We asked Sportsgirls to submit their best music snaps as we searched for our Official Good Vibrations Festival Photographers, and were excited to announce our talented winners, Nicole Cooper and Melanie Desa! The aspiring photographers scored VIP tix as well as Press Pit passes to snap their fave acts - check out the photo diary from Sydney winner, Nicole Cooper!

One of the bands on my must-see list was Jinja Safari, a local band that certainly put a lot of energy into everything they did. I should possibly also mention that each member is extremely attractive. I may or may not have swooned at their talents and rugged good looks.

From what I’ve been told, the Persian rug patterned cape is a frequently worn item to most of their gigs. I was almost disappointed when he removed it but was pleasantly surprised to find a similarly patterned vest underneath. Consistency is the key, I suppose.

The highlights of watching Jinja Safari were witnessing the boys go a little bit crazy during their set (literally running straight into each other) as well as the heavens opening up on us as we danced to their music.

One of the few places to seek refuge from the pouring rain was the Sportsgirl Green Room. Fortunately, there was plenty of good music, delicious free lollipops that tasted like fairy floss, and of course, free water (even if it was already falling from the sky).

I was given access to the photo pit during Bag Raiders (thank you again Sportsgirl & Good Vibes!) and found myself standing right underneath Chris Stacey, which is certainly not something you get to do everyday. Needless to say I was in awe.

I originally felt intimidated to be so close to the two amazing DJ’s but after the first few songs I couldn’t help but dance along. I had to keep reminding myself to actually take pictures of their set otherwise I probably would have walked away with none.

Standing in the photo pit actually gives you a lot of power. By simply turning to the crowd with my camera, I’d receive a reaction of raised hands and screaming fans all wanting me to capture their image. It’s definitely something that I could get used to, although it’s probably not too healthy for my ego.

Just a really quick note: Chris Stacey is not all that much taller than Jack Glass, I just happened to take this picture at an unfortunate moment for Jack.

Part of my prize included VIP tickets, which ended up being very useful. Not only was I able to sit comfortably undercover across from the Good Vibrations stage, but I also had access to lovely spring rolls and fresh drinks that tasted even better than they looked.

My absolute favourite part of the festival was seeing the French band, Phoenix. Their songs seemed to build up, getting better and better each time.

As you can see, the lighting used during their set was simply incredible. It made it very difficult for me to shoot but it was all worth it, because on the rare occasion I’d end up with a shot like this.

Sometimes I find that photography can be just about luck and sometimes you’re fortunate enough to capture that perfect moment. This was one of those moments that I got very, very lucky. In fact I actually found fourteen consecutive shots of Thomas Mars staring straight into my lens. Someone please pass me a scratchie.

If you hadn’t already guessed, I am a little bit obsessed with Phoenix and may be even a little bit more obsessed with Thomas Mars. I fell even deeper in love with the band when I noticed that a few of the members had brought along their proud mothers to watch them perform.

As part of the encore Thomas leaped off the stage into the photo pit and started to crawl across the audience as he launched back into the chorus of ‘1901’. He gave the crowd an absolute thrill and also nearly gave the security a heart attack. It was the most exciting way to end such an amazing festival. I cannot thank Sportsgirl enough for this remarkable opportunity, I'm truly grateful for everything.

Check out more of Nicole's photography at http://confidentliar.blogspot.com/