What a year! After two COVID years during which there were almost no shows and it was really hard to get accreditation for a few of them (when not canceled last minute). We finally had a big year of concerts! I hope this will continue in 2023. In the meantime here is my review of 2022.
Review in number:
We often forget how many concerts we are doing when working as concert photographers. When I review the number it feels a bit crazy but I am really happy to be able to shoot that much band and see great artists on stage. When you are a music lover like me, it is a blessing.
This year I shot 101 bands during 26 nights of concerts and 3 days of festivals. And trust me, I am not doing that much compare to other friends’ photographers.
I also have been able to see Rammstein live, I sadly was not allowed to photograph them, which was again an amazing show. They are on my bucket list.
Review in photo
Here is a selection of my favorite photos of the year.
Working for two magazines
Another big news for this year is that I continue to work for Thorium Mag, but I also starting to work with Vecteur Magazine, a free printed magazine available in french on their website and in different stores in France (And I hope soon in Quebec).
Working for two magazines comes with challenges, especially as Vecteur is new in Quebec, so we need to gain the trust of the different show promoters to be allowed to the different concert venues. But we had a great start at the end of the year, I hope it will continue in 2023.
Big thanks to both Thorium Mag and Vecteur Magazine, without them I would not be there at all!
Thanks to the bands that trusted me
You may not know it, but working as a concert photographer can be very hard to make a living. In 2022 I had the chance to have two great bands that trusted me to be their photographer during several shows. I can not thank them enough for that, it allowed me to have stage access and really work on my shots, even if the venue were not always optimal to make the greatest pictures.
I hope I will have the opportunity to work with more bands next year. If you are a band in Montreal and you would like to work with me on photos or videos, do not hesitate to contact me!
What is next in 2023 ?
I think I will try to do as many shows as 2022, I do not think I will have time for more. But I may be able to cover the hellfest as a photographer (not 100% sure yet), which would be a dream come true.
I also try to study the possibility of selling some prints of my photos, I know some people are doing it, but it is unclear if I can legally do that as a concert photographer… If you know the rules, let me know !
I also will do my classic portfolio book of the year with my best shots, I just received my 2020/2021/2022 (thanks to COVID it is three years in one book this time), and it is always great to see photos printed on paper.
Finally, thanks to everyone who is supporting me in this passion.
See you in the pit!