Photography Archive
'A moment of connection' - 18.02.2025
Kable Club, Manchester
'Feeling the Music' - 11.11.2024
Kable Club, Manchester
" The atmosphere was already brewing, the pulsing sound of the bass, as I made my way down the stairs I could feel the excitement grow. As I stepped into the venue, I could feel the intenseness of the smoke machine, I could even taste it in the air "
' Dancing around ' - 22.03.2025
1520 Studios, Manchester
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' Energy ladies massive' - 15.02.2025
Kable club, Manchester
' Blurred figures ' 11.02.2025
XLR, Manchester
' The drop effect' - 25.01.2025
Hidden, Manchester
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" The venue was very spacious and intimate, everywhere id look i'd get smiles everywhere in the best way, surrounded by positive vibes, different characters everywhere and different styles"
' Rave heaven ' - 30.10.2024
XLR, Manchester
' Untitled ' - 09.11.2024
Kable club, Manchester
" I was able to gather footage of all the elements going on. The dancing, the smoke, the lights and the decks but mostly the people and how they are reacting the atmosphere"
'untitled' - 02.03.2025
XLR, Manchester
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' Hands up' - 15.02.2025
Kable club, Manchester
' Vinyl madness ' - 22.03.2025
1520 Studios, Manchester
' The Power of the soundsystem ' - 22.03.2025
1520 Studios, Manchester
This selection of photos is an ongoing archive which I have taken at Jungle raves in Manchesters most well known venues. Influenced by pioneer photographers such as Tristian o'neil and Peter Walsh. Choosing jungle events as my main theme due to myself being a jungle raver and so heavily immersed in it , I wanted to see what it looked like on the other side, to see how it affected other people. Being apart of a community is so wholesome and when you all share the same love for a genre of music, you can feel it in the atmosphere and on the capture. Including quotes of my own rave diary, reflecting on the nights I took those photos. The photos showcase many elements from the crowd in different states of harmony to the curators, the djs. Here are a selected few which I believe express the exactly feelings portrayed visually from the facial expressions to the movement, showing what jungle music does to people and how it effects people.
Degree show installation
3x A0 matt photography prints
(2025)
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Research and Process
Research - Photographers
Tristan O’Neil - Rave Photographer
I have always been drawn to Oneils photography as i aswell am an advocate for jungle music and an addict to the atmosphere. I was always intrigued by how he was able to capture the sense of atmosphere and movement in his pieces especially with film, which is a real time shot. Some of his pieces would focus on seperate people and i always wondered why? was it the fashion? is it what they were doing in that moment in time? how were they dancing? Questions which I thought to answer towards my own photography process.
Highlighting a quote from a converstion with Tristan oneil : I related to the circumstances of the state he usually is in when taking photos, fully sober and just for the enjoyment of the music. Being a jungle music fan aswell it connects me more to o'neil
Dave Swindells - Rave photographer (Pioneer)
Dave Swindells who is another pioneer photographer in the rave scene and one of the earliest photogrpahers who captured the scene in its starting time. His work is another example which expresses the atmosphere of a rave though the moments captured and what is included I was drawn and inspired by the moments of symbolism within his piece such as the evolution of fashion styles in the rave. I have always questioned why was he inspired by it.
Reading into Swindells background I found it interesting that he had a brother who owned events in the early 80s so he himself was surrounded by the club culture and then he took risks and his opportunities to take photographs which I can also resonate with. He also speaks on that he interviews the ravers and asks them questions before taking photos, to me I think that is him making a personal connection with the public. Something whichI should start doing when im doing my photography.
Peter J Walsh - Manchester Rave scene
Peter J Walsh another pioneer photographer in the rave scene. Especially the Manchester rave scene and capturing the iconic Hacienda scene. He aswell as Oneil and Swindells are able to capture the atmosphere of the rave. I was drawn to the perspective of how Walsh took photos of the night life of a venue which would end up becoming historical images of a historic venue. An accidental archive. It made me question how could I do the same? Do I take photos at the same well known venues in manchester? Who would be captured? Would I capture well known figures? This is what I started answer to do within my recent photography work.
The Peoples Archive - Wigans 90s Rave Culture
I came across a photography archive of 90s rave culture in wigan curated by the peoples archive. I was drawn to this due to what types of photography are included, in the second screenshot especially you can see the rave fashion, teenagers flyer collecting and even just casual photos. Its the sense of community and how sentimental these images are, i could feel those memories from looking at the images. Thats what i intend to do with my photography.
I enjoy in this archive is the quotes from the people stating there emotions and experiences from specific times or as a whole. It made me wonder how i could do that within my archive. I could quote my own stories from my rave diaries.
Research - Theoretical Contexts
Staging The Archive - Art and Photography in the Age of New Media : Ernst Van Alphen
Reading 'Staging the Archive' I came across this quote which i highlighted, it summarises how the camera is an 'archive machine' I wanted to take that theory more within my work and how I expressed my photography and which moments I would capture.
The significance of photography as archives and cultural memory - Criscentia Jessica Setiadi
Reading into an research article I came across this quote which I highlighted, to me this reflects well on why rave culture is always documented in any way, the characteristics and elements of rave culture are not representative of everything but its own unique thing, I think raves are all small moments which arent so popular but they are not unavoidable to the eye and to how it can communicate that atmosphere just from looking at the image.
Process
This my camera I take all of my rave photography with, NIKON D3400. Although Im heavily inspired by past rave photographers i.e Tristan o'neil and dave swindells they used film and I find film far too expensive, so I use a digital camera. Im still able to get the movement which I like from oneils and swindells photos and to get the retro aesthetics I add a bit of grainage using adobe lightroom.
To take photos at events I ask event owners that I know for permission to come by and Im luckily able to get in with guestlist then I have free reign to take photos of the scene. This shows how immersed ive become in todays generation of the rave scene, speaking to venue managers and knowing event owners.
I also share my growing archive on my photography social media which is also how im able to contact event companies or sometimes im even given opportunities by events to come to an event and take photos of the scene
A few examples of my rave diaries submissions, after a highlighting key moments which stayed in my mind, how the music made me feel, how the crowd made me feel but also observing how they were feeling. Focusing on the known elements like the lights and the smoke machine and what effect did they have on me.
DEGREE SHOW SET UP -
Quick drawn layout: Installing my photography prints was a last minute idea to help fill in my projection space. Luckily I still had my A0 prints (31 inch x 46 inch) from my rave archive exhibit which I knew would fit onto the 130 inch wall. I had some help from my coursemate megan to set it up. I wanted it to be installed how I had it installed in my rave archive exhibit, as a set of 3 in an aligned form. We did the maths and measurements for mid point and the desired space between the prints but we struggled with finding the eyeline of the prints, we originally put them too high luckily our tutors stepped in and help then the eyeline was perfect.
- Myself finishing installing the last print