A great concert photo captures the essence of a musician’s performance — a guitar player and bassist rocking out together, a drummer banging out a sweaty solo while the crowd goes wild, a singer reaching for that climactic high note. But, as epic as they may be, those images are never candid; performers know they’re being watched, and they mug for fans and cameras alike. That’s why Manila-born, Paris-based photographer Noel Manalili’s Rapture series is so fascinating. To create semi-candid portraits of people singing along to their favorite songs, he left subjects alone and took pictures from an adjacent room, using a remote-control camera. In gorgeously composed black-and-white shots that pay tribute to the way music affects our emotions, the expressions on singers’ faces range from pained to amused to downright beatific. Page through a gallery of our favorite photos from Rapture after the jump, then visit Manalili’s website to see the rest of the series.
Noel Manalili, Mediterranea [Spotted via The Morning News]
Noel Manalili, Careless Whisper
Noel Manalili, You Are My Sunshine
Noel Manalili, Mistral Gagnant
Noel Manalili, Dans Les Rues De Ma Jeunesse
Noel Manalili, Les Petis Ruisseaux Font Des Grande s Rivières
Noel Manalili, Faut Que J’Travaille
Noel Manalili, Una Aventura
Noel Manalili, Jusqu’a Venise
Noel Manalili, Harley Davidson