Interview with Nic Bezzina

Slipknot - by Nic BEzzina

One of the reasons i wanted Nic to be in 3 Songs. No Flash is that he’s so different (in a good way) to Matt and I. Most gig photographers these days are loaded with lenses and a swish digital SLR. Nic on the other hand only uses one camera (a film camera) and one lens. A fully manual Nikon FE2 and an 85mm lens.

I’m amazed at what he can do with it. The quality of his photos speaks for itself.

Here’s Nic’s interview with The Brag editor Kirsty Brown:

BRAG: Tell us a little about yourself. Who do you work for, what is your style
of photography, do you have a day job?

NIC: Hi, I’m Nic; day dreamer, observer, perverse, quite silent, music lover.
I contribute to Blunt Magazine and the absolute worthless, Unbelievably
Bad.
I have a casual day job at Crumpler, so visit me in the Newtown store
and buy stuff.
My style of photography is ummm…
I like to think it carries atmosphere.

How did you get into the photography business?

I dreamt of being a music video director, and music photography seemed
the perfect stepping stone.
I bought a 2nd hand camera and lens off eBay and started shooting gigs
at the Annandale Hotel, which soon led to a residency. Thanks go out to
the Dale for giving me a home to grow as an artist and photographer. Oh’
that and I became obsessed with my work.

Memorable moments.

Watching Craig Nicholls (The Vines) kick a photographer’s camera and
flash out of her hands. She was 3 people down on my left.
I’ve always hated bursts of flash going off mid-performance anyway.

Not so memorable moments.

I was shooting Brisbane band, Raising the Dead, as a favour. The singer
was extremely out of his head and volatile on stage. He started throwing
garbage into the crowd from a bin he wheeled in from the alley. A girl
standing next to me was hit in the face with a piece of meat. It was
rotten.

If you could photograph anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Nick Cave with The Birthday Party, 1983. I was still in the womb that
year.

The Mars Volta. Again.
And again.
TOOL.

Deftones
Bjork – Debut tour.

FAITH NO MORE

Who has been the most exciting person to shoot and who has been the most
difficult?

Shooting The Mars Volta was a dream come true.
Shooting The Mars Volta from the Enmore foyer was a nightmare.
Also, taking a good photo within The Dillinger Escape Plan pit proved to
be difficult.

Is there a memorable image that you have taken that has become your
favourite?

Chino Moreno, on his tour with Team Sleep, climbed the barricade and
sung into the face of many smiling fans. The show was at the Roundhouse
and I was lucky enough to have been on the second level, waiting, camera
poised.

What is 3 Songs, No Flash about? How did it come around and what do you
hope it achieves?

Literally, 3 Songs No Flash are the two general rules for photographing
higher profile gigs. The exhibition is a showcase of best works from 3
of Australia’s next generation of talented music photographers.

Dan and Matt asked me if I wanted to take part in a joint exhibition. I
jumped at the offer and the ball started to roll. They’re both great
photographers.

I hope it brings about future collaborations with bands/artists that I
admire.
Ongoing work and projects.

What advice would you give to budding photographers out there?

Practise, experiment, be patient, and always look to improve.
DeviantART.com is a great place to publish your work for feedback.

You can see more of Nic’s work at Nicbezzina.com.