The Death of Sebastian - Part One

Sebastian Evridge was 21 years old. In the prime of his life. He and the love of his life Madi Campion were building a new business. Along with Sebastian’s brother, Chace Johnson, they had grand plans for the future. I’ll never forget the morning when I saw that Chace was flying back to Denver unexpectedly on Facebook. I learned from a mutual friend what happened. Sebastian had been hit by a drunk driver doing 120 mph on a city street on the way to work. His jeep burst into flames and he was killed instantly. Chace is a fashion model that I have worked with many times and become close friends with. I knew the pain he was in but there was nothing I could do at that time. About two weeks later, a few days after the funeral, Chace called me. He was still torn up. It had been a brutal experience, seeing Sebastian’s burned body, watching the body being cremated, singing at the funeral, devoting his every waking minute to helping family and friends who were hurting. It was an emotional call and one I will never forget for many reasons. Chace asked me if we could do a photoshoot together to re-enact the moment of receiving the news, relive the pain, and pay tribute to Sebastian. I knew it was not only the right thing to do, it HAD to be done. It is our goal with this work to show the needless suffering that can be caused by the senseless acts of others, the pain of learning you have just lost the person who matters most to you, and mostly to let the world know how much Sebastian was loved. A little over a month has passed since Sebastian’s needless death. I’ve watched how people have come to the support of each other, prop each other up, and rebuild their lives. And while the tragedy should have never occurred, I’ve watched them grow. I’ve learned what they are made of, the kind of people that they are at the core, and they have earned my deepest respect. Forever. In part two I will be publishing the series of photos taken with Madi Campion, the love of his life, for the same reason.