Meet Anna Wyszomierska, a versatile photographer whose passion for capturing moments began with a digital camera in her school days in Warsaw. Now based in Berlin, contributor Anna has turned her love of photography into a career, specializing in music and event photography. In this interview, Anna shares how she first stepped into the photo pit, her favorite gear, and the unforgettable experiences that have shaped her career. From small indie festivals to big stages, Anna’s vibrant, light-focused style brings the energy of live music to life.
Hey Anna, can you please give our readers a brief introduction of yourself?
Hello! Who am I? Born and raised in Warsaw and since 2017 living in Berlin. I’ve found passion for photography in the early age. Back in school, I always liked to document everything and everyone around with my little digital camera. I have graduated from a Technical School of Photography in Warsaw and studied American Studies at the University of Warsaw. Now in Berlin, I am working as a freelance photographer mainly in music and event industry capturing the atmosphere and emotions!
How and when did you get into music photography?
Live music was something I have started feeling really drawn to at some point in my teenage years. It felt like I have found my place of belonging, or maybe I was just after a way out of the ordinary, something to get really excited about.
My music photography journey started coming to life around 2016. When I was in university, I came upon a music focused online publication which was looking for photographers to collaborate with (kinkyowl.pl – sadly the website does not exist anymore). I have sent in some pictures I took at maybe two shows where I could bring my DSLR camera in. Even though at that time it was not anything special, they gave me a chance to photograph some shows for them. The first band I shot was The Neighbourhood. The feeling of entering the photo pit for the very first time was something I will never forget, and it got me very hooked.
I continued photographing concerts and festivals for the publication and when I moved to Berlin I slowly started my freelance activity in the field. I would photograph different kinds of events, shows and sometimes took portraits and press pictures as well.
With which camera(s) and lens(es) do you shoot?
My main camera is Canon EOS R6 and as my second I have Canon EOS R, which I hope to upgrade soon to another R6 or R6 Mark II. As for lenses I mainly use Tamron 24-70 mm 2.8, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8, Sigma 35mm 1.4 as well as the small Canon 16 mm and 50 mm as a light addition.
How would you describe your photography & editing style?
I shoot a lot. I always try to get as many perspectives as possible, to find where the light hits in an interesting way and to have many options to choose from later. My editing style can probably be described as vibrant, clean, sometimes dreamy and generally color-focused, although I lately started leaning towards black and white too which I like to use when there is a lot of noise or when a color version is just not working out due to the lights.
Who do you usually work for? Bands, labels, agencies, publications, etc.?
I mainly work directly with artists or event organizers.
What are your favorite venues and why?
There is something special about the energy in small venues, Lido is one of my favorites in Berlin, but I think each one has its own character and something special about it. At the moment, I have to say for photographing I enjoy venues with a photo pit the most. Having the clear space and freedom to move around instead of having to push through the crowd or to just shoot from one spot is something I really appreciate. I enjoyed shooting in Uber Eats Arena a lot where they even keep clear paths on the sides of the crowd, so that you get to the pit very easy. The older I get, the more I appreciate such comforts :) But to be honest, I haven’t really photographed many times in bigger venues, so I feel like there’s still a lot to discover.
What are your favorite festivals and why?
I enjoy working at big festivals such as Hurricane for a possibility to see and photograph many artists I like to listen to, but also have the opportunity of shooting some big names. But a small gem like Appletree Garden Festival has a special place in my heart. Just now trying to count the years, I only realized I have photographed there five times already! I always can’t wait to come back. The atmosphere is like at no other festival I have visited. It feels like a cozy forest community gathering in between actual apple trees. The line-up always hits my taste right and all the people there are so thoughtful and kind! Also, short distances are a plus for being able to catch more of what is happening.
So in the end I like a mix of big and small festivals with an indie and alternative line-up, but the small ones in the midst of nature are the ones that steal my heart.
What’s the picture you’re the most proud of and why?
To pick just one is a challenge, but I will just go with the one that I thought of first. It is a shot of Yannis Philipakis from Foals, frozen midair in a jump. It was shot at Verti Music Hall (currently Uber Eats Music hall) and I do feel quite proud of it. Firstly, because for a very long time they have been my favorite band, but also I feel like the challenge of capturing those moments gives me the biggest pride when I succeed. Since I have gotten myself already quite familiar with their set, I knew when the jump was coming up, so I got into a position I thought would be best to get this shot. The end effect was even better than I could have expected. I think you so rarely get everything in place for such a shot: the moment, the background, the energy and most importantly, the lights. Light can either elevate or ruin your perfect moment capture. So this shot was a mix of preparation, experience and luck, but this is why I just love it so much.
What's the best purchase you ever made? Or what’s the best workflow hack you discovered?
Hmm that‘s a tough one. I feel like it keeps changing. At some point I was happy to discover Topaz Labs AI software which at the time had so much to offer that Adobe did not, but now you get almost all the functions in Photoshop and Lightroom… I recently purchased some dark mist filters, and I am quite excited about those! Also, generally almost all of my lenses are my best purchases! The great hacks I feel like I am still yet to discover…
Which bands are still on your bucket list?
Paramore! Cage The Elephant, Glass Animals, Tame Impala, Young Fathers, The Strokes, Radiohead, Haim, Arctic Monkeys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kasabian, Arcade Fire… all that indie teenage nostalgia.
What are your goals / plans for the future?
No concrete plans yet, I will see where life takes me. It would be great to continue working on interesting freelance projects and be able to sustain myself just by doing what I love!
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All photos: © Anna Wyszomierska