By way of their lenses: 4 dwell music photographers on life in pit

Live music scenes the world over are locations stuffed with creativity. But whereas consideration is of course targeted towards the musicians on stage, there are different inventive pursuits which can be much less prominently on show.

One group of such creatives is dwell music photographers, who work tirelessly to doc what goes on at concert events. Photographers are those who supply a window into the dwell music world and assist hold the reminiscences alive afterward. Each of them has their very own strategies, targets and motivations. Often they work in poor lighting situations and chaotic environments, with frequent menace of damage or tools injury.

To study extra about life within the trenches at dwell music occasions, The Korea Times interviewed 4 international photographers residing in Korea who can typically be seen snapping musicians at play: Nikki Bell from Buffalo, New York; Blair Kitchener from New Zealand; David Smith from Saginaw, Michigan; and Chewy Thomson from Canada.

What gear do you employ?

Nikki: Nikon D750 with the inventory package lens.

Blair: A Panasonic S1 and a Leica SL2-s with 28mm, 35mm and 50mm M-mount prime lenses. I exploit these cameras as they’ve very giant viewfinders, making it simpler to focus manually in low mild conditions.

David: Nikon full-frame DSLR physique and varied prime lenses.

Chewy: Cut my tooth on an outdated Nikon D5100 however finally picked up a Sony. Started with the A7iii and upgraded to an a7iv. I hold the iii as a backup. As far as sensors go, the Sony is likely one of the greatest for low mild, so splendid for evening and occasion pictures the place the lighting may be dodgy. Sony additionally helps numerous third get together lenses and while you’re as broke as I’m, you’ll be able to recognize that.

How did you get into pictures, and particularly dwell music pictures?

Nikki: I used to be fascinated by dwell music pictures since highschool, however didn’t purchase my first digicam till 2020. I introduced it out for one present, the battery died 10 minutes in, then COVID blew up. After I moved to Busan, I didn’t actually know many individuals so I began bringing it out with me to all the things I went to simply to have one thing to do.

Blair: While on a working vacation in Japan, pals and I put collectively a zine wherein I photographed drag performers, the homeless, road trend, enterprise house owners, administrators, zoo animals. Then, after returning to New Zealand, I shared a studio house with a jazz musician and photographed his exhibits and promo materials. That led to capturing different musicians and exhibits.

David: I’ve been going to native music exhibits since highschool. I began actually stepping into taking footage when my older sister left an outdated, totally guide SLR movie digicam at dwelling after finishing a college pictures class, so I began taking it to events, exhibits, and capturing bands, pals and something that caught my eye.

Chewy: Getting into capturing dwell music was nearly an accident. I had been doing principally evening and road pictures as much as that time, once I was contacted by Rebel Hunt, who was beginning a brand new efficiency artist troupe. I ended up turning into the home photographer for her undertaking, “The House of Hex,” a supernatural-themed efficiency group. We started doing exhibits round January 2024, and plenty of of them integrated dwell music as properly. We’ve carried out alongside Fat Hamster, Doguul, Sabbaha, Rebeldom and a handful of others, so being the home photographer, I used to be thrust into photographing these bands as properly. We additionally did an superior efficiency at Block Party final yr.

How would you describe your dwell music pictures fashion?

Nikki: I’ve been informed that my footage are very dynamic and seize motion properly, so I suppose that’s one of the simplest ways to explain it. I don’t actually give it some thought an excessive amount of.

Blair: Most of my dwell music photographs are in black and white. I’ll shoot in shade if it’s vibrant and fascinating. I exploit solely the venue’s accessible lighting. Gestures and facial expressions of the artists and followers are essential in my work. I attempt to make photos that seize a particular second, which may very well be of a number of band members, followers, or followers and artists interacting.

David: It’s candid, someplace between documentation and artwork. I attempt to take footage that present the spectacle of the efficiency, but additionally seize the connection and power between the performers and the viewers. I’d say my photographs are extra “arty” than most. Shallow depth of discipline, muted shade, not afraid of high-ISO noise or blur. More of an impressionistic strategy to capturing the second than most live performance photographers.

Chewy: I don’t know if I’ve any explicit options that make me stand out, however I’m very a lot drawn to paint. Very typically I discover that individuals in Korea costume in type of uniformly black or grey colours, and for some time there was this development amongst photographers the place they have been making their edits sensible, a lot of muted tones and browns. I can respect that fashion, however I’m nearly the alternative; I like daring colours and plenty of excessive contrasts. If you see a cityscape of Seoul or a shot of a performer and the colours and tones actually pop, it’d simply be one in every of mine.

Name an important expertise you’ve had or profit you’ve loved due to capturing exhibits.

Nikki: The coolest factor is each time a band (and even only a member of the band) reaches out to say how a lot they favored a sure photograph. Also, simply archiving the music scene in a way. Bands come and go, typically members come and go. But there’ll all the time be photographs of after they have been collectively. That’s fairly neat too.

Blair: Shooting has led to alternatives like photographing artists for magazines, album art work, promotional photos and behind-the-scenes work, in addition to being invited to larger music festivals.

David: In common, it’s a thankless endeavor. But I do it for myself, so getting higher at capturing what I noticed and felt within the second is the reward.

