This summer, ZUMIX student Kenneth Palacios–already an accomplished guitarist and radio host–added another skill to his repertoire. Through ZUMIX’s partnership with Bowery Boston, Kenney received a media pass to shoot photos and videos during several concerts at the Stage at Suffolk Downs, featuring artists in a variety of genres: singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, electronic duo Justice, globally influenced trio Khruangbin, and LGBTQ+ festival Out Loud Boston.
“I’ve always been an avid fan of music,” Kenney says. “I’ve always been fascinated by the video production of live music and performances in general. These days, everyone takes pictures on their phones; we’re always eternalizing things, and I think there’s a beauty there.”
Timing is key in live music photography, and Kenney’s timing turned out to be perfect: he heard about media opportunities at Suffolk Downs the same week he bought himself a new camera. “So I said, Sign me up!” he says, laughing.
Kenney’s first concert, featuring Teddy Swims, proved to be an exciting learning experience. “I got really into the photo editing software,” he shares. “I was so new to editing at the time, and my photos came out well, but I had to work toward that artistic vision.” Now, he says, “I’ve gotten better at it and I’ve gotten the workflow down. It’s been a love-hate relationship with editing–you look at it for a while and you know it’s good, but it can be tedious and take a long time.”
The next concert, by electronic music duo Justice, was an entirely different experience. “I loved the show,” Kenney says. “But it was a learning process! I was taking pictures of flashing strobe lights and so many different colors getting thrown at me. I had to learn to freeze motion, and some of those pictures were unusable, or they took forever to edit.” But, he says, it helped him figure out his unique style.
A few weeks later, Kenney found himself shooting at Out Loud Boston, which he says was “a bit more intense. More everything! More to cover; more editing; more to see. I shot about seven artists that day, with a wide variety of things to cover: colors, genres, musicians. These days, I’m learning to do my research before I go to shows. But it was crazy to be shooting my first festival, after not even a month of shooting.”
Kenney adds that the experience of being in the photo pit, as a photographer, is “not something you can buy a ticket for. Eventually, there’s no space there! Shooting from the crowd is also fun, though it’s difficult–learning how to capture different people. It’s important to challenge yourself, and I think shooting a festival is also an important way to learn.”
When Texas-based trio Khruangbin came to Suffolk Downs, Kenney was able to slow down and enjoy the music a bit. “Shooting these shows and also having a meaningful connection with the music is really cool,” he says. “As a guitar player, I really enjoyed the Khruangbin show. It’s one thing to listen to a song or see an interview, but it’s really cool to see live. You’re in the moment and you’re capturing the essence of what’s going on.”
Kenney has continued to shoot concerts for ZUMIX, but has expanded his horizons to photograph concerts for local media outlet Allston Pudding. “It’s definitely different when I’m not with my ZUMIX friends,” he says. “But it’s a really cool experience to shoot festivals in the ‘real’ world. I’m in the zone, doing my job, and nothing is stopping me.”
Besides the enhanced concert experience, Kenney has enjoyed the artistic challenge of making photos and sharing what he sees. “At the end of the day, I create for myself, as well as other people,” he says. “It’s deeper than just a random picture. I want people to see my art and like it, but I want to like what I create, too.”
Check out more of Kenney’s photos on his Instagram or his website.
