Sophia Ragomo is one of my favourite photographers, discovering her work through The Photo Ladies, I instantly fell in love with her style. She is one of the few contemporary photographers who is an inspiration to my own work.
Originally from Kansas City, Sophia is now based in Brooklyn, New York (a fun small world story - she happens to be friends with another American photographer I lived with in Old York when I was 18 - Sarah Midkiff, you should check out her work). She studies photography at the Pratt Institute whilst balancing her freelance work alongside her degree. Sophia has worked with bands such as Halfnoise (Zac Farro of Paramore), Paramore, Grouplove, k.flay, The Struts, The Hunna, Joywave, Soccer Mommy, Temples, The Orwells, SWMRS, and Bully.
I had a little chat with Sophia, discussing her journey as a photographer so far.
What's your music photography story, how did you first get into it?
I was photo editor of my high school newspaper during my senior year and we were doing a story about a band from our school called The Greeting Committee who at the time, had just been signed to Harvest Records and started a tour with another band called Kitten. We needed photos for the story and the tour was coming to town right around the time we needed them, so I went, took photos, and loved it so much I didn’t want to stop!
Where do you look for photo inspiration, any particular photographers or decades you find yourself drawn to?
I go to school for fine art photography, so a lot of the photographers we study (although they don’t shoot music) have inspired me with their unique colors, innovative compositions, and ability to capture a candid, honest moment. My favorites at the moment are Dana Lixenberg, Stephen Shore, William Eggleston, and Annie Leibovitz. I definitely favor the 70s and 90s as far as eras go and some of the music photographers working then such as Mick Rock, Neal Preston, Linda McCartney, and Jenny Lens are some of my biggest inspirations.
What’s your “go to” gig equipment, any favourite bodies/lenses/accessories?
I am known among my friends for being the one who always brings too much gear, but when I am shooting personally with an artist, I like to have at least 3 cameras. I love the flexibility you get with a mix of equipment and I never know what I may be feeling or favoring in the moment of a shoot. I almost always bring my Nikon digital because it’s a good backup to have, but if possible, I really prefer shooting film. I go between a few 35mm cameras, but flash is essential for me. An instant camera is fun to throw in there sometimes as well.
We all have moments of self-doubt in our own work, how do you overcome those moments?
I do have these moments a lot because I get critiqued frequently for school, but I try to remember that something good typically comes out of it. Every time I start to doubt myself, I come out with stronger work because I try to figure out what I can do better and apply it. I also remind myself how grateful I would be even just a year ago to be doing the things I am now and that helps too!
For a photographer in 2018, how important do you think utilizing Instagram is, would you say it’s become a key part in gaining career success?
I think that it is possible to become successful in 2018 without Instagram, but it would definitely be harder. For me personally, I have gotten opportunities from people seeing my work on different band accounts or from people who follow my work, so when other accounts share my photos, it is a huge help. Instagram also helps me keep up with all my friends in the music world so if I don’t see them in person for a while, we can still chat and catch up!
What’s been the highlight of your career as a photographer so far?
There are a few that come to mind but the most recent highlight was photographing Paramore this summer! I’ve listened to them since I was in fifth grade and when their new album came out on my birthday last year, photographing them was added to my bucket list. I had no idea that I would get to do it so soon, but working closely as well with Zac on his side project, Halfnoise, has led to some of my favorite photographs and memories so far in my career.
What’s the most frustrating thing about being a music photographer for you?
I’m a total go-getter, so having to balance school with my career and the things I want to do professionally is probably the most frustrating thing. School sometimes gets in the way with how often I can photograph music and the two don’t exactly overlap as far as what subjects I can photograph, so I guess having to create other work in place of music that I don’t enjoy as much frustrates me as well. But ultimately I know it has made me who I am as an artist so I am grateful for that.
Do you think there is anything we could do as an online community of photographers to help each other?
Yes! Coming together to support each other in any form, big or small, is really an awesome thing. Early on in my career, I joined a group called The Photo Ladies and it was one of the best things I ever did career-wise. The ladies in the group are so encouraging and helpful to each other and it has introduced me to some of my best friends in music photography.
What do you love the most about photographing music?
I’ve always loved listening to music and going to concerts, so that certainly is a perk, but I also love getting to know the people behind the music. Documenting musicians behind the scenes is so special because it’s something very few get to witness, so I love being able to show people a different side of the bands they see on stage.
How did you land upon your photography style and how would you describe your style?
My style is super focused on color, so I would describe it as bright and a little retro. Figuring our your own style is such a fun journey, but if someone is doing something I like in their photos, I definitely try to think about what exactly I like about it and how I can incorporate that factor into my own work. There is nothing wrong with learning from those creating work around you. My style has changed a lot in the past because it took me a while to figure out what exactly I wanted to portray in my work. One of my favorite things about being a photographer is seeing where I am now from where I began and I wouldn’t trade the experience I’ve had thus far for automatic skill or success.
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