An online photography community · c. 2000–2005

The Paper Brigade
Photo Community

Do it up.

Curated by Matt Rubin Original site built by Ricky Irvine An archive

What this was

Somewhere around the year 2000, Paper Brigade stepped back from being a record label for a while and became something else: an online photography community.

After putting out those first records — and getting into photography myself, which I'd later go on to major in — I built an online community: a glorified message board and website where fellow photographers could post their work, find inspiration, and meet each other. I also featured work by select photographers on the site.

We saw so many up-and-coming photographers come through, and it grew into a really great, positive community. Some have gone on to shoot for magazines, make books, teach, and tour the world; some I've lost track of entirely. This page is an archive of everyone we were lucky enough to feature, with links to where they are now.

If you were part of this and your link is missing or wrong — or if you know where someone landed — reach out and I'll fix it.

The Featured

the photographers
Aaron FarleyLA photographer — shoots for Merge, NME, Interscope
Alex Onan
Andy Hill
Angela BoatwrightPhotographer & director — NYC hardcore, LA punk, Vans "Los Punks"
Beau Hart
Brian UlrichFine-art photographer of consumer culture — Guggenheim Fellow, RISD
Bryan SheffieldLA music & portrait photographer — Rolling Stone, Spin
Calbee BoothMusic photographer — shot Yeah Yeah Yeahs & The Roots
Chrissy PiperOne of the original featured photographers
Claire WeissHalf of the LA/NYC duo Day19
Cynthia ConnollyDC artist — Dischord Records, author of "Banned in DC"
Dan MonickLA music & portrait photographer — Rhymesayers, Starcrawler
Dennis HoToured & shot with major-label artists, 2002–2012
Errol Richardson
James DavisOnce at autumnrusheson.com
Jeremy WeissHalf of the duo Day19 — skate & music roots
Megan Holmes
Nick Pritchard
Nicole RadjaPhoto director at Venus Zine '01–'04 — now Studio Starling, Chicago
Noah KalinaNYC / Catskills photographer — the "Everyday" time-lapse
Pat GrahamDC punk/indie photographer — "Silent Pictures," Fugazi's "Instrument"
Peter EllenbySF indie-rock & Noise Pop photographer · 1970–2023
Rebecca Ann
Ricky IrvineRichard C. Irvine II — photographer & designer of the original site
Robin LaananenLA music & tour photographer — author of "US/THEN"
Sascha Nowotka
Shaun Hencher
Travis KellerFounder of Buddyhead — LA photographer & writer
Ye Rin MokLA photographer — Vogue, Architectural Digest, Apartamento