills.
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Shawn Ortis
Web Master, Videographer, Copy Editor
Shawn has been designing websites for over 10 years. With a strong background in design and illustration, Shawn brings a special element to the Musician Photo Journal website. Shawn started to develop his web design skills while working in the music industry with the Indy label, Dark Symphonies. He developed their first web presence in the mid-late 90’s and built their e-commerce site. You can always find Shawn with some form of metal pumping through his iPod. With a vast extreme metal knowledge and strong opinion, we find Shawn to be a perfect fit for our MPJ team.
Shawn is the co-founder and CEO of Ravenmoon Designs, a privately-held Central New York-based company who has developed websites for an array of clients including, The Little Falls School District, New York State Community Action Association, The City of Little Falls, Resource Center for Independent Living, PEMS Tool and Machine, Adjusters International, Demeree Realty, and Great Lakes Hyundai.
When not developing websites, Shawn can be found giving up the goat hand at the extreme metal shows. Shawn also helps out with videography, video/photo editing and production of our interviews.
Check out his work at www.ravenmoon-designs.com
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Lizzy Buza
Contributing Editor, Videographer & Journalist
Lizzy lives and breaths music! From Swing to Psychobilly, Punk to Metal, Lizzy loves her music! Her first love, rock n’ roll, never takes a back seat to her love for other musical genres!
Lizzy’s vast experience in media, video production, copywriting, advertising and public relations makes her a Jane-of-all-trades! Jack better just move out of her way! For almost a decade, Lizzy was a creative producer for a CBS/WB-affliate producing and editing the gamut of video productions. Lizzy’s experience then expanded into corporate communications, advertising, and PR for a couple global companies.
You can usually find Lizzy rocking out to tunes in her car–or even learning a new song on her beloved Scott Ian Signature Obey Washburn.
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Courtney Ludwig
Contributing Photographer & Journalist
Courtney grew up all over California until August of 2008 when she made Tucson, AZ her home. That is where she has been there ever since.
Courtney is someone with a very creative mind, always having new ideas and exploring new things. When she was a little girl her parents tried to get her in front of the camera doing commercials.
Throughout Courtney’s years of growing up, she has always enjoyed being in pictures but more than anything she loved taking them. She started out shooting film until digital became reasonable to buy and then there was no stopping her.
Courtney has her own photography business, The Camera Eye Photography. The name derived from a RUSH song, “The Camera Eye.” Courtney is a huge music buff and so band/concert photography is her main focus. However her photography company also shoots portraits, nature and animal photography and is looking to throw in some wedding photography into the mix as well. She has a huge passion for what she does and takes pride in her work all the way through.
Check out her work at www.thecameraeyephotography.com
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Elle Tourjman
Contributing Journalist & Videographer
Elle Tourjman studied photography while in College. There she was introduced to modeling. It wasn’t long before she became a favorite studio model for a number of her fellow students. Her love for all the arts helped her branch out into writing movie scripts, lyrics and poetry and eventually into videography.
Through her love of all varieties of music, she was the perfect fit for MPJ’s “Out of the Box” with Elle. It is a unique column where Elle will show that all types of music are based on the same two principles; musical talent and good taste. Wether you like to rock out to the 80s, jive with the swinging sound of the 20’s or feel the funky beat of hip hop, this column will cover it all! Each month there will be a different band featured, getting back to the roots of rock n roll and all music around the globe.
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Brian Cross
Contributing Journalist
Cross studied graphic and web design in the late 1990s, earning a degree in that field and eventually moving into the world of information technology. Since then, he has spent many years penning articles for blogs and video game news sites before turning his writing skills toward his lifelong passion for heavy metal. His favorite subgenres are progressive metal, black metal, and folk metal.
When he’s not covering shows and interviewing bands for MPJ, you can often find Cross with his head buried in science fiction.
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Diana Guay
Contributing Photographer & Journalist
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