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FRAMED:
HANNAH DELARAY The photographer behind Syracuse’s electric house show scene Words by Laura Lemgruber | Photo by Olivia Pagel
As a child, Hannah Delaray frequented Venice Beach, California with her surfer dad and brother, but rarely joined them in the ocean. Instead, she wandered the boardwalk and talked to strangers. From a young age, Delaray had a blazing curiosity about the people around her and was fascinated by connecting with others and learning about their lives. By the time she was 12 years old, Delaray started experimenting with photography through a local after-school arts program, where she began to document the eclectic strangers of Venice Beach. “Photography has given me the ability to show proof of the way I interact with life and the things that I see,” she said. Delaray continued to explore her passion for street and skate photography during high school. In college, she found her photography “home”: the house show scene. As a first-year at Syracuse University, Delaray unexpectedly found herself at the first unofficial Redgate show, an emerging house show venue. Entranced by the music, Delaray recalls spending her whole night leading the front of the basement crowd, sweating and headbanging her heart out. Growing up, Delaray admired photographers like Charles Peterson, who captured the grunge scene in Seattle, and movies like Almost Famous. She always aspired to become involved in music photography
and standing in the basement of Redgate on that very first night, Delaray knew she had found something special. Now a third-year student, Delaray can be spotted with her camera in one of Syracuse’s live music venues practically every weekend. Although many people wouldn’t view a crowded room filled with music as their ideal workspace, Delaray prefers it. “I do my best work in loud spaces listening to loud music,” she said. “I’m able to hone in. It feels really meditative.” When photographing, Delaray likes to dance with the crowd and be completely consumed by what she describes as a wild “orchestra of sound.” The result? Photos that transcend viewers into the messy, electric atmosphere of each show. A fisheye lens, high contrast and saturated green and purple tones define Delaray’s style. To her, post-production is crucial to capture the energy of the room. Although Delaray continues to photograph house shows, she is currently working on her second book, which will focus on themes of intimacy and how human skeletons and bodies intertwine and interact. This project follows her first book, Flabbergasted by Sound, which is a collection of Delaray’s work as a first-year. Delaray found a lot of guidance and fulfillment after opening up to friends about intimacy. Together, they learned how to discuss a crucial part of being human that’s often hard to navigate. These conversations inspired Delaray’s upcoming book—a project that will allow Delaray to venture into new territory. Not only will she explore more vulnerable topics than usual, but it will also be her first time publishing her writing. While the book’s black-and-white, still nature seems completely different from Delaray’s previous work, she is excited to explore a different side of human connection in her photography.