2024 has (already) been a year for the books!
At the beginning of this year, we at Lunar Ring Media set out on a mission to branch out our business to include a media outlet dedicated to concert photography, reviews, press releases, and engaging content.
Fast forward seven months: we’ve already far surpassed our goal for 2024, forging new and exciting collaborations with even loftier plans in the works. Starting the year off strong, we shot and reviewed industrial metal pioneers MINISTRY with special guest, dark electronic/industrial/new wave/80s synth maestro GARY NUMAN. Not long after, we covered Scottish pirates ALESTORM, followed by KORPIKLAANI, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, and INSOMNIUM in short order. It was a whirlwind to say the least. We later covered Swedish vikings AMON AMARTH, Italian dwarves WIND ROSE, and symphonic metallers XANDRIA: all incredibly respectable, hard-working and skilled musicians that were a real honour to photograph.
To celebrate our exciting year to date, we’d like to share with you some of our 2024 photo highlights.
FROM THE CROWD
In venues large and small, crowds make for some of the most atmospheric shots – they capture the essence and energy of the moment. Every single audience had a different atmosphere, even when different bands from a similar subgenre performed in the same venue. It can’t be explained in words, so we try our best to capture it in images:
DRUMMERS
The elusive drummer: often captured best up close and personal (and with one’s favourite wide-angle lens), they’re often hidden in a different world behind their kit. Drummers are the fastest-moving members of a band, and they have a special energy that’s a bit different from other aspects of a live performance: they carry the rhythm in their hands. They’re trickier to capture on camera for this same reason, and it makes the result all the more rewarding:
STRINGS AND OTHER THINGS
Guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, and other-instrumentists emanate the energy of their music. In a live performance, they craft the melodies that stir an audience’s emotions. Each note and chord played adds texture and depth to the band’s music, enhancing the overall live experience.
VOCALISTS
The vocalist is often the band member we direct our eyes towards in live performances, and with good reason. They are the conduits of charisma and emotion tasked with the responsibility of energizing the space and vocally transmitting the essence of their music to audiences. It’s a real craft that many vocalists take great pride in. While I’m often behind the camera, I always stop and admire the skill it takes to enchant a room filled with concertgoers from the beginning of a performance to its end.
CONCLUSION
Live performances are nothing short of magic. Diving into this type of photography can be initially overwhelming when you realize you’re capturing moments precisely as they’re happening – that they can never be recreated exactly as you experienced and interpreted them. I’m very grateful that our new venture has led Lunar Ring Media on a deeply fulfilling path.
Want us to capture your next live performance in photo or video? Head over to our contact form or send us a DM on Instagram!