MEET | Stuart

With applications now open for new photographers to join SHOWGRAPHERS, we’re delighted to introduce our next contributor Stuart Moulding, a passionate music photographer from Skelmersdale, just outside Liverpool, United Kingdom. Stuart’s love for live music and photography came together in an unexpected moment, leading him to photograph Liverpool Sound City and kickstart his career. With a style inspired by high-contrast black & white imagery and a focus on capturing raw emotion, he’s worked with magazines and festivals across the city. Read on to discover more about his influences, favorite venues, and the story behind his most iconic shot.

Hey Stuart, can you please give our readers a brief introduction of yourself?

Hi, I’m a music photographer from Skelmersdale, which is about 15 miles North West of Liverpool in the UK, where I predominantly do most of my shooting. You’ve probably never heard of Skelmersdale, but it was the subject of The Magnetic North's concept album ‘Prospect of Skelmersdale’. Their guitarist Simon Tong (formerly of The Verve & Gorillaz) moved here with his family during the 80’s, when a large Transcendental Meditation community found its home here, Seasick Steve is also a former resident. 

How and when did you get into music photography?

I went to a lot of gigs, so when I started photography as a hobby I always had an idea that I might want to get into music photography. Long before I shot my first gig I was always reading Todd Owyoung’s blog, ishootshows.com, it had lots of tips and guides on what equipment/settings to use. I popped into a venue in Liverpool for a drink one day, and just happened to have my camera. A band was sound checking so I took a few shots, not really thinking too much about it. A few weeks later a friend sent me a link to apply to photograph Liverpool Sound City and I used those few shots to apply, I got to shoot the festival, and things went from there.

With which camera(s) and lens(es) do you shoot?

I have a Canon 6D, and my go-to lens is the Canon 24-70mm f2.8, but I like shooting with primes such as the Canon 85mm f1.8 and the Canon 50mm f1.4. At bigger venues or outdoor festivals I’ll use a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8. It really all depends on the lighting and the venue size. 

How would you describe your photography & editing style?

I like it to capture raw emotion, that's what I’m always searching for, whether it be anger, joy or sadness, as a photographer I feel that's something you need to convey. I also want to show what is happening on stage accurately, Todd Owyoung was obviously a big influence as I used his website a lot. 

I like The Beatles and Joy Division, so I was always partial to high contrast black and white images in the style of Anton Corbijn or Astrid Kirchherr.

Who do you usually work for? Bands, labels, agencies, publications, etc.?

I started with a great music magazine in Liverpool called ‘Bido Lito!’. I’m a big fan of ‘Love’ (the band), as are a lot of Liverpool musicians and the magazine was named after the Bido Lito Rock Club that the band frequented in the late 60’s. 

Following the pandemic Bido Lito! was no longer financially viable and it stopped operating. The former owners now run a great music venue called Future Yard.

I’ve also worked for other magazines and directly with music festivals.

What are your favorite venues and why?

Generally I prefer shooting in smaller venues that generate a great atmosphere. The best venue in Liverpool for a long time was the Kazimier, it was very small and had no photo pit, which could make it tricky to navigate with a camera and a bag, especially when it was a little rowdy, which was more often than not.

What are your favorite festivals and why?

You can’t beat a city music festival that utilises all the best music venues and brings the city to life with music. You get the opportunity to find your next favorite band, one you probably never even knew existed.

What’s the picture you’re the most proud of and why?

I photographed Nils Lofgren at the Liverpool Philharmonic, the lighting was terrible, really dark, he was wearing a big hat and I had to shoot from the back of the theatre. I came out thinking I’d wasted my time. I had about 4 usable photographs, I posted one of those to Instagram and the next thing I know, Amy Lofgren (Nils’ wife) was ringing asking to buy the photograph for the Live Album cover. 

That's the picture I’m most proud of, it was a tricky shoot and the end result was a photograph that’s out there in the world on the front of a CD.

What's the best purchase you ever made (can be gear, software or whatever)? Or what’s the best workflow hack you discovered?

I’d say Lightroom, it’s an absolute must purchase. I think I used some free software for about 6 months when I started out, Lightroom was a game changer. 

Which bands are still on your bucket list?

I’d love to photograph Jack White, The Gossip, The Pixies and Self Esteem to name a few. Saying that, probably the most exciting gigs I’ve been at have been bands that only existed for a few years and never made much of an impact outside of the local scene.

What are your goals / plans for the future?

I’d like to do more band/artist portraits, but just to keep shooting gigs when I can, it’s still very much a hobby for me. Maybe in the future I’ll look back over everything and be proud of what I’ve done, possibly put on an exhibition or be part of one, who knows?

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All photos: © Stuart Moulding