Auckland Festival of Photography Trust proudly presents an exclusive presentation of music photography taken in New Zealand by leading professionals and amateurs alike. creating a selection of images as part of our ‘Movement’ [Kori] theme presented on outdoor lightboxes.
The movement theme in music photography focuses on capturing the energy, rhythm, and kinetic motion of a live performance or musical artist, moving beyond static, posed shots to convey a sense of action and emotion. This approach often involves balancing technical skills—such as shutter speed control, ISO, and aperture—with an understanding of the performance's rhythm to create dynamic visual stories. “Musical rhythm is not so different from visual rhythm. A progression of notes over a period of time is a fraternal twin to the layering of shapes, light, and dark that form a photographic image. The most successful photographs are almost always those that have a rhythm, giving the viewer’s eye a coherent path.
Music is a play between ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ objects—notes and the silence between. I believe it was Debussy who said that “Music is the space between the notes”; and negative space plays an equally important role in composing (aha) a photograph. In both, there is momentum. And a very particular relation to time. I like thinking about the photographer’s frame as analogous to the musician’s beginning and ending notes. A boundary defines the piece.” Nick Clayton, Casual Photophile 2021 The Festival team has curated a selection of previous entries to the Aotearoa Music Photography Award to share on outdoor lightboxes.
Thanks to these exhibiting photographers -
- Stan Walker at Globox Arena by Brad Miller
- Electric Avenue #2 – 21/02/25, Christchurch by Ludivine Pellissier
- Harry Styles by Phoebe Bott
- Jonathan Bree music video shoot, March 30th 2025 by Xander James
- Aickin, 24/11/31 The Other’s Way by Danielle Hao
- Troye Sivan, Spark Arena, Auckland by Gabriel Hailtree
- Death Chemist, 25th March 2025 by Lachlan Kirkwood
- DJ Silhouette – The booth’s light and dark atmosphere creates a glowing edge around the DJ, creating his silhouette by Mili Villamil
- GUITARWOLF by Yuki Wada
- Exploding Orchestra at Hopetoun Alpha. Dark magician and composer Joshua Worthington Church, levitating during ERO Songbook Three by Connor Crawford
- Ready to fly – Amelia Murray(Fazerdaze) getting ready to perform her hometown show for her new album by Azrie Azizi
- Slipknot Crowd, Spark Arena 2025 by Robin (Emma) Wilkinson
- Moment in Time – Kehlani Crash Tour After Party at Darby Street Station by Xavier Christiansen
Proudly supported by Auckland Council Events and Auckland Live.
