New York City based concert and band photographer Spencer Katz prefers to let his photographs speak for themselves, but for a moment, he put down his trusty film camera to explain his process and the similarities between visual art and music.
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The mediums of photography and music, in some ways, seem to be at odds with little potential crossover.
On its surface, a photograph is a one-dimensional piece of art that essentially exists just to be observed, while in contrast music is a multidimensional artwork that is experienced durationally. The idea of removing sound from music seems impossible yet in photography, a single image can conjure up auditory hallucinations that can feel as real as actually hearing a sound.
The ability to capture the sound of a moment and turn the reality of silence into actual music is exactly what a good photographer can do, and that’s what the New York photographer, Spencer “Bodega” Katz seeks to do every time he gazes through the viewfinder of one of his many vintage film cameras.


Katz was born and raised in Manhattan and fully immersed himself in New York City culture through his interests in basketball, clothing, pizza, and, of course, hip-hop.
If you ever come across Katz wandering the Lower East Side, you’ll be sure to see two things: a film camera slung around his neck and a pair of sneakers that require a double take, as you’re uncertain how they stay so clean amongst the filth of the city sidewalk. As a born and bred New Yorker, Katz has no interest in voyeuristically capturing New York from afar, as his photography practice stems from his own lived experiences and a desire to preserve the spectrum of intrigue that exists in New York from the eye-catching chaos to the beautifully mundane. There has been perhaps no better outlet for Katz’s practice than in his work with musicians.
Video seems like the perfect means to document a performance; however, in actuality, unless using a multi camera and microphone set up, videos rarely can encapsulate the layers of a performance, thus music videos incorporate so much creative translation rather than just traditional performance footage. Photography, however, despite its seemingly singular function, can reproduce the electric atmosphere in a room, the dramatic climax of a set, and ultimately the richness and complexity of an entire performance. In a stagnant image, story still exists, it just puts much of the onus on the viewer to fill in the gaps, and this reliance on imagination has produced a plethora of iconic images of both global icons performing to stadiums and local buskers performing to subway cars.
The artistry in creating such images relies on many practical talents that must be cultivated with regards to timing, setting, focus, and finding a flow with a performer to be able to essentially predict the future in a split second before clicking the shutter. There is also a certain intangible ability, in creating depth beyond the visible frame of an image, which creates a world of the unseen for the viewer to immerse themselves in and hypothesize about, establishing some photos as moments and others as entire alternate realities.
To learn more about how photography can transcend time and the senses, I sat down with the photographer Spencer Katz to discuss his practice and the intersection of photography and music.

A CONVERSATION WITH SPENCER KATZ
Atwood Magazine: How’d you get involved photographing bands and concerts?
Spencer Katz: I enjoy watching and supporting my friends that make music. I admire their courage putting themselves out there, and documenting their performances as well as capturing these moments is extremely important and special.
How do you approach collaborating with artists when conducting a photoshoot?
Katz: Trying to understand the artists’ vibes and their vision for the shoot is typically where I begin. Once I grasp what they are looking for I try to think of different ways to convey their message through images while staying true to the artists’ identity.
Do you think there are any similarities between music and photography?
Katz: I see a lot of similarities. A photo and a song both speak to people in different ways. I love how when a scene is captured so well in a photo, you can almost imagine or hear the sounds from that moment. Similarly, a great song can create images in your head, which can be super interesting when a music video adds images to the music.


Favorite concert you’ve ever been to?
Katz: It’s hard to choose just one all time favorite, but recently seeing Kaytranda in Queens at Forest Hills Park was awesome.
If you could be the tour photographer for any band or artist who would it be and why?
Katz: Kaytramine, because they seem like the most fun people to be around/photograph, and maybe Amine would gift me a pair of one of his New Balance collabs.
What is it about film photography that you prefer over digital?
Katz: The realness film provides that you don’t always get with digital photography. When executed the correct way, you can feel the emotions and raw energy from the moment captured.
How do you think New York City inspires your artistry?
Katz: The city is constantly changing, so I feel like I need to document and capture what’s going on so our history is preserved for future generations.
Top five rappers of all time?
Katz: Kanye, Kendrick, Nas, Biggie, Tupac.

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