Angelica Whitney Visits Section 36 Music!

Angelica Whitney is an incredibly talented photographer who specializes in concert and musician photography. Her talents definitely cover all areas, though. I'm thrilled she was willing to visit with us so we could all learn a little bit about her. I'm sure you'll love to hear what she has to say.

So, let’s see what happens when Angelica Whiney visits Section 36 Music!

When did you realize that photography was something that you loved?

I began doing photography in eighth grade, and it honestly happened pretty randomly. I was the Business Lead of a local robotics team, and when I found out that some robotics competitions allowed each team to have a designated photographer to take photos of their team’s robots during each match, I was fascinated. In high school, I did some basic photo and video editing during classes. I also had experiences with photographers and videographers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic since I was heavily involved in making and donating PPE to frontline workers, and some grants that I won to support that effort required me to have professional photos or videos taken. While in college, I rediscovered my passion for photography by editing old concert photos from when I had been close to the artist. I started an independent study with the University of Connecticut Department of Animal Science, which led to me upgrading my camera equipment and researching more about photography and editing. With this new camera, I began reaching out to find ways to get into concert photography, and am enjoying it a lot so far!

How did that lead to specializing in musician photography?

I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. As a fan, I’ve attended many concerts and always enjoyed chatting with photographers before the artists came onto stage. I also have loved connecting with other fans, such as through a pop culture business I run, and wanted to find ways to support fans, artists, and the music community as a whole. Musician photography was a perfect way for me to combine my skills and passions!

How would you describe your photography style?

I’m still developing my photography style, but overall, I would describe it as dynamic, energetic, and engaging. I focus on editing every photo differently, with some featuring bold colors and others involving motion. I find that I love capturing the pure energy of the fans and artists, and try to showcase that through my photography. I like to find ways to make my work captivating, with varying perspectives and even photos focusing on small details, such as the phones of fans videoing an artist.

What has been your favorite photography experience thus far?

I’ve had so many amazing photography experiences so far, and feel really lucky to have these opportunities! Overall, my favorite experience was getting the chance to photograph Nessa Barrett in Boston, Massachusetts. Since I live in New Hampshire and go to college in Connecticut, I don’t always make it out to shows in Boston, but the fans’ energy is always spectacular there. I loved getting to meet photographers who I may have only seen on Instagram before. Additionally, I loved getting to experiment more with my photos while moving around the venue a lot. I’m looking forward to even more experiences in the future!

What would you say are your biggest photography career challenges?

My biggest photography career challenge is probably time management. Since I’m in a lot of other activities and classes, I don’t have as much time as I would like to be able to continue developing my photography skills. Traveling out to shows is especially difficult during the week due to classes right now. I’m still working on carving out time for my photography though, and finding more ways to keep pursuing it!

Do you have any specific photography career goals?

I’m still figuring out my photography career goals, but overall, I want to continue growing as a concert and music photographer however I can. I’m currently a junior at UConn studying Animal Science on a Pre-Vet track, so I’m planning to attend veterinary school soon and become a veterinarian. This means that I won’t have as much time for my photography career, but I plan to continue it on the side. Mental health is a major concern in the veterinary field, and I’ve found that having the creative outlet of concert photography allows me to continue pursuing my passions outside of animal science. I have some specific goals (like photographing a festival or some of my favorite artists), but I’m just really excited to see where I end up!

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I definitely hope she gets to photograph those artists!

As always, I want to give huge thanks to Angelica for doing this interview, and for sending along so many great pictures to be used. 

Assuming you'd like to learn even more about Angelica, I would definitely suggest checking out her website, and following her on her socials: Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn

And, if you ever see her at a show, don’t forget to tell her you saw her on Section 36 Music!

Thanks again Angelica!