At just 19, Daniel Lopez is already creating buzz in the world of photography, but his journey into this art form began long before he even realized it. Born and raised in Reno, Daniel's passion for capturing moments started at a young age, nurtured by the influence of his father and surrounded by the creative energy of his relatives.
Growing up, Daniel remembers his father with a camera bag slung over his shoulder, ready to capture important family memories. This constant exposure to photography instilled in Daniel a deep appreciation for photos and sparked his curiosity to explore it further.
It wasn't until high school, however, that Daniel took his first step into photography. Encouraged by a photo class offered at his school, he decided to give it a try. To his surprise he enjoyed the class far more than he had anticipated and when his aunt gave him a red Nikon D5300 camera, he took the opportunity to pursue his newfound love.
Daniel found inspiration in one of his favorite films, Spider-Man 2, whenever he lost his spark. “I grew up watching Spider-Man and I just loved seeing Peter Parker take pictures as a kid,” Daniel says.
He’s now also started videography. While he acknowledges that photography and video work are very different mediums, he can’t help but combine the two when it comes to his innovative ideas. “I just like movies, where if you pause it at any moment, it’s still a beautiful frame” similar to a photo, says Daniel.
He says that movies such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse motivate him as well. “With Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, I know for a fact that, the creators of that film mentioned that, oh if you pause the movie at any frame it will look like a comic book panel, and I just always found that so inspirational,” Daniel says.
A breakthrough for him and his creative work happened when he got an in into the Reno band scene through a close highs chool friend, Nico Villalobos, the bassist in the local band Faded Shawties.
Through Nico he heard about the show Silly Fest, which was a free event that was hosted at West Street Market in September of 2023.
This show was his very first, and Daniel brought along his beloved red camera and decided to give live music photography a shot. With an assignment due in a couple of days for his photography class, this event provided the perfect atmosphere to try out his skills.
“It was very fun, and I think it inspired me because at the time, I was taking a break from music as well…I never really found my stepping in music, so when I went to Silly Fest it just brought something out of me,” Daniel says.
He says that in both worlds, music and photography, this event reignited his passion for capturing candid moments. After taking a lot of photos, and being shocked at just how much he enjoyed it, he decided that the Reno music scene would become something he’d capture more frequently.
One challenge when it comes to documenting the live music scene is lighting.
“I don’t take a lot of photos with my flash on, because I don’t like to disturb the artist that's playing at the time. I try to stand still and take those pictures” says Daniel.
Despite these challenges, Daniel says that live music photography is one of his favorite mediums. “I always like the look of candid photos, that’s where I get a lot of my candid photos from,” he says.
Daniel also believes that candid photos are more interesting to look at. They capture the vibrant moment in a way that is almost as vivid as the experience itself. He also says that people love pictures of themselves, friends, or surroundings so it brings forth a positive community as well as positive feedback when he posts his photos online.
His absolute favorite location in terms of venues is West Street Market. When it comes to his favorite collection of images, he makes reference to The Holland Project’s 2023 Halloween show.
Daniel had recently bought a 35 mm lens at the time of the festive event, which he claimed truly lent life to the genuine moments he captured on film. Although he has not yet published these photos, he intends to edit and do so in the future.
Daniel says one aspect he likes to bring to his photos is the saturation of hues and colors. He says that he alway tries to add more life to his photos which help differentiate his style from others. “That’s a big part for me. I always try to differentiate my photos from other photographers…especially recently, because there are more photographers in the scene I’ve noticed,” Daniel says.
With most of the shows in the music scene being later at night, Daniel says he prefers to edit his photos immediately after the event while the adrenaline and music are still vivid in his mind.
A normal night of work for Daniel typically spans from 8:30 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. “I want to get the photos done now. So I’ll sit at my desk until like four in the morning and edit them. Then I'll have the google doc done and everything and then I can sleep. I fall asleep at my desk sometimes,” Daniel says with a laugh.
After he’s done he sends his work to the bands he photographed before he falls asleep. He also posts his work on his Instagram account aethenee.
Daniel says that he is very grateful for the audience he has built up so far on his Instagram photography account. He also appreciates the support and welcoming nature of the Reno music scene.
He says this support is especially meaningful because there are times where he lets his inner critic get the best of him. “Any artist can relate to this. It doesn’t matter if you take photos, make music, or you draw, you are your worst critic. You're always going to see the flaws in the photos you take. Someone might say, ‘oh this is one of the best photos I’ve ever seen in my entire life!’ and you can see the little flaws,” Daniel says.
Despite this challenge, he says that he owes a thank you to the local scene for allowing him to step out of his comfort zone. He encourages anyone who is interested in the local Reno scene to get involved. No matter what gear you have, just go for it, he says.
Daniel says that he has seen people take photos with old film cameras, point and shoots, phone cameras and more. As far as his own future, Lopez hopes to keep taking pictures of those around him, bringing their stories, experiences, and music to life as Reno’s friendly local concert photographer.