Chloe MooreIn the fast-paced world of dance music, videographer and photographer Daniel Fennessy, known as Kodak Dan, has distinguished himself with a unique and striking visual aesthetic. Over the past two years, he has dedicated himself to capturing the high-octane performances of artists like blk., I Hate Models, and Yasmin Gardezi, telling their stories through his lens.
I caught up with Daniel to talk about his future projects, his favourite ways to shoot and his sobriety journey.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in photography and videography?
I’m From Dublin, I grew up going to events and raves in Dublin. I was a college student at the time, and a lot of events I couldn’t really afford or were sold out, so I would just message, email, whatever way, and ask promoters if they would like me to cover their nights for free in exchange.
From there I found a passion for really capturing people uninterrupted at the moment just enjoying the music, and from there I started to get bookings and started to diversify into videography because I noticed there was a lack of in the scene in Dublin, especially ones who would cover smaller venues and collectives.
During the summer of last year, just before Emerge Festival, I decided I wanted to go full-time with videography and pursue it as my career. I remember being dead broke and couldn’t afford hotels, so I would get the bus up at 10am and get one back to Dublin, editing all the content, then doing it all over again the next day. A lot of that and sleeping in airports just to get the opportunity to go abroad and work and build networks.
It all paid off in the end, and I’m glad I went through it and did it. I got to build long-term connections with DJs like Yasmin Gardezi, Mall Grab, and Obskür.
Who are your biggest creative influences, either from Ireland or internationally?
I wouldn’t say there are certain people, but I have a lot of respect for everyone in the creative scene, from photographers to videographers, light techs, visual jockeys, artist liaisons, and DJs as well. Just everyone who plays individual parts that create an event so special.
A lot of love as well, watching other videographers who I would have seen start at a similar time to myself and how they have progressed in their work and relationships with the people they work with grow.
How did you come to work with blk., and how has that collaboration shaped your approach?
I was introduced to his agency Reboot by Jamie Harris and started working on a few gigs with them and have done so ever since. Reboot is like my family now; the team work so hard and has given me such opportunities.
I got the chance to work with Zack then, and I couldn’t have met a more talented and nicer person to work with. He motivates me every day to improve my skills and also, outside of work, to be the best person I can be.
How has sobriety shaped the way you work in the scene, and was it hard to do?
It has allowed me to be more productive and more focused on what I’m doing. Constantly travelling, working late nights It just wasn’t viable to be drinking and partying all the time.
In this industry where content turnover is so quick, almost standard to have it ready in 1-2 days, being in a clear state of mind allows me to get the job done.
Meeting other people, DJs, and Ravers who do go out sober has been a big help, and it proves that you don’t really have to drink at events to enjoy yourself, and the benefits of doing it sober are visible in your physical and mental health. I would encourage people to give it a go and try it!
What advice would you give to other photographers and videographers who want to break into the music and live performance industry?
Be prepared to do a lot of work without expecting a reward. You really have to go through the process of doing the work without any expectations.
At the start of my career, after shooting for an event, you are thinking, ‘Oh, will the DJ post my photos or videos’ From it, that can get in your head, but I always recommend doing the work and not thinking too much at the end of the day, always looking back and improving.
Be expected to lose money to make money. Especially at the start, you have to put a lot in, whether it is investing in equipment or spending money on travel to do a gig.
And finally, let your work speak for itself; the content you make goes further than any words. When people see what you can do, the work will come to you through word of mouth.
Do you have any techniques or camera settings that are essential for capturing the dynamic live DJ performances?
Here are some 3 tips I can give that I’ve found great for capturing DJ sets.
Focus more on the DJ and what they’re playing. The easy way I tell people is by looking at waveforms on the CDJs (DJ Decks). Skinny waveforms = buildup, so you want to be zoomed close in on the DJ; let the buildup be focused on them, and then when the waveform goes wide = the drop, you open wide on the lens to capture the crowd reaction. It’s a great way of storytelling.
Keep your clip length to a minimum of 45 seconds, especially in this day and age with TikTok and fast-consuming content. People’s attention spans are shorter to content online. so I always recommend shorter clips to keep audiences engaged.
Good audio is always the most important to good storytelling; always ensuring that it’s clear and crisp; both video and audio go hand in hand in making good content; definitely the most important thing to invest in.
What have you learnt from working with such a diverse group of artists, from blk. to KETTAMA? Has each artist influenced your work in different ways?
100%, every artist likes different styles of content. It is important to have your own unique style while also being able to adapt to each DJ’s preferences, from my personal experience.
A hard techno DJ’s videos will usually reflect the music they play, with more action and shake to the shots, while a slower groove DJ will like more stable content that reflects the music they play.
How do you decide whether a moment is best captured through still photography or video?
You really can’t. It’s one of those things where it’s either one or the other. One will be missed in the process. Both photographers and videographers play equally important parts in capturing a night.
How do you adapt your filming style to different venues, from intimate club settings to larger festival stages?
Definitely, in terms of larger festivals, I put more work into my media to showcase the setup of the festival, whether it be the lights or stage setup. While in clubs, you can really do a lot with just one camera to showcase the night.
