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YOUR STORY | Best of 2025: Emotion, Connection, and Why Live Music Matters
Anjeanette Photography
My name is Anjeanette, I have been an independent photographer since 2008, and really found my groove (pun intended) when I began seriously pursuing concert photography just a little while ago in mid 2025. In 2016 I shifted from photographing anything and everything to just high school seniors, school marching band and sports banners (make the kids feel like rock stars!)I spent every cent left after utilities and rent on concerts! My husband and myself had a someday ‘retirement plan’: to go to concerts and enjoy our golden years, traveling anywhere and everywhere to see our favorite bands in famous venues. I lost him to cancer a year and a half ago. His last week while I was still heavily in denial he had that rally we heard about, where suddenly you are tired and daydreamy, but also hit with incredible energy and euphoria. SO a few days before he passed he insisted we use tickets we bought before we even knew he was sick to see Young the Giant. He was so excited to be there! Brian had an incredible sense of humor, sweet and kinda dark sometimes hahaha. He said “you have to keep going to concerts” I said of course we will! I was kidding myself he had more concerts but I think he knew and what he said meant something else.
Brian and I met at a photography studio, he was one of the managers and my boss kept trying to set us up. We were both hesitant after broken hearts, so they secretly planned a office party at a dueling piano bar and after 10 minutes the rest of the group snuck out on us! Our first unofficial date was a total set up haha. So we started with music, and now I can say it feels right that we ended in music too although I wish it hadn’t ended.
It was six months before my friend could get me to a show, I was RAW and felt incredibly guilty being out of the house, being someplace ‘happy’ without him instead of, say, throwing myself on the funeral pyre so to speak and staying home alone. I would not self harm, but in many ways it felt like my life was over and I’d just be going through the motions, treading water until my body was done. Sounds melodramatic, which is something that makes me feel nauseous, it’s so true though.
I still feel a little guilty going without him, though everyones says he’d want me to. Grief is complicated.
I’d always loved taking photos, I was in my high school yearbook class for 4 years, and didnt stop all through art college for painting, eventually realizing this was my art, cheesy and we all say it but it really is my passion. But imposter syndrome is a bitch, so it took me a couple of decades to make the leap. When I did Brian was always there to cheer me on and support me.
Talking about grief and death makes most folks uncomfortable, including me. At a show you have 2 or 3 hours where you are surrounded by sound and positive energy like a cocoon, 2-3 hours where I didn’t have to think, and could imagine he was beside me or just zone out completely IN the music. It was a nice break, you don’t forget your grief at a concert but its a lot less heavy. So I asked a band if I could take some photos for them, I had taken the drummers’ senior pictures. He is a killer performer so it was great. I went to a few of their shows, made a video, and took photos of all the supporting bands while I was there. Then asked to go to each of those bands’ shows. And bit by bit with advice from youtubers and other photographers I started pursuing concert photography.
I usually go alone to shows to capture bands, it sounds like it would be sad or lonely but I kinda feel like I am going for both of us now. Once the music starts … complete immersion. I love taking the photos, and watching the venue bounce full of happy people, the bands faces light up performing, joy, laughter in people’s eyes. And let’s not forget screaming, scream along to the heavy songs if everyone else is. A big old Wooowho at the end. Fantastic for the emotions!
At a show, everyone becomes a family for a few hours! Especially small venues, people you have never met take selfies with you, mosh pits are just more abrupt “hugs”, everyone is welcome and accepted. Concert photography has helped me feel really alive again.
