The name “Rukes” has become synonymous with EDM photography. Over the past eight years, Drew “Rukes” Ressler has captured the rise of electronic dance music through his amazing photographs.

At a time when nightclub photographers were less common and few were using digital cameras, Rukes started hitting the clubs with his Canon 20D. His success came in part from his decision to stop simply taking pictures of beautiful girls in the club and start capturing the DJs onstage.

Rukes’ popular images caught the DJ and the entire frenzied crowd through a fisheye lens. After being discovered by a young deadmau5, his reputation began to spread. He now works with powerhouse Insomniac and has toured with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Zedd, Steve Aoki, Skrillex, Porter Robinson, Calvin Harris and many others.

To cap off the year, Rukes will be on the road for the Pacific Rim Tour. Unlike normal photography tours where Rukes is hired by a DJ, he has been hired directly by festivals and promoters much like a touring DJ. This is a first for an EDM photographer and shows just how important his photography is to the industry.

Written by: Jesse Wheaton
Photo credit: Caesar Sebastian

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