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Ruth Medjber – Portrait, Music Festival and Event Photographer
Photographer Ruth Medjber was born in Marino, Dublin to Irish/Algerian parents. She graduated from D.I.T. with a BA Hons. in Photography. Her work has been exhibited extensively in Ireland as well as internationally.
Beyonce in Dublin in 2008. This was one of the first shots that made me feel like a true professional who could potentially make a career out of music photography. Beyonce’s crew were pretty tough and restrictive. We had a time limit in the pit and a bouncer with a stop watch. She came out with this glaring backlight so instantly you needed to reset all your settings, then as soon as you did, she was gone again. Luckily I managed to snap a quick few!
Part of the magic of being on an official crew for a festival is the magic AAA production pass. It allows you to capture shots that otherwise you wouldn’t normally see. I shot this during New Order and it gives a little glimpse into what the FOH crew see on a nightly basis. No matter how amazing the band are, the can only be there thanks to their crew on the night!
Ruth’s father was a photographer who sold camera equipment and her inspiration for combining her love of music with photography. She would attend gigs at the Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin, where she photographed bands backstage.
I got to hang out with Kodaline for the day thanks to Tourism Ireland. We walked around Dublin city and they showed off their favourite cafes, bars, shops and locations.
“Four or five bands would play in the afternoon to a room full of wasted teenagers with terrible haircuts, myself included. I’d make a point of introducing myself to any new bands as ‘the photographer’ and then proceed to line them up against the wall to have their promo photos taken. I was quite a shy kid but when I assumed the role of photographer, I was this new, confident person.”
For me these days, it’s nearly always the crowd that makes the perfect shot, as opposed to just the band. When a musician hops into the crowd I just know we’re going to get something awesome. This is Savages at Electric Picnic. All the other photographers were cleared out just before she did this (as I think they would have really impeded her access) but their Tour Manager was super sound and allowed me to stay on. When you’re working shows like this, you really depend on that level of mutual respect and allowances from touring crews. We’re all just trying to do the best jobs that we can.
Part of the magic of being on an official crew for a festival is the magic AAA production pass. It allows you to capture shots that otherwise you wouldn’t normally see. I shot this during New Order and it gives a little glimpse into what the FOH crew see on a nightly basis. No matter how amazing the band are, the can only be there thanks to their crew on the night!
Today, Ruth’s portrait studio is a hotspot for local and international musicians looking for creative album artwork and promo shoots. She’s the official photographer for Ireland’s largest music festival, Electric Picnic as well as Hard Working Class Heroes, Castlepalooza, Guinness Amplify, Bloomsday, to name a few.
Growing up in Ireland I started going to music festivals when I was about 13. My parents used to drive me down in the morning and pick me up in the evening as I was too young to camp. I shot this during LCD Soundsystem at Electric Picnic. It was my first year as the official photographer, which was a pretty big thing for me. The band were playing “Someone Great” so it was pretty emotional. I was perched at the very top of the sound tower, completely alone, having a little moment of appreciation of all that I have in life.
An ongoing passion for Ruth is her personal photographic project, Women of Notes, in which she photographs the inspiring women of the Irish music industry and celebrates their successes and achievements.
Quote:
“I was quite a shy kid but when I assumed the role of photographer, I was this new, confident person”
– Ruth Medjber
About Ruth Medjber
Ruth’s portfolio includes portraits of renowned artists such as Grace Jones, Hozier, Metallica, and the Foo Fighters. Most recently, she documented Arcade Fire during their UK and European tour and covered the Glastonbury Festival for the BBC. With strong ties to her community, Medjber uses her creative talent to support local charitable causes and has developed a long-term project, Women of Notes, which celebrates inspiring women in the Irish music industry to promote gender balance in music.
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