Tell us about your winning photo…

From walking into the venue, I knew a specific shot I wanted to take of all the artists was one from behind them to highlight the crowd and the venue. The ability to do this at grassroots venue is a personal favourite of mine and have gone on to do this with various other grassroot venues. Having seen Young Eman's performances before I knew he was very energetic with his performances but also remained connected with his fans which is highlighted with him framed in the middle and the crowd surrounding him.

With his energetic performances he typically moves quite wildly whereas in this photo it is the opposite. A decisive moment is highlighted where he stands still pointing out towards the crowd further showing that connection between himself and the fans. With my photos I love to bring the highlights out, and keep my shadows low to create contrast and show the phones held out by fans filming their favourite artist. Especially in grassroot venues, being able to see the fans' true emotions highlights what music is all about.

Tell us about you journey as a music photographer…

I remember always going to concerts/events and filming or taking photos on my phone and when I returned home, I would spend hours just scrolling through all of my videos and photos. Then in November 2024 there was a concert in a grassroots venue in Birmingham which I wanted to go to. After speaking to the concert organiser I was entrusted to take photos all night and so I borrowed my dad's old canon 550d and attended. Prior to this, I had used his old camera's to document wildlife or nature on walks but had never shot in a low light environment such as a concert. It was definitely a challenge shooting with poor autofocus, no flash and little experience but once I had edited the photos and had them reposted by the artists and DJs it sort of ignited a flame within me to continue doing this.

Since then, I have had the joy of shooting some of the biggest artist's in the world at various venues big and small and have even shot a festival. In so little time, I have met artists and been in rooms where I would never have expected myself to be in. This truly shows if you have the passion and dedication you can do anything in so little time.

What do you love about music photography?

I love the music, the emotion from the crowd and artists, the venues, honestly everything! I have fortunately had the chance to shoot so many artists who I listen to so being able to then capture the moments of them performing is truly a dream. The crowds are always amazing and I love interacting with the people who manage to get barrier.

In addition to that, speaking to fellow photographers/videographers in the media pit is always a highlight for me as their work inspires me. I love going to venues which I have previously experienced from only within the crowd and seeing it in a different way when in the media pit. I have yet to have a bad experience with music photography and I honestly just love it.

Where do you usually shoot live music?

II usually shoot around Manchester but have shot all over the country with venues in Newcastle, Birmingham, London and more. I am very familiar with the venues in Manchester both big and small and honestly would love to see more venues in Manchester.

Every time I shoot a concert down in London, I wish there were more venues similar to the ones in London as there is a greater number of the smaller-medium sized venues which we are lacking up in Manchester.