It's easy to miss the life-force of a party when you're caught in the heat of a sweaty dance floor, ten drinks deep, and falling over yourself. In those moments, Yannick Anton is poised - he captures all the moments you would have liked to remember if it weren't for that evening's poison. Whether he's photographing Yes Yes Y'all, or musicians like Keita Juma, Brendan Phillip, or the OBGM's, Yannick's eye for the pulse and sweat of an event is always on point. He's far from your standard sit-on-the-sidelines type of photographer - Yannick identifies with his subjects and with the energy of the clubscape through participation. For him, that means dancing, cheering, and turning-up while also keeping a steady hand. We caught up with the veteran photographer for a few words on his personal history and the inspiration behind his unique brand of event photography.
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THUMP: How did you get into photography?
Yannick: I've always had an appreciation for photography. When I was younger I would (and still do) spend hours looking through magazines and photo books. My best friends are musicians so the impulse to shoot their shows came quite naturally. It was through their involvement with Yes Yes Y'all in 2010—a queer hip hop, R&B, and dancehall party in Toronto—that I began taking photography more seriously. I love when mist rises from the crowd, everyone is unified and moving while looking fly-as-fuck in their outfits. That's the moment I strive to capture - when people are confident and powerful. The trust I've built with the people I shoot is key to documenting the intimacy of those moments. It creates an opportunity for others to peek into a world that they may know nothing about.
Yannick: I've always had an appreciation for photography. When I was younger I would (and still do) spend hours looking through magazines and photo books. My best friends are musicians so the impulse to shoot their shows came quite naturally. It was through their involvement with Yes Yes Y'all in 2010—a queer hip hop, R&B, and dancehall party in Toronto—that I began taking photography more seriously. I love when mist rises from the crowd, everyone is unified and moving while looking fly-as-fuck in their outfits. That's the moment I strive to capture - when people are confident and powerful. The trust I've built with the people I shoot is key to documenting the intimacy of those moments. It creates an opportunity for others to peek into a world that they may know nothing about.
How do you choose the events that you shoot?
Shooting Yes Yes Y'all opened the gates for other events and portrait work. I usually get clients through word of mouth.
Shooting Yes Yes Y'all opened the gates for other events and portrait work. I usually get clients through word of mouth.
How do you choose your subjects?
The subjects in most of my photos are people I know personally. Toronto is such an inspiring space right now. It's in its own sort of renaissance with a huge number of diverse, talented, beautiful people. Usually I conceive my own projects, but clients also come to me with ideas. My next project will be shooting family portraits. I think artistic examples of the family portrait are getting lost in the world of cellphone documentation. Also, as families get older, they often don't have time to get together to do them. I want to show a variety of families that show the range of unique families that exist in our day and age. Printing them by hand will be an important aspect of that project. It seems like that process is dying out as well.
The subjects in most of my photos are people I know personally. Toronto is such an inspiring space right now. It's in its own sort of renaissance with a huge number of diverse, talented, beautiful people. Usually I conceive my own projects, but clients also come to me with ideas. My next project will be shooting family portraits. I think artistic examples of the family portrait are getting lost in the world of cellphone documentation. Also, as families get older, they often don't have time to get together to do them. I want to show a variety of families that show the range of unique families that exist in our day and age. Printing them by hand will be an important aspect of that project. It seems like that process is dying out as well.
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What is it about music and music driven events that you find compelling?
Music events and parties are compelling because I love to people-watch. The spaces those events create provide so many intimate and collective moments - people become unified because they are forced to co-exist in a fixed space. I love the moment when a big tune drops at an event and people are losing their minds. Right when the jam is in-sync with people - hands are in the air, everyone's smiling from ear to ear, someone is dancing on their head, someone else is getting picked up… everyone is moving with a sweaty glow. All of that happens simultaneously, so I have to be in the right spot to capture it. All I need is room on my memory card and a full battery to take in as much as I can.
Music events and parties are compelling because I love to people-watch. The spaces those events create provide so many intimate and collective moments - people become unified because they are forced to co-exist in a fixed space. I love the moment when a big tune drops at an event and people are losing their minds. Right when the jam is in-sync with people - hands are in the air, everyone's smiling from ear to ear, someone is dancing on their head, someone else is getting picked up… everyone is moving with a sweaty glow. All of that happens simultaneously, so I have to be in the right spot to capture it. All I need is room on my memory card and a full battery to take in as much as I can.
You seem to prefer shooting club life in black and white. Is this an aesthetic choice or is there something more to it?
I've always loved black and white photography. When I was younger my Uncle Walter - a brilliant portrait photographer in his own right - would often shoot my siblings and I on black and white film. He processed and printed all his photos himself. When I started to take photography more seriously I learned to shoot, process and print using his equipment. I feel like candid moments in a party setting have a more timeless feel when captured in black and white.
I've always loved black and white photography. When I was younger my Uncle Walter - a brilliant portrait photographer in his own right - would often shoot my siblings and I on black and white film. He processed and printed all his photos himself. When I started to take photography more seriously I learned to shoot, process and print using his equipment. I feel like candid moments in a party setting have a more timeless feel when captured in black and white.
Describe the political power of a photo.
The political power of a photograph derives from its ability to capture the experience of a moment that might otherwise go unseen. As a photographer, I have the great opportunity to create photographs that challenge societal norms. I have the chance to give visibility to people and communities and to memorialize their existence through my work.
The political power of a photograph derives from its ability to capture the experience of a moment that might otherwise go unseen. As a photographer, I have the great opportunity to create photographs that challenge societal norms. I have the chance to give visibility to people and communities and to memorialize their existence through my work.
