Morgan Winston

mwinston.com

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Katie Gavin, December 2024

photographed for Amplify Her Voice

It is always around this time of year where I am called to reflect upon my art over the last year. It can be easy, especially within the social media landscape, to quickly move on from a photograph.

Last night, I was drawn to this diptych of Katie Gavin's show at Bowery Ballroom. I re-edited the pair to soften the banding in the first shot and add white border to each. I think they work so beautifully together.

These in-between moments of live performances, whether it be the details of the stage design or the magic of a guitar melody, are moments in live music photography that energize me. My motivation in adding a bit of texture and glow, I suppose, comes from a desire to depict these images as my personal, hazy memory of the concert. Quite literally, the lens through which I see the concert.

What A Relief is such a gorgeous record that I've found a new appreciation for, and as a fan, I hope these photos do it justice.

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MisterWives, 2023

photographed for Staged Haze

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MUNA photographed for Amplify Her Voice

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Clairo, 2023 🫂

photographed for Amplify Her Voice and JH Audio

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boygenius, 2023

more photos here

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boygenius, 2023

photographed for Amplify Her Voice and JH Audio

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Indigo De Souza, 2023

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MUNA, 2023

more photos here

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more MUNA pics by me 💅

photographed in St. Paul, MN for First Ave

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The Japanese House, 2017

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Maya Hawke, 2023

photographed at Music Hall of Williamsburg

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Del Water Gap, March 2022

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MUNA, Irving Plaza night 3

really proud of this set 😇📸

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Gracie Abrams at 7th St Entry. This show was magic. A small, dark, 250-cap room. It drew comparisons to Billie Eilish’s early 2018 performance in the same room. A ‘you-had-to-be-there’ concert.

I would pay good money to hear ‘Rockland’ performed in this room again. I can still hear her sing ‘you cut deep / I see you every night in my sleep’.

The connection she has with her fans is unbelievably genuine yet playful, so I really wanted to push my comfort zone with this edit. Using a star filter, I was able to achieve some of the haziness of shooting on film, and I cropped in quite a bit to achieve more grain and capture the intimacy of the tight space.

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In January, I had the pleasure of joining my friend Mike Kota on a little road trip from Minneapolis to Duluth. It is one of my favorite memories from 2022 because I got to see her perform and spend quality time with friends.

I love the warmth and "quietness" of this photo, I can't remember if I shot it on 400 speed film pushed to 800, or if this was a rare occasion where I actually had a roll of 800 speed film. In any case, I love the texture and I think you can feel that it was taken on a snowy, winter night in Duluth.

I'll hold this memory close.

P.S. I firmly believe that Mike Kota is the next big thing. Listen here.

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I've revived my Tumblr presence! I'd like to use this platform to be more intentional about how I share my art and how I interact with other artists. My initial plan is to go through my favorite photos I took in 2022 and re-share them with a more critical lens, starting with my first concert of 2022.

This photo of Josette Maskin of MUNA is one of my favorites. I love the way the light catches on their face, and I think the contrast between the chrome blue guitar with the deep red background is gorgeous. In my original edit I kept the photo "clean," but in my re-edit I've added some texture in Photoshop. I think it adds depth to those reds and browns.

This concert meant a lot to me. It was my first proper arena show, and I was positioned way back at the soundboard. I'm proud that I was still able to capture an intimate photo despite being so far away from the stage. I'm sure a lot of music photographers can relate: when I'm a genuine fan of the artist, it's even more important to me that I capture the show in the way I know I can.