You go to a concert; you have a memorable time. Yet afterwards when you try to convey the story to your family and friends, there seems to be something lacking —you’re unable to quite capture the magic of the moment.
With a photograph, however, almost no explanation is needed. This was especially true with the photographs at the fourth annual Sound Image: Photo Exhibition and Contest on March 12.
Hosted at the Analogue Gallery, the music photography competition and exhibition featured the works of a dozen photographers, showcasing photographs ranging from Led Zeppelin playing at Pavillon, Montreux in 1972 to Nas performing at Queen Elizabeth Theatre in 2014.
Judging this year’s photographs was a panel of celebrity judges, including photographers Barrie Wentzell and Katherine Holland, Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning, Retro 30 Host Gaby Henderson, ET Canada Host Roz Weston, and Analogue Gallery owner and photographer Lucia Graca.
When asked how the photographs were judged, Graca responded that she was “looking for a combination of capturing the moment really well and some sort of composition and technical know-how.”
Determining the best photographs of the night was certainly difficult, as most of the photographs had their own unique stories and perspectives and thus had equal chance in winning the competition. However, by competition’s end, only three winners were announced.
Taking first place was Roger Cullman for his photograph of Nick Cave shining like a beacon of light in a sea of fans during his performance with his band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, at the Sony Performing Centre for the Arts in 2014.
Following this was runner-up Vanessa Heins, who took home the second prize for her intimate and provocative photograph of Hawksley Workman backstage at the Tarragon Theatre.
Last but not least, Matt Forsythe took third place for his unplanned yet wonderfully stunning photograph of Rich Aucoin serenading the crowd at TIFF Rdio Stage.
Other notable photographs were Matt Klopot’s photograph of Weezer’s frontman, Rivers Cuomo, showing off his highly personalized Fender Stratocaster at the Powerade Centre, and Julian Avram’s photograph of the elusive Bob Dylan at Sony Centre.
“A lot of people get into concert photography because you go into a show with a camera and it’s all there in front you,” says Forsythe, who confessed that he didn’t have the intention to capture such a picture for the competition. “There’s an artist doing the performance and the lighting is done for you.”
At a glance, concert photography may seem simple, as one may think it’s a matter of bringing a camera and simply taking as many pictures as possible. The photographs at the fourth annual Sound Image photo exhibition, however, are sure to make one convinced that concert photography is a serious and challenging art form that is distinguished from other styles of photography.
