"I don't plan my shots – I react to what I get," says double award-winning music photographer who captured hardcore bands Biohazard and Hanabie on stage
Afra Gethoeffer Gruetz won the Event Photography Awards' inaugural Black and White category, and shared top honor for Music Events – Performers
Afra Gethoeffer Gruetz, a German music photographer, has won two awards at the 2026 Event Photography Awards: the best black and white image and a top spot in the Music Events – Performers category for capturing bands Biohazard and Hanabie on stage. Based in Munich, Gruetz specializes in low-light photography of metal and punk shows.
Her winning shot, "Black Ink," features Evan Seinfeld from Biohazard at Munich's Backstage Werk club. Gruetz explains that she doesn't plan her shots but reacts to the moment, adjusting her position slightly to capture the desired effect. The photo was taken with a Nikon Z 6II and a 24-70mm lens, using settings of 1/400 sec at f/2.8 and ISO 1800.
After capturing the image, Gruetz converts it to black and white during editing, as she doesn't consider editing while shooting. The judges at Digital Camera magazine were impressed with the photo, resulting in the Black and White category award.
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