As SHOWGRAPHERS just opened its doors for new contributors, we take the chance to introduce you to the current photographers behind our platform. First up is Charlotte, the founder of SHOWGRAPHERS and a Berlin-based photographer with a strong focus on female artists. Known for her black & white close-ups, Charlotte has been documenting concerts since 2018. Dive into her story and find out how her journey from casual gig-goer to professional photographer began.
Hey Charlotte, can you please give our readers a brief introduction of yourself?
Sure, I’m a Berlin-based music photographer with a strong focus on female musicians and a love for black & white. My happy place is at showcase festivals where I can discover up and coming artists. I started to shoot concerts in 2018 and joined the German music blog hoers.de shortly after. I also worked directly with a few musicians and helped out with artist and tour management, booking and promotion and in the past I even put on some shows in Berlin. I was part of the female collective GRRRL-NOISY and then founded SHOWGRAPHERS to connect musicians and music photographers.
How and when did you get into music photography?
It was pretty organic, and honestly, not something I had planned! I’ve always been obsessed with live music, and one day back in 2017, my boss said, “Charlotte, you go to so many gigs—you should write about them”. But writing wasn’t really my thing. Instead, I began posting quick snapshots from my iPhone on Instagram as a personal visual diary. To my surprise, artists began asking if they could use my pictures. That’s when I decided to invest in a small compact camera that I could easily bring to venues. By 2018, I had been approached by hoers.de, and that’s when I thought, “Okay, let’s give this a real shot”, and bought my first proper camera.
Which camera(s) and lens(es) do you shoot with?
I currently shoot with the Sony Alpha 7 iii. My go-to lens is the 85mm f/1.8, but I also use a 35mm f/1.8, a 55mm f/1.8, a Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8, and a Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8. It all depends on the venue.
How would you describe your photography & editing style?
I’m a sucker for close-ups and black & white! That says it all, doesn’t it?
Who do you usually work for? Bands, labels, agencies, publications, etc.?
In a way, I’ve always worked for myself. I started out photographing the bands I loved purely for the passion of it. In the beginning, I shot for a music blog, then transitioned to working directly with bands. Nowadays, most of my work is for SHOWGRAPHERS.
What are your favorite venues and why?
I’ve got a soft spot for the smaller venues - they have such a raw, intimate energy. It’s hard to choose, but I love Koko in London, Metropol in Berlin, and Vega in Copenhagen for their visual aesthetic. From a photographer's perspective, Huxleys Neue Welt in Berlin is a gem because they usually allow shooting from the crowd after the first three songs, and there’s also a balcony in the back. In terms of discovering emerging talent, venues like Badehaus, cassiopeia, and Urban Spree in Berlin are always exciting.
What are your favorite festivals and why?
I love showcase festivals! No matter if it is SXSW, The Great Escape or Eurosonic Noorderslag, hopping from one small venue to another and constantly discovering new bands is just so much fun! But there are also so many small(-ish) festivals I’d love to check out, such as Brighten The Corners, Manchester Psych Fest, Liverpool Sound City, Live at Leeds.
What’s the picture you’re the most proud of and why?
Tough question! I really love the image of SKYND that I included above, but having my photos on a band shirt or on a cd/vinyl is something special.
What's the best purchase you ever made (can be gear, software or whatever)? Or what’s the best workflow hack you discovered?
I can’t name that one thing that made everything easier or more fun, it’s the sum of small things I’d say. Like archiving all emails that are done and only keeping those that I have to work on in my inbox, having a file name template set up in Lightroom that includes the artist, the venue, city, date and copyright, or keeping track of all gigs / requests / contacts in a spreadsheet. I also recently started an analog to do list. I know there are countless apps for that, but physically ticking things off with a pen is so much more satisfying!
Which bands are still on your bucket list to shoot?
I don’t really have a bucket list. There are always bands I’d love to shoot, but it’s constantly evolving. I gravitate towards smaller, emerging bands, and there are always new acts popping up where I think, “I need to see them live”! And if I’m at a show, of course, I want to photograph them too.
What are your goals or plans for the future?
I’ve got tons of plans for SHOWGRAPHERS, but let’s save that for another conversation! On a personal level, my goal is to have the freedom to shoot every show and festival I want. And even though I’m not a big fan of huge outdoor festivals - I prefer the intimacy of small venues - one thing I would love is not having to crank the ISO above 10,000, haha. So, yeah, my plans aren’t too wild, but the focus remains on growing SHOWGRAPHERS anyway.
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All photos: © Chux On Tour Photography
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