Finding the Slower Moments of a Blistering Tour Bus Life

Tour photographer Jake Chamseddine marches forward following a brush with death that changed the course of his life.

Jon Hoeg • Mar 04, 2024

Life moves fast for a Tour Photographer; endless flights, tour buses, shuttle vans, and thousands of steps every day around new venues. With clients like Green Day, Lorde, Panic! At The Disco, Sony, Carly Rae Jepsen, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Marshmello, Nike, the Seattle Seahawks and Steve Aoki to name a few, photographer and creative director, Jake Chamseddine, has made quite a name for himself.

On the road to growing his portfolio by way of working with some titans of entertainment, the self-proclaimed professional coffee drinker had a brush with death that changed the course of his life.

Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs in Boston. Image credit: Jake Chamseddine

In August of 2021, Chamseddine was involved in a life-threatening accident while documenting an event. Dozens of surgeries and a LOT of rehab later, Chamseddine is back on his feet and Marching Forward.

It would be an understatement to say things were different ever since that pivotal moment, and Chamseddine has been forced to re-discover himself, and his art form in ways he never would have imagined.

“I am very lucky to be alive, and I am happy to be here,” says Chamseddine, and it has reoriented the true north of his photography career. “It has been a very difficult thing do, and I think any artist can relate to transitioning or going through change,” Chamseddine reflects.

Panic! At the Disco performs in Las Vegas. Image credit: Jake Chamseddine

Recently, he has shifted his efforts toward creating thoughtful YouTube videos and “capturing those slower, in-between moments.”

OWC is honored to share Jake’s heartfelt and incredibly triumphant story, and we are proud to know that Jake’s journey will be captured on Atlas Ultra SD cards and edited on Envoy Pro FX drives. As in life, challenges will always arise in our creative pursuits. As Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi famously stated, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up,” and no one embodies the spirit of that quote more than Jake Chamseddine.

Marshmello performs in Abu Dhabi. Image credit: Jake Chamseddine

We can all take a page out of Jake’s story and learn to push through challenges and celebrate the intrepid spirit of the creators who constantly MARCH FORWARD.

Check out some of Jake’s work at jakechams.com.

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