“I simply do as I’m told, use my imagination, and get the shot.”
Skimming through Mumbai-based live performance, event, and behind-the-scenes photographer and videographer Joseph Fernandes’s Behance page, you’ll discover an exciting mix of projects for premium luxury stores, wedding shoots, headshots, concerts, and music festivals.
In addition to it, the ever-smiling, soft-spoken Joseph or Joe has left his mark filming concert videos and BTS footage for the likes of sudan, Anoushka Maskey, Shriya Rao, Shreya Bajpai, Adil Manuel Collective, Raaga Magic, and One Empire. In our Q&A exchange, Joe tells us that he thrives on pre-show shoots and empty shots and enjoys grabbing candid moments with the artists and bands before, during, and after their setups.
Joe’s initial steps into this occupation came after picking up an assignment for Mumbai-based culture company Tilt during their early stages. Upon purchasing a camera and “assuming it would just be pointing and shooting,” he explained to us, “I literally didn’t know what I was doing, all the pictures that I was clicking came out blurry and out of focus.”
After dabbling with the various configurations and settings of his camera, Joe took a step back to sharpen his skills and immersed himself in tutorials on YouTube, citing videos from New York-based photographer/camera reviewer and instructional video creator Jason Hermann as his go-to. Post this learning curve, he conveyed that “everything was going smoothly, I even happened to work with Tilt full-time.”
TFword: A trick or routine of yours to bring out the best photo during a shoot?
Joseph: Always pre-plan and experiment with everything in terms of framing.
TFword: Indoor venues or outdoor venues, what works best for you and why?
Joseph: I prefer indoors depending on the kind of lights they have; outdoors only during the day. Some of my favorite venues would be G5A Mumbai, AntiSocial Mumbai, and High Spirits Pune.
TFword: What time of concert shoots do you prefer and why?
Joseph: Late evening and night, because at those hours you can capture the best shots, but that also depends on how you play with the lighting.
TFword: What is your favorite of this job?
Joseph: You get to explore and meet a lot of new people and experience different kinds of cultures.
TFword: One standout show/concert or project you have been a part of in 2024 and why?
Joseph: sudan’s album Launch, I would say because I had the chance to see how hard work pays off.
TFword: In your opinion, how significant are mentions and credits for photography and videography? Why is this important?
Joseph: It’s really significant, because it gives us recognition and exposure, and we also get a lot more assignments.
TFword: Considering you guys capture the best moments at an event, how rewarding would you say this field of work is, and why?
Joseph: It is exhausting by the end of the day, but once it is up on any platform, I could say it is extremely rewarding and simply great work.
All images via Joseph Fernandes
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