Chewy: Honestly, simply getting to fulfill folks and hold with different creatives is a profit unto itself. There is such a vibrant artwork and music scene in Seoul and Korea usually that doesn’t essentially embrace simply Ok-pop. Quite a lot of it’s not particularly well-known by most people, it looks like, and that makes it type of cool. You get to really feel such as you’re part of this underground membership that nobody is aware of about.

Do you may have a favourite act to shoot?

Nikki: It’s onerous to choose only one, however I’d say Soumbalgwang if I had to decide on.

Blair: 18Fevers is all the time enjoyable to shoot as they use your complete venue, not simply the stage, when performing. The unpredictability of what they’ll do in a given house can result in photographs that aren’t the standard band-on-stage photos.

David: Not a lot a favourite act, however I undoubtedly love the sooner, heavier style bands that get numerous crowd response.

Chewy: None particularly, however punk and hardcore exhibits have been my principal go-to, simply because they’re so chaotic and enjoyable to shoot, so long as you’ll be able to hold your gear from getting body-slammed.

What’s your favourite venue to shoot at?

Nikki: HQ in Busan. It’s the primary place I actually began going to exhibits in Busan and the primary place I began bringing the digicam with me. It holds a particular place in my coronary heart. I’m additionally the home photographer there.

Blair: I want venues with robust spotlights that may create numerous distinction and flare. The outdated The Studio HBC had some, and Club SHARP, Senggi Studio and Freebird presently do.

David: Any of the midsize venues. Lots of room to maneuver round and get good angles and compositions. Bigger crowds, so greater mosh pits and extra possibilities for crowd theatrics like stage dives and gang vocal pile-ons. Bright and theatric stage lighting. And often a number of spots the place you may get over the group for downward angles that seize the entire room.

Chewy: I suppose Skunk will all the time have a particular place in my coronary heart as that was the primary place that the House of Hex carried out. The decor can be superior. You can inform the venue house owners actually poured a ton of themselves into making the place as distinctive and fascinating as it’s. I’ve additionally met tons of cool folks there.

Do you shoot video additionally?

Nikki: I exploit a toy camcorder and make video collages from exhibits typically. Unfortunately it doesn’t actually tolerate tremendous low mild so I haven’t been doing it as a lot, however I’m hoping to get again to it quickly.

Blair: No.

David: Yes. I’m simply getting began on that journey in earnest, although. I’ve been filming bands with my telephone for years now, however I’m simply now studying the fundamentals of filming with a ultimate edit in thoughts, and nonetheless studying the totally different enhancing applications.

Chewy: I do, often. It’s not my principal bag as a result of it’s so time-consuming and resource-intensive however I’ve been stepping into it a bit extra right here and there. It’s one thing I hope to do extra of sooner or later, as time permits.

Share a tip related to dwell music pictures.

Nikki: I suppose simply don’t be valuable with it. Whenever I’m going right into a present decided to take the “coolest” photographs they don’t end up pretty much as good and I don’t have as a lot enjoyable. Also, the extra acquainted you’re with the band’s songs the higher it’s gonna end up.

Blair: Shoot singers or bands whose music you’re into. And earlier than capturing, watch the artist’s earlier exhibits on YouTube, Instagram, and so forth., to get an concept of how they use the stage, which means they have an inclination to face, their actions, and so forth.

David: Explore the house. Find the great angles.

Chewy: Events aren’t all the time going to go one hundred pc completely. The reality is, at dwell music exhibits, there are tons of transferring elements happening within the background that almost all attendees aren’t even conscious of, and nothing is all the time going to work out precisely as you hoped. So study to simply be versatile and roll with no matter comes your means. My motto for capturing is, all the time hope for the very best however put together for the worst. And if issues go a bit sideways, don’t fear about it an excessive amount of, that’s simply how life goes typically! But, in the event you can afford it, all the time have a backup digicam available, particularly if it’s a paid gig. And convey earplugs; your listening to will thanks later.

Other than dwell music, what else do you sometimes shoot?

Nikki: I’ve began taking extra photographs as I stroll round. Just fascinating issues I see. I’m planning on organizing some photograph walks with pals because it will get nicer.

Blair: Street cats, LGBTQIA+ artists, dancers, folks and issues outdoors of mainstream society, portraits of individuals I come throughout whereas strolling round my neighborhood.

David: Different efficiency arts. Drag exhibits. Burlesque. Shibari. Street efficiency.

Chewy: The streets. I dwell for evening pictures and love capturing the town at evening. I do numerous mannequin shoots out within the streets as properly, it’s numerous enjoyable. My good pal and fellow artist as soon as informed me I used to be a neon junkie, and I believed that was so correct, I made it the title of my first solo exhibition again in May 2024. I completely love the neon and the evening greater than I can specific.

Where can we see your work?

Nikki: You can discover me on Instagram @lessthani.photos and YouTube @lessthani.

Blair: blairkitchener.com and @blairkitchener on Instagram.

David: Just the standard social media websites. @davesmithlikeitsoneword and @schmuzername on Instagram, @deconstructions on TikTookay and @RepMidwest on YouTube.

Chewy: My Instagram deal with is @floatationmarks (get it? Neither do I). and I’m on that new Foto app beneath the identical deal with. You may also discover us at @the_house_of_hex on Instagram. Leave me a DM any time!