Sónar Reykjavík: The Backstage Portraits - Matt Eisman's done it again!

Matt Eisman's done it again!

The glitter is gone, your hangover has subsided and Sónar Reykjavík 2015 is a wrap! By most accounts, it was a great weekend that had something for everyone. Instead of the usual concert coverage, I decided to focus on artist portraits. “Why portraits?” you might ask. Well, I love the energy of shooting live music, but portraiture is a whole other world of technical and creative challenges. It’s also just about talking to people, making them feel comfortable in front of the lens and sharing a moment.

All of the images here were shot backstage in Harpa where I set up a makeshift portrait booth using white seamless paper and some portable flashes. I had artists drop by whenever they could (sometimes right before they went on stage) and typically had about five minutes or less with each. I was very fortunate to get many of the headliners including Skrillex, Paul Kalkbrenner, Daniel Miller and Kindness. I settled on a minimal black and white look for this series. There’s just something about black and white that focuses attention and feels more intimate. Hope you enjoy!

This sort of project is impossible to pull off without a lot of help behind the scenes. Huge thanks to Gustavo of Sónar PR, Ásgeir, Eldar, Sigga, Egill and Melina of Sónar Reykjavík’s production team, Sónar Reykjavík volunteers Leana and Sarah, and of course all of the musicians that participated!

If you’re interested to see more of my work, please check out my website, and follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!