Me . .
I bought my first Camera in 2014, whilst drunk . . It sat, unused, in my car for six months or so, until one weekend, at a slightly raucous party, the photographer broke their camera, stopped shooting, and got absolutely hammered . . For reasons I still don't understand, I dug my "new" camera out, and started taking photos . . That's how I became a photographer . .
What started out as shooting parties with friends, quickly became something else entirely . . Transitioning into small local events, I became fascinated with timing, atmosphere and finding feeling within the moment . . Capturing the night as it unfolded, as we all flowed through it, then sharing it all back in a way that took you right back there . .
That path quickly led me into Manchesters underground music scene, the raw energy of the rave scene and very soon after, into some of the most recognised independent music festivals in the UK . . I fell in love with the chaos . . The affair is ongoing . .
Upgrading my gear, before taking care of my car became a thing . . Taking day jobs where I could be flexible began to come first, and bit by bit, things began to grow . . Music Festivals became my lifestyle choice, and I can't lie, I was absolutely having the time of my life . .
The 'Voodoo' name came from an extremely drunk Scotsman I met around 3am, in a Drum and Bass festival tent . . He couldn't understand how I could take photos in that environment, no matter how many times I showed him my flashgun insisting that I had some kind of Voodoo magic . . I liked the name, and the story, and so it stuck . .
Boomtown Fair, was the Festival that changed everything . . Being given the canvas of the biggest, most immersive, magical and chaotic independent music festival in the UK to explore, blew my mind . . Everything shifted instantly . . I began to realise that I'd been living the life of an event shooter already, that I absolutely loved it, and could make a living pursuing what had rapidly become a passion . .
Event photography stopped being something I did for fun, and became 'the work'
IN 2017 I began working with the Haçienda/FAC51 family, documenting the iconic Hacienda Classical show, Haçienda club nights and associated live shows . . I was formally adopted as lead in-house photographer shortly afterwards . . This work expanded into collaborations with Peter Hook, and Joy Division live shows across the UK . .
Being entrusted to tell the story of one of the most iconic club brands in the UK is something I still find quietly humbling . . The lessons learned from working with, and learning from professional media people were incredibly valuable, and sharpened my overall "game" hugely . .
Together with this, I was building strong relationships within the Boutique and grassroots festival scene . . Whilst I love shooting shows at scale, I adore the more intimate feel of smaller events, where the moments are closer, and the stories that bit more personal . .
Alongside this, I run a studio practise built on exploring instinct, and experimentation . . There are no formulas, or bad ideas . . It's just concept and play within a 'let's see what happens next' approach . . Space to create without constraint . . Explore my 'projections project' page . . Lighting subjects with Art and/or Graphics that have huge intrinsic meaning, is fascinating to me . .
Then everything paused . .
Covid brought the industry to a standstill . . During that time I stepped away to care for my elderly Parents, through their later days . . It was a time for family, not for Cameras . . That chapter has now passed . .
Time for more fun . .
Time for telling stories, and creating . . time too get back out into the fields, and back to the studio . . time to reignite my passion once again . . time to be, and feel alive behind the camera once again . . Time to get back to creating images that hopefully stop people for a moment, and hold their gaze for that extra few seconds and bring a smile, for a moment remembered and relished . .
Creative . . Professional . . Present
Dominic
aka . . Voodoo Imaging