People go to concerts to see their favorite artists perform live. Starting in February, senior Chantal Usubillaga has been going to concerts not only to see her favorite artists, but also to capture those special moments with photography. Ever since she was little, her family has always been involved with photography, exposing her to it at a young age.
“My family has always been big on photography, and I started realizing I really like going to concerts,” Usubillaga said. “I have a passion for music, and so I just put one and one together and started doing concert photography.”
One of her favorite artists to photograph has been Faye Webster, a popular alternative/indie singer. Usubillaga has brought some friends along with her to some of the concerts, as well.
“Everyone was singing along and giving her so much love, and the energy was very magical,” said senior Braden Cressel-Simmons, who is one of Usubillaga’s friends.
This hobby of concert photography has been a fun combination of both of her passions. With six concerts photographed in just seven months, Usubillaga plans on keeping up with the number of concerts she photographs for the rest of the year.
She is thinking about keeping this form of photography on the side while most likely focusing on a job in the music industry once she graduates high school. She believes that this background with music and photography is a great start for her future business.
“It’s kind of a side gig as of now. I know I definitely want to go into the music industry with business, but I’m not totally sure about photography.”
While mainly photographing concerts, Usubillaga usually keeps a camera to capture moments from her everyday life.
“I usually take my digital camera everywhere I go, like when I do something fun with my friends. I usually only take my professional camera to concerts,” Usubillaga said.
“I just love the atmosphere and getting to capture such special moments both on stage and [in] the crowd!”