As I announced it yesterday, today’s Light Chaser is out of the ordinary (as far as this blog is concerned). The reason behind this, is that I would like to expose you to the widest array of styles, genres and photographers. I personally believe that you can find inspiration everywhere, therefore, getting outside of your zone of comfort or habits can bring a breathe of fresh air to your shooting style. So with no further ado, please join me in welcoming Canadian music photographerNancy Desrosiers.

1-  Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in photography? What inspires you as a photographer?

I was born in a town called Victoriaville, Quebec, and my primary language is French. I grew up with every kind of music, and it’s always been a part of me since I was little. I learned English by listening to Bon Jovi albums and one of my aunts took me to my first Bon Jovi concert; I totally loved it.

Years and years later I discovered a band called The Trews; I went to see them live and I was totally impressed with their presence on stage, their energy. I was taking pictures with my 35mm just for the pleasure of it and thought I had some great shots, but as a perfectionist I wanted to take better pictures. I thought about buying a new camera so I went to see my friend who was working at a camera store and after talking about what I was going to do with it and what I wanted as results, I decided to buy my first Canon Rebel.

Then I went on a road trip to Nova Scotia to see the band The Trews play and at some point Colin told me that he liked my pictures, that I never posted bad pictures of the band. At that point I decided to pursue a career in photography and took pictures show after show.

2- You have shot a little bit of everything but music/performance photography seems to be your calling, what draws you to this type of photography?

Being at a concert and being surrounded by people who love music is where I love to be. Seeing people having fun, singing, dancing, screaming, doing the “horns” with their fingers – it creates an ambiance that I love. I love going to concerts and talking to fans. When I shoot shows, it’s where I feel most comfortable; I’m in my world. I’ve never really shot too many things other than concerts so I can’t compare music photography to many other kinds of photography, but shooting bands is very challenging to me. Having very little light (or worse, red lights), artists wearing hats, and microphone stands in front of their faces are all my enemies; you always have to find a way, find a good angle to get decent pictures no matter what…but then again, I’ve learned that sometimes you can’t create miracles.

3- You have shot some famous bands but you seem to have a sweet spot for up and coming ones, why is that? How do you choose your subjects?

To be able to get into a show, you need permission. To be honest, indie bands are easier to contact than major. Some major bands are exclusively available only to big press (newspapers, magazines) so they can get larger visibility. I need to admit, though, that I’m lucky enough to have amazing friends that talk about my work and it’s opened a lot of doors for me; then again, I still need to show my work to open those doors and make contacts. Since I don’t work for any press, I tend to choose the bands I like and are challenging me. The hardest band I’ve ever shot is Papa Roach; the guys are always moving and jumping but Jacoby (singer) constantly moves on stage…you have just enough time to take ONE shot, and then he is not in your lens view anymore.

4- You are established in a fairly small market (Quebec), do you limit yourself to the Quebec market or do you seek opportunities elsewhere?

I’ve traveled a lot for music. I’ve been out west and east of Canada, into the USA , and over to Scotland and England. I really don’t limit myself, I go where music calls me.

5- Are there any photographers or artists from whom you draw your inspiration?

There are really good photographers out there…my favorites are Ross Halfin (music), P.R. Brown and Bjorn Opsahl (photo shoot). Do they inspire me?  Nope.  They take really good pictures and I love their style, but that’s not what pushes me to get better; I don’t look at pros’ work often. To get better I go with my instinct, my eye, what I want as a result, and I try to develop my own style, my own signature.

6- Could you tell us a bit about your current projects that you are really excited about?

I have some projects in mind but nothing concrete for now.  I would rather not plan too far ahead because the nature of the music business dictates that I be flexible and ready for whatever comes along, sometimes at a moment’s notice.  There are bands I want to shoot but it’s a matter of getting those doors opened that I talked about previously; that can take time.

7- Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for those budding music photographers out there?

There is no course at school that will teach you how to become a good music photographer; a lot of photography stores will give you courses that specialize in many technical subjects, though. Go to shows, take pictures, look at the results, and improve the things you don’t like. Find a course that you know will help you technically and while you doing it, keep practicing and pushing yourself to get better.

You can follow Nancy’s work  http://nannerland.com. Nancy is also a great member of the Twitter community, follow her here.