( CNN ) Fandom is a tricky thing . People are willing to do some unusual and sometimes dangerous things because of their devotion for a team , player or entertainer . Music fans often reach the height of fandom as they crush themselves to the front of the stage in an effort to get as close to the performers as possible . Entertainment photographer Gabriel Quintao has been capturing the faces in the crowd for a few years now and likens their devotion to a battle scene . `` The idea of the essay is to drive the audience into a war environment , '' Quintao said about his `` Front Row '' project . `` The shades of gray with a lot of contrast associated with the dramatic faces and the desperate acts of the crowd gave me the drama I wanted . '' Indeed , the images he captures depict the agony and frustration someone might feel in conflict . But amid the pain , there is also joy and excitement as music lovers get a taste of something most people at a concert do not . Quintao 's photographs from the Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro are up-close , personal and intimate . The festival is one of the largest music concerts in the world and has brought together some of the most popular acts of their time : Queen , Prince , Elton John , Katy Perry and , more recently , Beyonce , Bruce Springsteen and Metallica . It draws hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world to see and hear their favorite acts . But for some people , it is the chance to show the performers how they feel about them . `` I realized that people who stay at the first row in these situations do n't want just to listen to the music better or to see their idol closer , '' Quintao said . `` They want to prove love to the person on the stage and to prove to themselves that they 're brave . '' The 30-year-old photographer , from Sao Paulo , Brazil , said the crowds who press forward during the music festival is mostly younger and male . However , there is a woman he thinks is in her 60s who is ever-present at many of the venues and somehow makes her way to the first row . From Quintao 's photos , it might appear that the action on the stage is secondary to the rush in the crowd . Quintao trains his camera on what he believes is the most unpredictable places to get the most emotional images at the events . `` Sometimes the artist behind the microphone just does n't move , the light does n't change and a few pictures already present what the gig was , '' he said . `` But the front row is always unpredictable ; it changes every time . People reaching their physical limit just to be as close as possible to their idol is much more interesting than the planned and controlled situation happening on the stage . '' Social media . Follow @ CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography . The subjects of his lens have described themselves as proud to go through such pain for their musical adulation , and they proclaim `` the front row is only for the real ones '' on the Facebook page of his projects . `` People who face this situation until the end of the concert go home feeling they 've received an honor medal for being strong , '' Quintao said . `` Who wants to see the concert comfortably from an empty space ? '' While he 's never seen a serious injury from his position in the pit , the space between the stage and the crowd , Quintao hopes his photos do justice to the level of emotions portrayed in the name of fandom . He thinks the people in the front row believe they answer to a higher calling . `` The aim of this work is to show the power of fanaticism , '' he said . `` I wanted to show how a rock concert can be similar to a religion cult , where sometimes people submit themselves to suffering just to prove their love to their idol . '' Gabriel Quintao is a Brazilian photographer based in Sao Paulo . You can follow his work on Facebook .
Photographer Gabriel Quintao captures the excitement at the front row of a music concert . He has been taking photos at the Rock in Rio festival for years in Rio de Janeiro . Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos:Photos: The best shots from Rio's 2016 Olympics