Check Out Michael Wright’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Wright.

Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began photographing in the summer of 2019. My focus at the time was on macro and abstract photography. September 11, 2020, changed my life. This day, I photographed the musician Adam Brannon of the music group Code Blue Austin. He placed his guitar, as he was playing, on the top of his head and continued to play it. I raced home to see if the shot I had taken was in focus and good. The shot was incredible and I was hooked. I have been photographing local Austin musicians since then. I published my first book, “A New Beginning: My photographic adventure during the Return of Live Music to Austin”, covering from Sept. 2020 – Aug. 2021. Today, I am working on my second book.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
First and foremost, I have had to learn my camera settings. Second, I chose an environment that has moving subjects in ever-changing lighting scenarios. Each musician/band and venue are different. Some venues require constant adjustments to camera settings. Yet, each shot teaches me and the cumulative result is that I succeed more than I fail. I have also had to master editing software so that I can overcome venue deficiencies. My goal is to always take the best shot possible, to minimize the editing, but the software has allowed me to salvage many “would have been” losses.

Trying to capture as many musicians as possible is a daily challenge. On any given day, multiple musicians/bands are playing in various locations throughout the greater Austin area, I can only be at one location at a given moment. I have, on many occasions, gone to multiple locations on a given night to capture as many as I can. I have to block out the thought that upon my leaving, something amazing might have happened after I left, and I missed it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a concert photographer and I specialize in photographing the Live Music Scene of the Greater Austin area. Eventually, I hope to be known throughout Texas and then the World. My goal, with each shot, is to capture and display that split second of time where the musician is so absorbed in the music that they are merely the conduit for it to flow through them. These precious seconds are far more exciting to me than someone jumping up and down. Don’t get me wrong, the “action” shots are exhilarating but these seconds hold me. I want to reach into a chaotic environment and grab that second of time to present as a work of art. I want my photographs to be absorbed by the viewers.

I am most proud of the fact that I never charge musicians for photographs captured in the field of battle. These photos are available to them to use in social media postings. Beyond that then, a discussion is required. This and the style I have chosen, I believe, sets me apart from all others.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
As technology gets cheaper, I envision venues setting up their own photography/video system to capture the musicians playing. Nothing ever beats the experience of being onsite but soon, we will be able to tune into a channel dedicated to 24 hours of local Austin musicians playing. Just like we can watch a recorded concert of “The Who” or “Def Leppard” from the past, we will be able to watch a concert we had to miss by our favorite Austin musician(s). Venues and musicians would receive revenue from the channel(s) in which their performance had been shown. This could present a problem for photographers wanting to capture those moments as the venue might see them as a threat to their profits. Thus it is important to have good relations with them.

I believe the day is not far away when my glasses will be the camera. I simply press a button and the picture is taken. Such would be non-intrusive. Technology has and continues to enhance photography. Today, I take thousands of photos giving me more opportunities to capture “the moment” than ever before.

Regardless, I firmly believe quality always wins out. A work of art will always make someone stop and ponder the moment they are looking at.

Contact Info:

• Email: sevenpillarsphotography@outlook.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sevenpillarsfoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7pillarsfoto
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SevenPillarsPh1
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/mwright0182

Image Credits
Michael Wright of Seven Pillars Photography