grain, Mosh Pits, and Point and Shoot Cameras

Photography By Joaquin Madrigal

Photographer Joaquin Madrigal opens up about documenting underground Chicano music scenes, being selective with shots, and how the skill of the photographer is more important than the gear.

Los Angeles, USA

How did you begin your journey as a photographer?

My photography journey started relatively early in my life; my mom would always buy me disposable cameras and eventually a Sony cybershot. Growing up in Los Angeles in a beautiful Latino community, there was always something to photograph and this paired well with my love for capturing moments and memories. To this day I still own photo albums filled with pictures that I took at a young age. However, after I broke my camera I stopped taking pictures on cameras and just stuck to using my smartphone camera for years.

It wasn’t until post pandemic when things started slowly opening up that I got back into taking photos on 35mm film. I was in the class of 2020 so the full experience of my senior year of high school got cut short before I got to do any of the big activities with my friends. Not only was high school cut short but it also felt like the whole world came to halt during this time. So when things started opening up again we were going out and exploring Los Angeles and just enjoying life and I loved capturing these moments and memories that I wanted all of us to look back on one day. After my love for film photography sparked back up, I started taking my cameras everywhere and upgrading from disposable to better quality point and shoot cameras.This eventually led me to start having a camera on me at concerts and introduced me to a new found love for concert photography.

What have you learned along the way?

I’ve learned so much through trial and error throughout the years of me taking photos. Most of the time I’m shooting using point and shoots so my aperture and shutter speed are fixed. However, there is much more to take into consideration when taking pictures, especially on film. You have to be selective on what you’re shooting because your picture count is limited. There is also the variable of ISO because you cannot change it at will like you can on a digital camera. However, the more you take pictures the more you get a feel for when the conditions line up and when to snap the picture then you end up with some beautiful shots.

Socially, photography has been a good outlet for me to get out of my comfort zone and actually talk and interact with people. I tend to be more on the introverted side but with photography I’ve grown the confidence to spark up conversations, express when people have cool outfits or makeup, and just ask for pictures of people in general. This has really helped me elevate my creative process and bring more variety to my photos rather than just a singular theme.

How would you describe your style? What makes your photography unique?

I always see photographers getting asked to describe their style and they always give such profound answers, however I never really thought about an actual name for my style. I would say my photos would maybe fall under documentary, specifically documenting my life. But for the most part I just take photos of things I find interesting. I enjoy capturing anything and everything I want to remember; they’re my memories. My good friend and a big inspiration to me creatively is Los Angeles artist @litersotiny, who helped me by reassuring me that I shouldn’t try to imitate what other photographers are shooting but rather just capture what I want to and eventually through this advice I was able to find my style.

I think because of this my photography becomes unique. Each one of my pictures are associated with a memory of mine, you’re looking through my eyes and seeing my memories. I might capture the same events as another photographer but they won’t have the same memory behind their picture as me.

Another unique aspect of my concert photography is that I capture scenes from the pit. A lot of times at shows I will see photographers at the barricade snapping pictures of the band and although I also do this from time to time, I also try to get pictures of the band from the view of the pit or pictures of the pit itself. I was introduced to the ska and punk scene from an early age and I always found so much fun in going back and trying to find myself in peoples videos or pictures. I think it’s cool seeing yourself enjoying a moment and that is why I like capturing people enjoying themselves in the pit.

You only shoot on 35mm film and use inexpensive point and shoot cameras. How does using film and these type of cameras explain how you see the world?

I’ve tried to use digital cameras before when capturing photos at events or concerts, however a big issue I had with this was that everytime I would take a picture I would stop enjoying the moment and begin adjusting settings or analyzing the picture. This combined with the almost unlimited amount of photos I can take took away from me enjoying the moment right there and being fully present. Using 35mm film forced me to be selective on my shots and removed the ability to see the photo I just snapped, this allowed me to be fully present in the action and just personally elevated my experience. When you look at a film photo it’s like looking into a memory, there's many imperfections and attributes like the grain that make it feel as if you are looking through the haziness of the past..

Using inexpensive point and shoot cameras has become a must for me because I often find myself right in the middle of the pit or in the line of fire for stage divers. It hurts me to say my gear has seen its fair share of casualties as a result of this. Film itself already gets expensive so I would rather not break the bank with having to repair or repurchase more expensive gear. However, don’t be mistaken because these cameras, although on the lower price end, still produce high quality beautiful pictures. I am a strong believer that gear does not make the photos but rather the skill and knowledge a photographer has does.

