Fan Portraits is a black and white portrait collection of fans dedicated to the music, and the lyrics that mean the most to them. Our goal is to capture the connection to the music that we all have and share, while documenting the passionate fan bases of various music communities.
We take photos of fans at concerts to document the avid, passionate concert-goers. To make each portrait personalized, you write down your favorite lyrics. We provide the paper and markers, but feel free to get creative and bring a sign with you. We post updates on our social media accounts of which concerts we will be attending and details of where we will be taking Fan Portraits.
For the Fans, By the Fans.
If you’re passionate about music, you can’t help but let the music you love shape you. The music you listen to helps you define yourself and make sense of the people and world around you. It can give you a sense of belonging. It becomes a part of who you are. The music you choose to care about can say a lot about you – what you value, what you believe in, what you stand for.
We sing along with lyrics that have deep emotional resonance for us. We sing our lungs out to songs that have guided us through dark days or give us hope for a brighter tomorrow. We sing along cathartically to songs we have used to cope with great loss in our lives. We sing elatedly along with songs that have brought us great joy. We sing along with lyrics that articulate how we’ve always felt.
Fan Portraits is a collection of black and white photographs that capture the passion of music fans and our unique connections to the music through the lyrics that mean the most to us. Fan Portraits provides an outlet for fans to show who we are and how we feel. More than a quick snapshot to document a fleeting moment, a Fan Portrait is an opportunity for reflection, an opportunity for us to commemorate our fandom and the role these songs and lyrics have played in our lives. This is about us: the community of die-hard music fans.
Tanya Kang, Founder & Photographer
You all know the feeling. That moment when you’re at a concert, you’ve forgotten everything else in the world, all of a sudden the band starts playing your favorite song, and then you hear that one line. That single lyric that means everything. And for that moment, all is right with the world. That feeling that is almost indescribable.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without music. As an avid concert-goer, I wanted to do something to capture how much the music means to all of us. And that’s what I’m doing with Fan Portraits.
With an interest in combining my two passions in life, photography and music, in 2012 I started Pearl Jam Fan Portraits. The idea began with the goal of capturing the large, loyal, and passionate Pearl Jam community and documenting how much the music means to their fanbase.
With overwhelming success and interest, due to growing demand, in 2015 I launched Fan Portraits, which has expanded upon the initial project to capture fans of all music and bands, capturing that connection to the music that we all share.
My first concert was Pearl Jam in 1995 and the live music addiction only grew from there. Music, concerts, and traveling has always been a part of my life. With starting to travel around the country to see bands in 2000, I began to meet fellow fans. One of the things I’ve enjoyed most is all the amazing people that I’ve met along the way and over the years, including some of my best friends. It’s been inspiring to hear fans’ stories of how music and lyrics have influenced and helped them through the good and the bad. I’m glad to be able to capture this meaningfulness and connection to the lyrics and music through photography.
As a photographer, I started out using a 35mm with black and white film and spending endless hours in the darkroom. Switching to digital, I dove into travel photography during my year abroad in Japan and throughout my international travels. Now doing documentary, event, wedding and portrait photography, visit Tanya Kang Photography for more information.
