Our photographer Spencer Gray captured DJ Dijon at Holocene in Portland this weekend. Take a look below for some select shots from the show.
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Dijon at Holocene
Tag: concert photographer
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ALMA at Brooklyn Steel
ALMA opened at Brooklyn Steel on February 13th for the second sold out night in a row and gave us a taste of her upcoming album. And, of course, she came out to sing “Bad As The Boys” with Tove Lo. Take a look at the gallery below for some images from the concert.
Photos by Lauren Hayes
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Cold War Kids at Webster Hall
We were extra excited when, at 5pm on a Tuesday, we got approved to photograph Cold War Kids in NYC. They performed at the historic Webster Hall on February 4th to a very hyped crowd (us included). Check out the photo gallery below.
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Overcoats at Webster Hall
Overcoats came to Webster Hall in NYC on February 4th, 2020 and brought all the amazing harmonies (and some awesome dance moves). If you haven’t heard of them yet, add them to the top of your listen to next list. You can check out all the shots from the show below.
I spent my last two nights with Dermot Kennedy and let me tell you.. I feel as if I’ve gone through 5 years of therapy in a matter of 48 hours. I’ve never come across a musician quite as talented or lyrically creative. The depth of the lyrics combined with his passion set him worlds apart from other artists. His shows are the type you get lost in. Last night, I heard (and felt) every lyric like it was the first time. I’ve seen Dermot several times now, but regardless of seeing the same songs performed multiple times, each show has been its own, unique, experience. The songs have the power to shape-shift into whatever I need them to be, and I think that’s the most beautiful thing about them. I was standing in a sold out venue; shoulder to shoulder with countless strangers and I couldn’t stop wondering how everyone around me was interpreting the words.
For Island Fires and Family is a particularly emotional song for me. It’s a song he sings solo, which means there are lulls in the music and moments of silence. Last night (and the night before), the silence was filled with sniffles — mine and all of the strangers standing around me. Everyone took that song and applied it to their own lives. How beautiful it must be to create something that touches thousands of people so deeply and intimately. It’s not lost on me how special that is and how lucky I am to have experienced it.
Every time I see Dermot perform, I seem to be dealing with some emotionally heavy things. I walked out of the venue last night feeling 1,000 pounds lighter than I did walking in. I wish I could tell him thank you for that. To all my friends (iykyk): if @dermotkennedy is coming to your city, I urge you to buy a ticket asap. Trust me on this one.
The last lyric of For Island Fires and Family is, “even though this life, this love, is brief, I’ve got some people who carry me.” We’ve all got those people who help us get through the day-to-day. Hug your friends. Hug your family. Tell the people who carry you that you appreciate them a little bit more often. 🖤
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Baynk at El Rey Theatre
Our staff photographer Nicole Gagne covered the Baynk concert at the El Rey Theatre on January 31, 2020. Austin Millz and Nolie also performed at the show. Check out the photos below!
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Matoma at Terminal 5
This Saturday, February 1, 2020, Matoma performed to a sold-out screaming crowd in New York City at Terminal 5. It was high energy, with smoke, lasers, and all the stops for “Camp Superdope,” a two-night event. After experiencing it ourselves, we agree, it was super dope.
Win and Woo opened the show, and Two Friends co-headlined with Matoma. Check out the awesome shots below. Photos by Gaby Deimeke.
She’s taking the EDM photography scene by storm. Based in New York City, Dumarys Espaillat, under her brand name MsMoonlightArts, travels all over the country to shoot shows and music festivals. I had a lot of questions I wanted to dive into, so without further ado, here’s the interview we did with the incredible concert and festival photographer, MsMoonlightArts.
Tell us how long you’ve been shooting and why you started shooting concerts. I have been shooting for around six years. The way I started shooting was maybe a little bit different than most people. I was living in Puerto Rico and I used to work as a Production Assistant Manager for a company that produced events, mostly EDM events. So after a while (since I had no need to worry about getting a press pass) I started bringing my camera into shows, just for fun. As time went by, I got better at it, until one day the band Capital Cities played a show in Puerto Rico. I managed to capture a nice photo of their trumpeter at the time, Spencer Ludwig.
Photos By http://www.msartsandphotos.com/
Photo 2: Ghastly, Ultra Music Festival, Miami 2018
After the show, a friend encouraged me to show him the photo, which I did, and he loved it and posted it on all his socials and that was the moment when it clicked. The thought of “if he liked my photo maybe others will and I can get hired for it and maybe also travel” came to my mind. So from that moment and on I created my brand, Ms Moonlight Arts (after a high school nickname) and started focusing in improving my photos, setting up goals and finding my style.
What are some of your favorite shots you’ve taken at shows and why?
This shot taken at elrow last year opened a lot of doors for me. This photo was featured in Billboard.com in an article of elrow but it also contributed to me getting my current job. While I freelance in photography, I do have a full-time job where we do marketing for festivals and nightlife events. Besides that, I love how colorful it is, the composition and all the confetti. I think it captures what elrow is, something fun, colorful and crazy.
Ever since I started taking photos, I always wanted to have a photo of a moment like this, when people light up their cellphones from the crowd. I think it is such a magical moment for the performers, usually a slow song plays, everybody sings, it is just beautiful!
Photos By http://www.msartsandphotos.com/ 
Photo 2: Empire of the Sun, We The Future Festival, Puerto Rico, March 2017
Photo 3: Galantis at The Brooklyn Mirage, NYC July 2019
Photo 4: Electric Daisy Carnival: Orlando, November 2019
Fireworks! Who doesn’t love them! I am always looking forward to any pyro shots because they impact so much the way a stage and performers are displayed in a photo.
What’s the hardest part about concert photography?
I would say the times you have to work, while festivals mostly end around midnight, a lot of events I have shoot at end around 4am or so, in certain occasions even later and you have to sometimes go home and edit or edit on site. I have worked some crazy hours, overnights, staying up until like 7am editing after a show. When you do this but you also have a full-time job, sometimes it is not so fun the next day. It does requires a lot of energy to be running around with a heavy backpack sometimes 12+ hours and still edit after or during a show.
Photo 2: Zedd, Electric Zoo Festival, Randall’s Island, NYC, September 2019
What do you love about shooting shows?
The energy, the people and the music. There is no way to describe how awesome it feels walking into a stage or a photo pit full of fans screaming and singing their hearts out! There is a magic to it. Also since I’ve worked in the production side, I know how much hard work it takes to put on a good show. This is why I always love when festivals and/or concerts bring onboard new things to amaze the crowd from lasers, Pyro, Drones, different stages, sound quality, new experiences, performers. It’s just awesome when it is all mixed together.
Photo 2: Girl Headbanging, Electric Zoo Festival, Randall’s Island, NYC, September 2019
Photo 3: Girl dancing, Governor’s Ball Festival, Randall’s Island, NYC, June 2019
Photo 4: Performers, Electric Daisy Carnival, Orlando, November 2019
What advice do you have for concert photographers just starting out?
Always follow your dreams even if you don’t feel you made it yet! There is always improvement, re-evaluate your work, plan your next moves, learn from others and improvise. Doesn’t matter what field you are in. I never thought I would be where I am now, even though I still feel like I have tons of things to learn. Photography has taken me to places I never thought I would visit, it sparked even more of my passion for traveling and besides shooting shows, I have had the chance to work with people and brands that I never thought I would work for. From corporate gigs to fashion, food, with brands such as HBO, J.C. Crew and Dunkin’ Donuts among others.
Check out MsMoonlight Arts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and have a look at her portfolio here.
crowdsurfermag.com 