Louder has joined forces with with image editing software Affinity Photo to find the best new rock photographers of 2020. The competition runs over six months with a series of monthly challenges: Challenge 1 was on live photography and won by a shot of prog singer Damian Wilson crowd-surfing. Challenge 2 was all about Crowd & Venue Scenes and won by a great shot of a Machine Head crowd. The Shot On Mobile heat was won by this live shot of Manchester band Larkins.
For Challenge #4 , Album Photography, we were looking for new, original, unpublished music shots that would make great album covers. As we said, an album cover can be many things: a shot of the band, an abstract shot, a live shot, an image that captures the mood of an album or artist – and you sent us them all.
But there can only be one winner…
And the winner is...
Taken by Spanish photographer Luciano D. Kapa, the judges thought the picture was a great abstract, with an unusual perspective that played tricks on the mind (a hole that leads to the sky?) and a great colour palette. It could be a sleeve from 4AD's hey-day, a modern prog album, or maybe even something more ambient.
So how did he shoot it? "The photo is taken from a stone quarry in a town in Mallorca," explains Luciano. "They're totally abandoned and surrounded by nature".
Challenge 5 is live, and running until 15th of next month.
Congratulations to Luciano and thank you to everyone who entered.
Affinity Photo picture-editing software is about speed, power and precision - and so is the best rock music. This photo competition is about finding new photographers who capture the spirit of rock’n’roll and helping them to get the best from their photographs.
The competition will run over the next six months with a series of monthly challenges based around different aspects of music photography: live shots, portraits, shooting in black and white etc. The competition is free to enter and there are monthly prizes for the winners of each category. At the end of the six months, the judges will choose one overall winner who will receive:
- iPad Pro 11” + Apple Pencil + Affinity Photo for iPad
- The opportunity to go on assignment with Louder/Classic Rock/Metal Hammer/Prog photographer Kevin Nixon (OR - if geography makes that impossible - doing a Skype/online workshop with Kevin).
- The winning pictures will be published online on Louder and in our sister magazines (Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog).
Additionally, all entrants will be able to buy the award-winning photo editing software Affinity Photo, on PC or Mac, for less than half price - £23.99 instead of the usual £48.99.
Affinity’s John Atkin says: “Even the best photographers adjust their images before publication, and Affinity Photo is perfect whether you want to make quick corrections or complex, multi-layered edits.
“The low one-off price and no monthly subscription means it’s ideal for photographers on a budget, or who might not be using it all the time, while still delivering all of the editing capabilities the top pros require. And it’s all backed up with a whole load of free, easy-to-follow video tutorials that can help make you a better photographer.”
