ID Spotlight | Michelle Mendoza

Meet EDM Identity Correspondent and Photographer, Michelle Mendoza, in this week’s #IDSpotlight!

Name: Michelle Mendoza
Rave Name: Turtle
Age: 22
Hometown: Torrance, CA
Current City: New York City, New York
Occupation: Photographer
Twitter: @seratoninphotos
Facebook: Sera Tonin Photography
Instagram: @seratoninphotography

What was your first electronic music event?

My first electronic music event was Beyond Wonderland 2015, in Southern California. Prior to attending, I hated electronic music because I “didn’t understand” it.

What/who influenced you to attend your first event?

My best friend from high school, Cameron, had to literally drag me to attend. I was going through a rough time in college and I had never attended an event before. He found me a ticket found a day or two before the actual event, once I began my 6-hour drive to Beyond Wonderland I haven’t looked back since.

What is one moment from an event that was special and why?

I think one of the greater moments for me at an event was at EDCLV 2015. This was my third festival at the time and they were completely growing on me. My older brother, Michael, was completely reserved in comparison to me. As we both got older we started to become more like friends verse the average little sister, older brother, we hate one another relationship so I figured we should start doing things together. He really did not like to take risks or try new things, so I enjoyed taking him out of his comfort areas, this is exactly why I thought “why not take him to EDCLV with me?”. EDM was not anything new to him but festivals were. This festival, in particular, was just a life changing experience as well as a sibling bonding experience. For the first time in my life, I saw him dance, yell, and let loose. For Deorro’s set we left the group so it was just us two, we managed to make way to the front, the joy radiating from him and myself was amazing, from that moment on we started doing other new things as well as attending new festivals together. He’s not only my festival buddy but now my best friend and I have EDM to thank for that.

What is your favorite festival or event?

I would say I am torn between two festivals being my favorite at this point in time, one being EDCLV and the other being Camp Bisco. EDCLV will always have a special place in my heart because from the moment you enter the festival grounds, you enter a whole different world. The artwork, the time, the effort, put into making this place our own little raver world for a couple of days is amazing to me. Camp Bisco on the other hand, is a festival where I can honestly say people seemed to be there for the good vibes and for the love of music. During sets, I remember seeing minimal people recording videos or taking photos on their phones, which I was impressed with because so many people attend festivals but aren’t actually there and that bugs me. The vibes were awesome and there was so much greenery all around. Both festivals are amazing and I would attend again.

What is your favorite electronic song and why?

My go to song is “Shut Up & Sing” by Zeds Dead X Greta Svabo Bech. This song acts as a motivational song for me, as well as a song I can listen to when I need some clarity.

Who are your favorite artists?

Wow. Tough question. Ghastly, Dillon Francis, The Chemical Brothers, Lido, Bassnectar, Zeds Dead, Eric Prydz, and plenty more.

What are your favorite genres?

I guess I fall into that “basshead” category, given I always love some heavy bass. I can also go for some solid dubstep as well.

What do you feel your “Identity” is in the electronic music community?

I like to feel as though my identity in the electronic community is someone who captures what people are feeling in that given moment. I love festival/event photography specifically because being able to capture some total strangers emotions or telling a story through one single photo taken in the heat of the moment, it is just an amazing thing.