Amateur Chemist is is Andrew Youssef, a professional, and I must say exceptional, photographer, mainly of bands during live concerts. His photographs are a mainstay in the Music section of the OC Weekly. You can see his most recent pics of Depeche Mode at the Staples Center here.
Normally I do not post on other site's anniversaries, but Amateur Chemist holds a special place in both MATRIXSYNTH-land and in my heart. Andrew brings me back to the early days of the site. He reached out to me early on, and through the years we have kept in contact, albeit sporadically. Sometimes we've gone nearly a year before touching base, but when we do it feels like just yesterday. He's one of those people that makes you feel at home - safe. I finally met Andrew in person at NAMM 2011 at the TRASH_AUDIO BBQ.
Not only is Andrew a great photographer, and all around great human being, he also has a level of strength I can only aspire to. He is currently battling cancer. He writes a column for the OC Weekly titled Last Shot, that focuses on his struggle with cancer while still getting out there and taking shots, both literally photographing concerts, and figuratively not letting cancer and the effect of his meds get in the way. The Last Shot column is inspiring and I highly recommend checking it out.
On his Twitter account @Amateurchemist today he posted: "Seven years ago today, I started a concert review/photography blog called Amateur Chemist. It changed my life."
It has not only changed his life, but the lives of so many others including myself. Thank you Andrew! Happy Anniversary, and keep up the good fight.
