Welcome to Not-Real-Media an online publication based in Boise, ID.
About Sheepdogg:
I am a multifaceted artist, musician, and entrepreneur born and raised in Boise, Idaho. My creative journey has taken many routes over the years, and I expect it to morph into forms still unknown as life goes on. My name Sheepdogg comes from the ethos of being the protector of the flock. I love my community, and I will always stand for what’s right and defend my ideals and loved ones however I can.
The first medium that truly captured my heart was graffiti. The concept of creating your art wherever you want is still very appealing to me but the reality that jail sucks, keeps that dream in check. I then co-founded a clothing company called Apier Clothing (Artists Pushing Ideals of Elevated Recreation) that was an artist collective focusing on a combination of high fashion and street art. In this time of developing my art I displayed my art in multiple gallery shows and painted murals (mostly legal) all around the northwest. In Boise I was a featured muralist in Freak Alley downtown for 3 separate years and was also featured in The Boise Mural Project.
My next creative love was playing guitar. I finally found a way to take my angst and use it to write songs and regulate my nervous system in the process. My songwriting is my diary and a window to my soul. Like most good things, it’s a slippery slope and I soon found myself as a bass player, playing in a variety of bands. The Higher Council was my first and favorite band I have ever been in. We were a psychedelic jam rock and roll band would be the best way I can describe it. We released one full album and played more shows than I can count. I would go on to play in a folk band that crashed and burned, a metal band that never took flight and eventually landed in a new group called Tsun Dog that would be my next creative love. We were a bluesy folky rock and roll band that had its own distinct sound. It was different and unique and we were driven. We ended up releasing 3 Eps, one full album and doing a northwest tour. The greatest creative project I have ever done in my opinion was our music video for the song “I Love You”. I wrote the song about how the beautiful gift of creating often comes with a lot of pain that drives us. Nothing golden can stay and the band broke up under tense circumstances. It left me a little resentful I hate to say and inspired me to take a break from creating music. This however would be a blessing in disguise. Although, I truly feel my heart is leading me back into playing music at this time as well. It's going to be heavy, weird and ironically positive overall considering how much my internal struggles drive it. Coming soon to a venue near you…
You're probably wondering when in my rambling I am going to mention photography for after all this is a bio for a photography publication. This is where it began around 2019. I figured out I could stay in the scene by taking pictures and helping promote my friends. My first camera was a Canon Rebel and I loved it. It was casual at first and more about a reason to be in the scene, but I fell in love with it, videography in particular. I started making reels and content for my friend’s businesses and bands. Then I started my current media company Create The Catalyst. It was around that same time The Boise Hive started their live stream weekly concerts and I was the producer and live switcher for the stream. In my time there we featured over 150 unique bands and performers. The Saturday live stream shows are still going strong but my work took me away from the chance to produce the concert series. Then came my switch to the Sony gang. My trusty a7iii is still my favorite camera. The Sony a7rV is my newest sidepiece though.
My next big break was a fateful meeting with Carry Judd and getting hired by OMG Productions running a B-cam and B-roll for a reality TV show. It introduced me to the world of large scale productions. Then came the year I was accepted into the Treefort Photography team. That was a game changer for real. I had been a lone wolf creating by myself and for the first time I was introduced into a community of people with a passion for photography. It progressed fast from there as I pushed myself to always be developing my own style and improving. I found a love for shooting music videos where I can show off my story telling and creative lighting. In 2025 I was also a featured speaker at Photofort representing the team at Treefort Music Fest’s photography event speaking on my craft. I love festivals and have worked as media for a variety of festivals and teams: Treefort Music Fest, Sawtooth Valley Gathering, Boise Pride, Convergence Fest, M.A.S.H. Festival, Flipside Festival and am a member of the Radio Boise Media Team. In 2023 I also co-founded a live radio show on Radio Boise. It’s a talk radio show called “Elementary Watson” about strategically living your best life. It was my constant need for growth in life that led me to this chapter. We are still on the air every Tuesday at 4pm bringing you tools and insights to help us all live a life well loved and lived.
My photography is bold and my process is abstract at times. I love color and motion and being so crisp you can see every drop of sweat. I learn the rules to break them and often bring creative settings, elements and editing into my work. I love photography because it keeps me so in the moment and the ability to help our creative scene, capture special moments, emotion, and current events makes my heart happy. I have produced work for around 300 bands as of 2026 and is growing fast. I’m honored to now be a member of Not Real Media. This is the next major step in my photography career and an opportunity to capture bigger artists and events than I ever have before. I promise I won’t let my creative community down and will always deliver the most captivating work, that stays true to my vision, that I can.
Thanks for listening.
Love,
Sheepdogg