The winners of this year's Kiss My Camera music photography awards presented by WAM have been crowned, and photographer Emanuel Rudnicki has taken out the 'Best Live Photo Of A WA Act' category.
Emanuel earned the award for his live shot of The Southern River Band (pictured). We chat with him about the win.
Congratulations. How do you feel about the win?
It’s my first time ever entering a photo competition and there were a lot of good entries, so it definitely feels good. I had a few friends that encouraged me to enter, so it feels good to win it for them as well.
How did you respond to finding out you won?
Funnily enough, I read the email but only really sort of skim-read through it. It wasn’t until the next day when I got a phone call telling me I had won, I re-read the email and there it was in bold writing. I don’t know how I missed it haha.
What made you want to enter your particular photo in the competition?
It was super close to the action, kinda like being right there up the front. It was also the facial expression and the whole pose with the guitar. I’d entered a few other pics as well and this one was different to the others, so it was chosen for ‘variety’ reasons.
What does winning this award mean for your career?
I’m not sure yet. Maybe that world tour with Metallica?!
Photographing live bands must be a lot different to being a wedding photographer?
It is for sure, but I use the same principles of photography in a live situation as I do at weddings; things like composition and use of light. Everything I’ve learned in shooting everyday stuff, weddings, or street photography, I apply to shooting a live gig.
Did you know when you took the photo that it would be such a great shot?
Not really, I might have had a quick look but didn’t take it all in at the time I was probably looking out for the next shot rather than looking at what I’ve taken.
What's the hardest thing about shooting a band during live performance?
It depends on the night. Sometimes you don’t get a barrier and it can get pretty hectic down the front of the stage, getting bumped around or trying to avoiding beer getting spilled on you. Other times it can be a pretty tight photo pit, so moving around others can be a hassle.
Often photographers only get access to the pit for a limited number of songs; how do you make the most of your time there?
I usually pick a member of the band and spend some time with each of them before moving on the next person, just trying to get my safe shots. Once I have those I’ll try and do something a bit different to what I already have.
When deciding on which photos to submit for publication, what do you look for?
Hopefully the lights are doing something cool; its usually the number one thing I’m looking out for while shooting a live band. A great facial expression and pose, as well as a sense of energy or mood is also important.
Any advice for bands and artists who want to make sure they get good live shots of their shows? What are some do's and don'ts?
Get someone to do your lights. Having the slightest sort of light show can make a world of difference to how the photos turn out. Have fun and make sure to move around up there.
