Snapshots of sound
‘Musical Frames’ brings Iranian music to life through photography
The ‘Musical Frames’ photography exhibition, showcasing the works of veteran photographer Kavoos Sadeghloo, is being held at the Iranian Artists’ House in Tehran. The exhibition features 40 black and white photographs of prominent Iranian musicians, taken over the course of three decades. The exhibition includes portraits of famous Iranian vocalists Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri, as well as late musicians Parviz Yahaghi, a renowned violinist, and Hassan Nahid, a master of ney (end-blown flute). Other notable musicians featured in the exhibition include Hossein Alizadeh, a tar and setar player, and Farhad Fakhreddini, a musician and conductor. The exhibition began on October 10 and will run until October 18. In the final days of the exhibition, we sat down with Kavoos Sadeghloo to talk about ‘Musical Frames’ and his work as a photographer. The following is the full text of the interview:
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
IRAN DAILY: Can you tell us a bit about your background in photography?
SADEGHLOO: I was born in 1969. I became interested in photography in 1984 and began taking courses and gaining experience in the field. In 1992, I started working as a news and documentary photographer for the newspaper Hamshahri, and later joined the newspaper Iran in 1994. I completed advanced courses in photography at the Technical and Vocational Training Organization, as well as at the Asia News Agency. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in news photography from the Faculty of Journalism. I was a member of the board of directors of the Iranian Photojournalists Association for 16 years, and served as its president for 12 years. During this time, I was involved in organizing several photography exhibitions and judging photography competitions.
Can you explain about the ‘Musical Frames’ exhibition?
This exhibition features my photographs of musicians from the era of film photography to the digital age. The exhibition is divided into two sections: Portraits of musicians and concerts. The exhibition features 40 photographs in three sizes, all in black and white. The photographs are printed on natural fiber paper and mounted on canvas, showcasing the artistic style of the day. We have also included QR codes under each photograph, which allow viewers to access the biography and music of each musician.
When did you come up with the idea for this project?
The idea for this project came to me in the early 1990s, when I was interviewing and photographing musicians. I realized that if I took portraits of these musicians, I could create a unique collection. Over the years, I have photographed many musicians, although my work was slowed down during my 12 years as president of the Iranian Photojournalists Association. This exhibition is the result of my work over the past 30 years. I also plan to publish a book of photographs of Iranian musicians at the end of the exhibition, as a way of fulfilling my duty as a photojournalist and preserving these images for the country’s cultural heritage.
What distinguishes your photographs from others, aside from the fact that they are all of musicians?
In most of my photographs, aside from the concert photos, I have used controlled lighting and composition to create a specific atmosphere. I have used single light sources with unique angles, often using natural light from windows to illuminate the musicians’ faces. I have also used bright backgrounds to create a sense of depth in the photographs.