Rising Stars: Meet Sholome Geldres of Chicago

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sholome Geldres.

Hi Sholome, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi yeah I’d loved to. I’m the youngest of three siblings, with two older sisters. Growing up, I watched them bring home their high school photo projects, and that’s when my curiosity began. When I got to high school and took my first photo class, I was hooked. I took every photo class my school offered, and for my last two years, I was on the yearbook staff. Students were in charge of putting the yearbook together, from making the layouts to taking the photos. As one can guess, I ran with photography, specifically sports photography (Shout-out to my high school photo teacher, Mr. Swanson, and yearbook teacher, Ms. Delano). It was so cool to see my photos in the yearbooks and my classmates loving my work. Ever since then, I haven’t put my camera down.

I got into concert photography through three artists: Noah Kahan, Pink, and Renee Rapp. Let me explain. In 2023, I was lucky enough to see all three of them. After their shows, I saw photos taken by other concert photographers, and I was in awe. That’s when I wanted to find a way into concert photography so I could be part of the magic. I did a deep dive into concert photography and found a photographer named Liam on social media. I was in awe of his work and inspired by it. I decided to message him for advice. Honestly, I didn’t think he would answer, but to my surprise, he did. He gave some of the best advice and guidance I could have received in my early days. He was also one of the first editors to take a chance on my work when I joined his outlet, Out Jamz, and started photographing concerts. Another outlet and editor that took a chance on me was Pete Mason at New York State Music. Those two outlets truly gave me many of my first opportunities in concert photography, such as photographing my first arena show and my first music festival.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been anything but smooth. Being a concert photographer demands real grit. Early on, and even now, I hear a lot of no’s. Those rejections used to sting and sometimes left me feeling defeated. You have to truly love what you do to push through the highs and lows. Now, I use every no as fuel to keep going and as a reminder to shift my perspective. I tell myself that a no is just for now; someday, it will turn into a yes, and when it does, it will be worth every setback.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In concert photography, I specialize in both film and digital. There’s something magical about shooting with film, even though it can be challenging and sometimes even heartbreaking. Capturing a concert on film, I believe, brings out a level of authenticity and raw emotion that connects the artist and the audience in a way nothing else can.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
As of late, I’ve been experimenting with international film stock I’ve been seeing at my local camera shop, and I couldn’t recommend it enough for people to try.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sholomephotos.weebly.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shlomshady