I find that when I attend some sort of event, I end up photographing the people attending more than the actual event itself. A bit of fascination in seeing how people dress and look in such environments, the different personalities and styles that find their ways into one space that they otherwise wouldn't be in together. It was an interesting look into how some people really put in some effort to look as stylish as possible while others don't. This was an event that was celebrating an Armenian artist, there was a jazz concert and some short films in his honour. An entire street was closed off as a result, going into the night as the sun set. People would sit all over, from the very few seating areas to the sides of the streets on curbs. The small part of the street closed off had so much life to it though, I had never seen so many people all in one space here in Yerevan, and funnily as we were walking, we were talking about the disappointing lack of music events here in the city, just as we walked around the corner to find this one. We decided to stick around for a bit, listening to some of the music. Weirdly there was a robot arm drawing things, which I found a bit weird given the entire event was about a human artist. Lacking a bit of awareness, I think. But the main appeal to me continued to be the people, even as the music was incredibly engaging.
Lots of people roamed the space with cameras. Me included. I found the different cameras they used, the gear and the way they dressed to be interesting. It seems like photographers love the summer clothing combination of shorts and a simple t-shirt as of late. Removing as much weight and heat from themselves as they can and replacing all of that weight with gear. I had actually done the same.
The photographers of this space would be focusing on the stage, however. All of them had pointed their lenses directly at the performers, either taking stills or recording video of the event. Some were clearly there for work, most were there just to capture things for fun, perhaps part of other organisations or just photographers searching for something new and different in the city to capture. I pointed my lens at them, out of a bit of curiosity. Would they notice? What would they think or say? I questioned the types of reactions I would get, and thought of how I would react if I saw another photographer capturing me out in the zone. I realised I'd likely be pretty welcoming, likely to talk to them and ask questions, share ideas and have some photography fun together. It made me realise how open I now am with strangers, how relaxed I tend to be particularly when there's something of interest between me and another. These photographers seemed to be alone for the most part. But I did find it strange how so few would consider photographing the atmosphere in the crowd, and to me this was the most interesting part.
So few tourists, but plenty of different generations. Young people, families, and even incredibly old people which made me realise my tiredness around 10PM was completely unwarranted as they continued to roam around with significantly more energy. It was interesting seeing such a diverse range of people in this space, but also showed that the city craves these events.
Such moments in Yerevan seem rare. And as I mentioned before regarding it being a celebration of an artist, it is clear that these events almost need some sort of excuse to exist, unfortunately. It's rare to see anything out in public, anything actually advertised that aimed to pull people in and make some money. The strange thing here was the lack of additional things to do. In England, such events would feature food and drinks, places to sit and talk. This had none of that, not even many stalls in which you could buy merchandise. It felt like they nailed the music side of things pretty well with great performances and lighting on the stage, which was quite a surprise. But the main flaw was the inability to offer services to those who attended, and I think the reason for much of that turnout leaving was people growing a bit tired, wanting some food and a drink; not having access to these things in this area and thus choosing to leave elsewhere to find it. I have to admit, at one point it was tempting to do the same. Finding it a bit overwhelming with the large crowds and wanting to find somewhere to sit and get food.
Armenia doesn't quite understand service industry still, this is something they struggle with, and events tend to feel like something is missing as a result. Some coffee companies nearby had taken to realising they could try to sell pre-made drinks in the area, and that was about it. Though I don't think most really trusted it much.
Outside of the area were also people trying to make a little bit of cash in the more populated areas. People busking out on the streets where you usually don't find it. Though, I think I am a bit tired of these at this point. A lot of them rely on the greats of the region, the nostalgia factor. Endless songs by Kino are played by pretty much every public guitarist and singer. Rarely anything other. They know that playing these songs over and over will pull some people in, mostly the Russians that have moved here over the past few years due to the conflict that led to drastic changes in their lives, leaving much behind to escape the unknown and unstable. Songs by Kino resonating with them all, reminding them of home and the typical Soviet/Post Soviet depression. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some Kino. Their songs can be great, but going outside and hearing the same three songs played down every street every day starts to grow tiresome. You can imagine how it felt to finally stumble into something as unique as a huge stage for jazz music. That fast-paced playing which bounced into the road, feeling the vibrations of the drums and other instruments the very stereotypical jazz playing performers had fun with.
I'll be posting some images specifically of the performers soon, I took a few of them, but I wanted to, and no pun intended, set the stage so to speak. To write about the moments that led to it all, sharing the images I took in the area, the emotion and the feeling. To which I'll also soon expand upon.
I always enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes atmosphere of these events, reminding me of my days in the film industry in England, I get a bit observant over what equipment they're using. The lights, the cables, the huge frames. It's no different to being a photographer and noticing another photographer in the street and taking a glance over what gear they're running that day. It seems Armenia loves drones now too, with plenty of them always visible during such events, flying over and causing a bit of a buzz. Though at this event, this one was a larger Mavic that would throw down cool air onto your head as it flew over. That was a nice experience every time it flew over.