Tell the story behind one of your photographs.

Before the completion of the Los Angeles 6th street bridge, an underground DIY punk show was thrown right under it. Punk has always been a staple for me since a young age and LA has a really historic DIY scene since before I was born. The turn out for the event was crazy and since punk is full of diversity there were hundreds of people of all scenes and backgrounds who turned up.

The whole bridge replacement program is a 588 million dollar project that will not only displace many of the poorer population of Boyle Heights near the bridge but also destroy many art compounds and warehouses in the arts district. This place like many other parts of downtown will be home to many transplants who will completely gentrify the area. The show was thrown here in an effort to bring awareness to the issue through music that strongly advocates against projects such as these.

This picture was taken as a fire was being lit in the middle of the mosh pit while the next band was preparing to go up. If you scan the picture you can see a mix of reactions from shocked to excited to laughing. Present throughout the image is also a variety of different people, this image captures the entire mood of the show. The craziness only increased as the night went on up until half of LAPD shut the concert down.

Your work primarily focuses on underground Chicano music and skate scenes. Why does this subject matter inspire you? Why is it important?

I think it’s important to be in touch with your roots and your community. The Chicano music I choose to photograph ranges from Ska, to Punk, and even to Hardcore, these genres speak on heavy topics that many listeners can relate to. When your audience has a shared relation to the music it creates a sort of safe space at these concerts where people can freely and comfortably express themselves. This inspires me because seeing people being themselves and genuinely enjoying dancing or moshing just sparks the urge to capture the memories and create art out of raw human emotion displayed. I have also been fortunate enough to be able to repeatedly see bands and singers that have such an overwhelming stage presence that makes it impossible not to be inspired by. It is important to be actively documenting these scenes because it is important to show the range of our culture and also capture the pride we have as Chicanos in Los Angeles.

Skating has always been a major interest of mine.I think there are always some very talented creatives that come out of the skating scene. I wish to become more involved in different skating scenes this year however, the ones that I have been to have always had this hype within the community that is just so motivational. The 2023 FA Skate Jam did just this with a perfect blend of skate and street that shows the reality of skateboarding. This event pushed my abilities as I was trying to capture movement and it helped me get better at timing my shots on fast moving subjects. For 2024 I am going to make an effort to attend more of these skating events.

What are the most difficult things about shooting shows and nightlife? What are the best things?

I would say the most difficult thing about shooting shows has to be the lighting. Since it’s film it requires a sufficient amount of light in order to be properly exposed. Most of the time these concerts are indoor with not so good lighting so the real challenge is finding openings when there is light or using the flash without completely blinding the band or audience. The photos however due to different color lighting and flash creates these incredibly full of color images that are really elevated with the film. The nightlife comes with its fair share of difficulties, but I think the biggest one is when being out later there's less things open at that time, less things to eat and drink and sometimes it's super hard to find a restroom. Despite these hardships the nightlife provides a wide range of people who come out at night to party to enjoy life and overall just to have a good time. I think the people I’ve met at these shows and even met on the streets at night have all been positive experiences. The nightlife, especially the one in Los Angeles really gives you a look into the diverse characters you’ll meet in the city.

Who are some of your favorite photographers right now and why?

Photographers like Herb and Josh from OchoOjos and Oginee are probably my favorites right now. These photographers capture so many events and shows with such great photography and seeing them in action you can't help but to respect them for the love they pour into their crafts. If you have not checked out their work I highly recommend it! They capture the scenes they are a part of so well and do the community justice.

Other than this I consume a ton of art and get inspired by mediums outside of photography. Artist/Painters such as Litersotiny, Ricardo Cobain, Alfonso Gonzalez through their paintings inspire me to capture scenes that seem painting-like. There's also videographers like Mxrito who capture, edit, and cut videos that show the authentic side of Los Angeles. I am grateful to be surrounded by such talented and creative people in Los Angeles and thankful that their work inspires me the way it does.

What's next for you?

As of now I am just taking things day by day trying to expand my range of photography by photographing different scenes and people. I want to continue to meet more creatives and get inspiration from their work. Galleries have also been a very fun way to display my work physically and I wish to come up with new creative ways of displaying my work. For now I think I will just continue doing what I’m doing and growing as a photographer. 2024 I'm coming for it all.