The playlist is part of the shoot.
Music isn’t background noise on my shoots.
It’s structure.
I don’t shuffle. I don’t randomize. I don’t just throw something on and hope it works.
I build playlists to play in order, start to finish.
Because a good shoot doesn’t start at 100—it builds there.
Start with a warm-up, not a performance
Most people walk into a shoot a little in their head.
Even if they’re excited, there’s still that awareness of being seen. Cameras do that.
So I don’t start with something intense. That can feel like pressure. Like you’re being asked to perform before you’re ready.
I start with songs that are easy:
upbeat
familiar
a little nostalgic
Something that might spark a memory. Something that feels safe to exist in.
This is where people loosen up without realizing it.
Building energy on set (without saying a word)
At a certain point, I stop directing as much with my voice.
I’m directing with music.
The energy shifts gradually:
the tempo picks up
confidence builds
movement starts to feel natural
By the middle of the playlist, something clicks.
People stop asking what to do.
They stop overthinking.
They just start moving.
That’s when the photos start working.
Match the music to the person, not just the vibe
I don’t just pick songs I like.
I think about the person in front of me:
their age
what they might’ve grown up listening to
what could actually mean something to them
Music is personal. It carries memory, identity, culture.
If someone connects to what’s playing, you can see it immediately.
They show up differently.
Design the arc around the time we have
I usually build playlists to match the length of the shoot.
If we have an hour, I’ll make a one-hour playlist.
It becomes a timeline:
the beginning is soft
the middle builds
the end either pushes or settles
I don’t need to check the clock.
I can feel where we are.
It keeps the shoot moving without forcing it.
Let it intensify
Toward the end, I lean into more dramatic, high-energy tracks.
This is where you can push things further:
bigger movement
stronger poses
more attitude
At that point, people aren’t performing anymore.
They’re just in it.
Music helps me as much as it helps them
I have ADHD, so music isn’t optional for me—it’s grounding.
It keeps me focused, keeps the pace moving, and helps me drop into that headspace where I’m not overthinking every frame.
There’s a moment where it shifts.
I stop thinking technically and start responding.
That’s when I feel the most locked in.
Not everything I use is structured
I do have one playlist that breaks all of these rules.
Vibe Tribe: Flash + Beats was the first one I made. It’s longer, more random, and not built to be progressive.
That one is more for:
getting myself into the mood before a shoot
having something fun to throw on when I don’t want to think
or when the energy just needs to feel upbeat and puss
It’s kind of my go-to.
Not every moment needs structure.
Sometimes you just need something that hits.
A few playlists I’ve built
These are meant to be played straight through, depending on the kind of energy I’m building:
Vibe Tribe: Flash + Beats
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/31Oa9pZqF8LbOUW0J0vNv6?si=42bceb1ae2cb427c
My original. Less structured, more chaotic. This is what I throw on when I’m getting myself into the mood or when I just need instant energy on set. A bit now, cool, hip, young, fun, all of that energy.
Progressive: Wake TF Up
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/79hIlMaGboyF73BSdLudp4?si=6db6f8608acc4531
This one follows exactly what I talked about above. It starts slower, builds intentionally, and carries the shoot from warm-up into something more intense. This is the one I use when I want to shape the energy of a shoot from start to finish. It’s intentionally just over an hour.
(More coming soon)
Final thought
A photoshoot isn’t just lighting and composition.
It’s pacing. It’s energy. It’s environment.
Music shapes all of that—whether people realize it or not.
If someone feels good, they look different.
That’s the whole thing.