A gig

Emily Soon at the Wesley Anne

By Thomas Feng

July 4^th, 2019

Dear July,

I recently shot my first paid music photography job, a gig at the Wesley Anne for singer-songer writer Emily Soon, who also happens to be a friend from primary school.

It felt so affirming to be asked to be the photographer - I love live music and I have always wondered what it would be like to have the "photography" pass. I would be "that person" running around, asking annoyed concert-goers to sneak past to get to difficult spots to capture the best shots possible.

The whole experience was such fun and I learned so much July!

I arrived early and just hung out at sound-check to meet the band, before having a pre-gig dinner with them all which made me feel like a cool, indie teenager who knew the high school groupies.

I really enjoyed the support act Meiwa, who kickstarted the gig with her soulful voice. She brought a warm and open vibe to the whole occasion with her storytelling and songs.

Friends, colleagues and family of Emily had all come along to support her, and you could really feel the love in the room in-between acts.

And then Emily came on and mesmerised us all with her stories from her music.

She recalled how taking time off from writing has helped her to find new inspirations, think differently about stories, and you could feel that difference in her newer songs.

Her lovely bandmates Ben, Joe and Ryan brought an extra-buttery dynamic and production layer to the sound.

Oh July, you would have laughed at how sore my legs and shoulders were afterwards, but looking over the photos I was really pleased by them. I didn't feel as much imposter syndrome on my first paid music gig as I thought I would - if anything, it made me want to shoot more.

The next time I shoot a gig, I will remind myself to bring more film, and bring a second camera so I don't have to change lenses all the time. I also need to spend as much time photographing the collective band as I do the individual members! But that's for next time.

I am so thankful again to Emily (please check out her music) for the opportunity, and I can't wait to do it again! The gig has given me a nudge I didn't realise I needed.

I have taken on a couple of other photography opportunities since then, it feels exciting to be challenging myself with new scenarios to capture, and having it appreciated by others.

July, I hope you've been giving first chances to others.

With love,

Thomas

P.S. Thank you for reading the second of my 2019 letters to July (check out my previous letter to July), where I write to an abyss with empathy, honesty and a hope that you will feel comfortable sharing more openly with your neck of the woods.