This is Part 2 in our ongoing series, “Capturing the Moment“, where we dive in with your favorite artists‘ tour photographers and videographers, talk in–depth about their craft, life, and learn more about the unsung heroes of dance music.
Similar to many photographers and videographers, James Winterhalter began his career at a young age. The Boston tour photographer was initially shooting at local bars and tailgate parties while studying at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Adam Liderman, a promoter and now a close friend, invited James to shoot an Avicii show, kicking off his professional career. After the show, James met a club owner in Boston, which eventually led him to making videos for the club.
With endless hard work and dedication, James was given the opportunity to work with some of our favorite artists; Nghtmre, Datsik, Ephwurd, Brillz, Ghastly, Party Favor, and more. Ask any dance music photographer if they know James, and the answer will be yes. We chatted with James recently at Lucky while he was on tour with Datsik. Check it out.
Photo: James Winterhalter
DMNW: What is it about event photography and videography that first appealed to you as a passion?
JW: “I’ve always liked taking photos and videos since I was little. My friends and I, when we were 13 years old would take our camcorders and build brick walls, destroy them and put it in reverse so it would look like we were levitating. I even invented this character called “Rainbow Claw”; it gets weird, so that’s a story for another time. I also love music, especially bass music.”
DMNW: If you had to choose between photography or videography, which one would you choose?
JW: “Video, I love taking photos too, but I love videography more.”
Photo: James Winterhalter
DMNW: What are some things you focus on while shooting? How do you try and make your work stand out?
JW: “I try to make every video that I make better than the last. I experiment a lot with my camera motion, or the way that I am moving the camera through the scene. I think a lot about transitions, not necessarily a transition pack, but why one shot goes into the next shot. The story that I am telling is something I always think about, it’s the most important thing. Whether it is a photo or a video or any piece of art, the most important thing you can do is tell a story. And from a technical standpoint, I try to include after effects in a lot of what I’m doing to bring it to the next level and sound design. Sound design is one of the most important things that you can do as a filmmaker to make it impactful.”
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