Q. Name/Location
A. Samantha Irgang | Chicago, IL
Q. What initially inspired you to become a Photographer?
A. In June of 2023, I was really fortunate enough to get a photo pass for the Pride in the Park Festival through one of my internships at the time. I’ve always loved photography, even studied it in college, but I never knew what exactly I wanted to pursue with it. But that festival was my light bulb moment and I knew concert photography was something I wanted to try and do for the rest of my life.
Q. How do you manage to stay creative when working in fast-paced, sometimes chaotic environments like concerts?
A. Sometimes my photos can feel a little redundant, especially when I’m shooting at smaller venues like Schubas Tavern, for instance. But, following other creatives on Instagram and Tiktok in my field and seeing what they’re doing really helps inspire me to try and look through my camera lens from a different perspective. And sometimes there really isn’t anything else you can do differently AT the concert, but that’s where editing comes into play. You can have so much fun editing photos with layers, fonts, collages, even abstract color grading, and it definitely helps my work stand out.
Q. Are there any specific photographers or artists who have influenced your approach to concert photography?
A. A few years before I got into concert photography, I always admired Brit O’Brien’s work (britobrien) for Hippo Campus. She photographs all of their tours in such a new and fresh way and I would love to photograph like her one day. I’m also currently obsessed with Serena Yang’s work (photographyserena) and her editing tutorials are such an amazing tool. In terms of creativity, Liam Gillin (liamg516) is SUCH a huge inspiration for me because his unique editing style is something I’d love to strive for. He does amazing mixed media work that I would love to try out one day. The day I get a printer is the day I will conquer a mixed media flipbook!
Q. Do you have a favorite artist that you love to shoot?
A.Stephen Sanchez has by far been my favorite artist to shoot for. His chaotic yet controlled energy on stage was so hard to capture in low light, but absolutely amazing to witness up close and personal. I love capturing artists who move on stage and even dance a little, but Stephen took that to a whole new LEVEL! He’s an insane artist and I would absolutely love to photograph him again and again and again. You could learn a lot about capturing concerts through just him alone.
Q. What’s one thing you wish concertgoers would understand about concert photography?
A. One thing concertgoers should understand is that I’m there at that concert solely for press. I’m not necessarily there to be a fan and be in the way, I’m there to be in and out and take some photos for a publication. There could definitely be times where fans come across a little rude, but I don’t take it personal. I want to get stunning photos, they want to have fun and see an amazing artist, so let’s meet in the middle and have a great time.
Q. What’s the most memorable or emotional moment you’ve captured during a show?
A. There’s this one moment at the Pride in the Park festival I captured during Zedd’s performance that I’ll never forget, and I’m convinced this moment played a factor into why I wanted to pursue concert photography. During all of the flashing lights and the fans jumping around, I saw this little boy on his dad’s shoulders just in absolute awe of the whole moment. I noticed him a few times throughout the day and I knew he would be great to photograph. So, I ended up behind them during Zedd and I waited to see how he would react to everything. It was as if he became entranced in the music. I grabbed my zoom lens and took the shot. I’ll never forget that moment and I’m sure he won’t either. (I included the photo in the drive, but it won’t count towards my top 10 hehe)
Q. Do you have a spotify playlist or artist you would like to share?
A. Highly recommend Begonia! She’s a powerhouse vocalist and I would love to photograph her whenever she makes it over to the states.
Creative Portfolio: Sam’s World | Creative Portfolio
Photography Portfolio: Samantha J Photos – Concert Photographer | Chicago, IL
Instagram & TikTok: @samanthaj_photo
