Music Photographer Releases New Book With 130+ Artist Portraits To Support Local Nonprofits

Ismael Quintanilla III, a nationally-acclaimed and Austin-based photographer, is proud to announce the release of his first photography book entitled "I AM HERE ALL DAY" (IAHAD), which is meant to raise awareness and funds for the local music community that faced unprecedented hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new book is on sale now at iamhereallday.com beginning at just $50 with all proceeds being donated back to several local nonprofit organizations.

Within the new 240-page book, Quintanilla was able to showcase the state of the local music community by capturing custom portraits of 138 artists around the greater Austin area including Jackie Venson, Audrey Campbell of Pleasure Venom, Mobley, Sabrina Ellis of A Giant Dog, Gina Chavez, Tony Kamel of Wood & Wire, and countless others. The portraits were taken beginning last March through August 2020 at the personal residence of each artist who was stuck at home due to the COVID-19 quarantine.

Alongside each portrait, every artist shared their own unique anecdotes that are also included in the book. These include personal stories, words of wisdom, poems, songs, and other heartfelt reflections. These narratives offer distinctly different perspectives, which threaded together, present a Zeitgeist that captures the raw and unbridled rollercoaster of emotions that these artists experienced throughout last spring and summer. As a photography anthology, IAHAD is ultimately a story of resilience in how Austin musicians rose to the challenge of making impactful art against all odds.

"Compiling this body of art truly helped to restore my identity with a renewed sense of honesty and vulnerability, both of which I view as important vehicles to make the world a better place. As I began this journey last spring, the ultimate direction for the project was much less certain but over time, I've realized that this book has come to represent the daily struggles faced internally by local artists who yearn for creativity and inspiration," said author and photographer Ismael Quintanilla III. "I'm also proud to partner with and donate proceeds to local organizations that have committed themselves to supporting the local community during these difficult times, especially musicians and service industry works who are often over-looked and under-served. I encourage everyone to purchase a copy today and help make a direct impact upon those who have helped to define the cultural identity of this great city I call home"

In celebration of the book's highly-anticipated release and the public unveiling of his latest project, Quintanilla is hosting a free live stream music concert next Thursday, April 1. The two-hour event will feature music performances from several critically-acclaimed artists showcased in the new book including Jackie Venson as jackie the robot, Gina Chavez, and Tony Kamel of Wood & Wire, plus The Dead Coats, The Vapor Caves, Caleb De Casper, Jaime Ospina, Pelvis Wrestley, and Glass Shadows.

The virtual performances were filmed at various locations across Austin this spring, with Quintanilla being responsible for booking, shooting, editing, and producing the entire concert experience. The party kicks off online at 7:00 p.m. CT and will be available for free streaming through a special partnership with Do512 on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Do512.

To accompany the new book and upcoming live stream event, Quintanilla also curated a custom Spotify soundtrack that features all 100+ musicians included in the book that is available now for free online listening. Click HERE to listen.

The book is on sale now at iamhereallday.com with physical copies available for $100 and digital-only versions for just $50. 100% of net proceeds will be directly donated to several Austin-based nonprofit organizations - each of which were selected by Quintanilla because he was personally a past recipient of its services, it was created by a local musician, or these are organizations that directly impact the lives of the artists featured in his book during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Book beneficiaries include local nonprofit organizations like Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), the SIMS Foundation and Free Lunch, as well as the Niñas Arriba College Fund, the DAWA Fund, and Red River Cultural District's Banding Together ATX emergency relief grant program.

Ismael Quintanilla III is an Austin-based, Mexico-born photographer and content creator who specializes in live music and entertainment. His love for photography began as a young teenager and continues to this day as a full-time photographer working with local brands like Do512, Austin Eastciders, Waterloo Sparkling Water, and the Red River Cultural District. Quintanilla is also responsible for capturing awe-inspiring content as part of the in-house teams at some of Texas' most popular and iconic live events and festival properties including Day for Night, Fortress Festival, Levitation, Love & Lightstream, SXSW, The FADER Fort, while also being published in publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard and Texas Monthly, among countless others.

To check out more of Quintanilla's work while staying up to date on future projects, follow him on Instagram at @iq3photography as well as visit his website at iq3photo.com.