The latest episode in our series of interviews is dedicated to find out more about Docs Benedek and his photos that have gone viral on the social media.
His passion for creating content started when he was 5 years old, when he first got a hold of his family digital compact camera he did not let go.
In 2015 Doc saved up to buy his first DSLR and decided to pursue this career. Throughout the years he has attended numerous courses and schools but most of his knowledge was self-taught.
His uncanny talent and sharp eye has caught many unique rave moments. You can support his work here, www.kraftundlicht.com.
How did it all start – did you plan to become the rave photographer you are now, or it happen by accident?
For a long time i didn’t know which genre of photography I should focus on but at the time I was attending a lot of raves which cost me a lot of money. So naturally I thought why not mix pleasure with business and took my camera to a rave, paid the ticket and made photos for free. I sent them to the organizers and they liked them so they hired me for next gigs and I was “paid to party”:D From there more and more of my pictures were posted online and new organizers noticed and booked me.
Which of your photographs went viral first and what did you feel?
It was a black and white photograph of my friend dancing, a lot of pages reposted the photo and much positive feedback was left in the comments. I honestly thought it wasn’t my best photo but I’m glad people really liked it.
Where were those taken?
Most of my rave photos are taken in club Arzenál in Budapest, Hungary. It used to be an arms factory and it’s probably the most favoured place for raves in the underground scene here.
Ravers and techno fans can see your photos on kraftundlicht.com, is there any place you want to mention so that they can check your work?
I haven’t started posting on Instagram yet but if there would be an audience for it I will start posting photos here.
From photos you took, is there any that is your personal favorite and why?
I have a lot of rave photos behind me so choosing one favorite would be impossible, but i really like shooting silhouette photos with endless hands in the air, those always look awesome!
What was the first event you were photographing backstage? Describe the difference between being in the crowd and in the DJ booth.
My first bigger event was the Katlan Festival, a 2 day rave in an old quarry. It’s really fun backstage because I get to meet a lot of DJs like Regal, Nico Moreno, Reinier Zonneveld, Artbat, I hate models and many more. Also I always try to dress in black clothes so i don’t take a lot of attention from the DJs but I still get a lot of looks, which i do enjoy of course:D
Do the events send you special invitations or are you in collaboration with them? You seem to get booked like the DJs that play there.
Sometimes event organizers hire me, and sometimes the venue holding the event, but I hope one day I can go on tour with a DJ and be his/her personal photographer.
Are there any additional projects you are involved in?
I recently started taking videos as well on raves but I have a lot to learn. Also I started working for an event called Techno Yoga where people can exercise yoga to live techno music from a DJ. Really cool stuff, worth checking out here.
How important is the editing for a photograph? Do you have any lightroom preset of your making and is there any way someone can purchase that?
Photographing is only half the job done, I spend a lot of attention in Lightroom to create an atmosphere with my photos so I published my Preset for sale that worked and elevated my career. It’s also a great way to support me!
Do you have any tips for event photographers?
Invest in and learn to use an off-camera flash, it really improved the quality of my pictures.
What are your plans this summer?
I’m hoping to attend a lot of festivals because this is the first year since covid that they are held.
