​CLUBSCAPE: Elif Rey

Art has brought us landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes, but our generation has seen a new environment flourish: the Clubscape. Our Clubscape series aims to provide you a behind-the-scenes perspective on how rave culture is experienced, captured and illuminated by electronic music's best photographers.

Unlike many of her fellow Clubscape colleagues, Elif Rey's climb to the top of Toronto's nightlife photography scene has been short but sweet. Her photos seize the few seconds of clarity within the typical haze of a club night in Toronto. But don't let her short stature fool you?•Rey reaches diverse perspectives of nightlife with each event she covers. Her ability to capture incredibly candid moments in a sharp, almost ad-like quality defines a professionalism well beyond her years.

THUMP sat down with the Holland-born photographer for this installment of Clubscape.

THUMP: What was your introduction into photography in Holland?
Elif Rey: It started for me about three and a half years ago at the Dance Valley festival in Holland. One of my friends had a DSLR with her. While we were dancing, she was taking photos of us all having a great time. At one point, she handed the camera to me and asked me to take a couple photos of her. It was so great how she was reacting to the camera, and how everyone else around her reacted to the camera. I fell in love with it right there. I didn't want to give it back to her!

After the festival, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I went and bought a camera of my own. But I wanted to do things right, I wanted to know everything about it as best as possible. So I applied to the Dutch College for Professional Photography and started a couple months later.

How did you decide that you specifically wanted to shoot EDM events?
That's what I love most. The rock scene isn't my crowd. I was going to EDM festivals for ages just to party. Picking up the camera at that festival just made it all come together.

I first started shooting for DJ Guide, an EDM site in Holland. I didn't think I was a good photographer then and I had only picked up my camera a couple months earlier. But I went and did it and a lot followed that very quickly. I sent my portfolio around to other organizations and eventually ended up being invited to be the resident photographer for Anyday Events in Holland. They loved my photos so much. I was there for about a year.

When did you come to Toronto?
I came here last year. Once I graduated, I took the plane here the very next day. It was so exciting. I've always wanted to leave Holland and go out and travel. So when the chance came around, I took it.

How did you network yourself as photographer in a brand new city?
One of my good friends from Holland, Tony Junior, played for Any Day Events as a resident DJ. I saw on Facebook that he was coming to Toronto to play a gig at The Hoxton. So I went with him and took his photos that night. I ended up meeting a bunch of people and one thing led to another. That gig was what blew it up though. That's what got me all the other stuff here in Canada.

Is there a difference between working in Holland versus working in Toronto?
It's a little different. I think people here in Canada are more supportive with one another, it's more of a family here. In Holland, it's more of a competition. That's why I love Toronto so much. It's a big city but I feel like I know everyone in the scene.

Is there a particular of photography you adhere to?
When I shoot I don't like people posing for me. I stand in a corner and try to capture people while they're dancing and having a great time. I try to be incognito because when they see me pointing a camera at them, they stop what they're doing and pose. I want to capture the DJ doing their thing, the crowd doing their thing, but nothing should be forced. That's my way of capturing the party. I want to make an album of the whole party just the way it in-unconstructed.

In Canada, do you find that there's a difference in taste and knowledge of dance music versus in Holland?
No, everyone knows so much about it. I think people here may even know more about the music here. In Holland, these regular Dutch DJs have been around for so long, and because it's a small country everybody knows them. Your neighbour might as well be a big DJ there, they're everywhere. Whereas here in Canada, I think it's still new and the admiration is much stronger.

There's a relatively small percentage of club photographers that are female. How does this affect you?
It's a man's world, but there are a lot of willing women in this industry. When I'm on stage, some people think I'm just one of other girls there, but I'm actually doing my job. I love connecting with people, but I want to stay professional. In the beginning I didn't know how to deal with it properly. And that's when I started thinking that I need to find a way to deal with things like this and move on. I think I'm pretty good at it now.

Elif Rey is on Facebook // Twitter // Instagram