Stella Philine is a photographer whom I initially met through Lloyd's workshop and who has since gone on to be a fantastic concert photographer. She credits the workshop with being a place where she was able to find new creative connections, such as someone she had no idea lived only 5 minutes away. They have since done a few shoots together.
Stella's current musical rotation includes artists such as The Neighbourhood, Oasis, U2, and kraftKlub.
Her creative inspirations Include Lloyd Wakefield, who has a significant impact on her editing style, and Baeth, as she loves how Baeth captures Tate McRae's energy on stage. After attending a concert in 2022, Stella knew this was something she wanted to do
Her advice for the next generation of photographers is not to compare yourself but instead to understand what the person was feeling at that moment and use your point of view to create meaningful photos.
The hardest part of her creative journey so far has been getting her foot in the door. She focuses on capturing the energy of the artists she shoots and hopes it connects with their fans.
A typical shoot day for Stella involves reviewing videos from previous shows to identify key moments, planning her approach to the concert, and then packing her gear before heading to the shoot. She consistently edits after the shoot, so she still has the concert's energy fresh in her mind, which motivates her editing style.
One of the top moments for her so far was shooting in a stadium last year where she had previously seen artists such as Coldplay and Taylor Swift. Now, she was standing in the pit of this same venue, shooting for artists such as Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. Another big moment was getting her photo published in Rolling Stone.
In terms of the next steps, she has a few exciting projects coming up this year and hopes to one day be a photographer on tour.
Stella says that in terms of handling creative burnout, she has to give a shout-out to Lloyd for his advice. He told her not to push herself, but rather to explore other areas of photography, and it was this advice that led Stella to take up video work. She has also found that surrounding yourself with creative people who offer a bit of inspiration can help get you going again. The most important thing to remember is not to force it.
