Entertainment and events photographer Louise Morris has been uploading her fantastic news imagery to Alamy for almost fifteen years, so we knew she’d have some great stories and insights to share with us about her career.
Inspired by her love of the arts, she successfully captures creative events spanning music gigs and stage performances, and her appreciation for this industry consistently shines through in the energy of the images she produces.
Read on to find out how Louise’s early life lead her to the entertainment sector, how she prepares to get the best shots she can at such dynamic performances, and what advice she would give those just starting their photography careers.
LG: What was your first job within the news sector?
LM: One of my first jobs in this sector was photographing the music event BST Hyde Park. Although I had already been photographing smaller music events, it was my first time in a press pit of its size (that is to say, enormous!), learning to shoot quickly because, on the whole, you are only allowed to be in the pit for the first three songs.
The headliner that day was The Who, and I did feel quite starstruck seeing them on stage, that legendary band from London; my hometown. I was torn between needing to get the shots but also wanting to take in the moment.
For the briefest of moments during the first song I lowered my camera from in front of my face and looked around at my surroundings – the stage in front of me, the crowd behind, the other photographers around me, the giant speakers pounding out the music – and I took it all in. I looked back up at the stage and saw that Roger Daltrey was looking right at me – he’d spotted what I was doing, the joy must have been written all over my face, and he was giggling at me. I giggled back at him and then my instincts took over, camera back at my face, and I caught that wonderful moment!
LG: Looking through your collection, it seems like the majority of your work is capturing music events and performing arts. What made you want to focus on these subjects over other photography areas?
LM: I have always loved art and the performing arts. As a young, shy child, and with some encouragement from a teacher, I realised that performing on stage as a different person gave me the chance to be brave and overcome my shyness.
In school plays if I wasn’t on stage I also enjoyed being part of the backstage crew, helping with the lighting or setting up the props. It was a natural progression when I got into photography that I would gravitate towards the arts, initially in dance photography before incorporating theatre and music.
Although I now photograph other genres too, which I really enjoy, I find that I am at my most creative when I’m photographing the performing arts.
LG: What has been the most challenging event you have covered?
LM: Probably some of the London Film Festival red carpets. There are a lot of photographers in a very tight space, all jostling for the best position to get the best shot and to get the people on the red carpet to look at their camera. So that can be a challenge!
LG: Do you have a favourite gig or show that you have covered?
LM: I have loved so many it’s difficult to pick, but a real stand out for me was photographing Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake on the actual lake at St James’s Park! They constructed a platform for the dancers to stand on (spoiler – they didn’t actually walk on water!) and the company of Swans looked incredible posing on the lake with a beautiful backdrop of trees and Buckingham Palace.
It was art within nature – perfection!
LG: What is the most memorable photo you have taken?
LM: My most memorable photo is of Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, taken in 2019 at BST Hyde Park. It wasn’t the first time I’d photographed her and I already knew that she was very exciting to shoot as she moved around the stage like a dancer, so I would be combining two of my favourite genres in one: music and dance.
She was wearing a beautiful flowing dress made of a light, delicate fabric, which complimented the flow of her movement on stage. She moves at speed, so unless you plan to run everywhere with her (which can be difficult anyway but especially if there are lots of other photographers in the pit) you have to anticipate where she’s going and when she’ll be back in frame.
I knew the shot I was aiming for would capture the ethereal nature of Florence, her dress, her movement, and I think I managed it – to me she’s almost like a flying bird in this shot!
Florence and The Machine at BST Hyde Park. London, July 2019
LG: What do you think is the best way to prepare for shooting at a gig or show?
LM: Equipment is number one – fully charged batteries, spare memory cards, spare everything really – just in case! And then there’s the preparation for what I’m shooting – in the case of a theatrical performance, for example, what do I know about it already and what else can I find out in advance?
When it comes to theatre I don’t usually look at other photographers’ photos ahead of the shoot as I like to go in fresh, but sometimes it can be useful if it’s a very short photocall where we have limited time to photograph.
In terms of music it’s helpful to look at videos of the performers to get a feel for how they move on stage. Will they spend the three songs standing behind the microphone, or will they be moving at speed around the stage or down the runway or even into the crowd?
LG: Why did you choose Alamy to supply your images to?
LM: As one of the biggest news agencies with international customers I knew that Alamy would give me the best chance of getting my photos out there. And everyone from Alamy that I’ve interacted with has been lovely and always helpful.
LG: Do you have any advice for fellow photographers who would like to work within the events sector?
LM: Start out with local events, anything from markets, open mic nights, newsworthy stories from your local area, gallery openings. Go along and start building a portfolio. Take photos of things you like, things you enjoy photographing.
It’s a contentious issue offering work for free but the reality is that most photographers started out that way while they were building their portfolio, so keep it local, offer a small set of photos rather than a huge gallery, and choose events that might not be covered by other photographers (and don’t take too long before you do start charging for your work!).
When it comes to the performing arts, a great way in is via local musicians and performers, perhaps even people you know. The main thing is to be practising your craft as much as possible and taking opportunities that arise.
We hope you enjoyed this opportunity to go behind the scenes with one of our stand-out news contributors. Perhaps it’s encouraged you to start your journey into news and events photography, or maybe you already shoot events which inspire you, but you haven’t been sure where to send your images? If so you can find out more about becoming one of our trusted NSE contributors here. Who knows, we might be featuring you soon!
Check back next month to catch the next installment in our NSE spotlight and in the meantime, you can check out what Louise is up to next on her Instagram, find out more about her work here, and check out her collection on Alamy.