‘You deal with it by taking better photographs than they do...’
- Katherine Macfarlane
- Aug 5
- 7 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Manchester's music scene has been well-documented through the lenses of talented photographers, but women still remain under-represented in frontline of the city’s music stages, otherwise known as ‘the pit’. Cult Manchester’s Katherine Macfarlane spoke to three female photographers at different stages of their careers about how they found their way into music photography, the challenges they've faced and the moments they'll never forget. And we asked them to choose a special photo that meant something to them.
Cult Manchester: How did you get into photography?
Hels Millington: I was always asking for a camera for Christmas or film to take photos of family or on holidays. When I was a teenager, I’d go and see local bands - just taking a point and shoot out with me. I was always that person with a camera.
I’m probably the last generation who grew up on film and then we suddenly had digital and I think that's quite special. I'm proud that I didn't just have digital all the time because I appreciate the instant result with a digital camera, but I also like the film side of things.
I did a couple of weddings with a friend when I was at uni, I studied Fine Art at Huddersfield. I was the second shooter and I found it really interesting. And then I had a bit of time not doing it when I became an art teacher in Scotland, but I was so homesick for Manchester I moved back. I was adamant I wanted to do something creative within this wonderful industry that we live in. I just started on my own, didn't know anyone, started annoying people. Saying, ‘look, can I bring a camera?’ And I went from there. It’s been six years of absolute graft, pretty much working two jobs.
Now I've just got to a point where I can go part time with my teaching job which is an achievement as there's just not enough money in it, but it’s going in the right direction. Any art - like musicians, singers - it's exactly the same thing.
CM: Is this environment different for female photographers?
HM: A lot of my closest friends are male and they all happen to be within this industry in some way. Most men I've met are absolutely fantastic. However, you do get a couple who don’t like the fact I'm getting work. They don't say that directly, but certainly in their attitude and the way they speak to you. I've had times when I've walked into a pit and there's a man there and he's shaking hands and high-fiving all the men and I was the only woman. I walked in and he just completely ignored me.
CM: How do you deal with that?
HM: You deal with it by taking better photographs than they do. It’s weird, but it makes me more determined to do better.
CM: Tell me about a career highlight so far
HM: A year ago, I got a phone call from The Chameleons, I’m a big fan anyway. I ended up doing a whole tour with them and a photo shoot for their album launch. I've never done that before. It was terrifying, But I learned a lot very quickly, not just about taking photos, but about how to be around people, in the close quarters of a tour. They were, honestly, the nicest people I've ever met.
CM: Choose one of your pictures that really means something to you…
HM: I chose this image of John Lydon from his gig at The Ritz in December because of how it captures the intensity of his stage presence. John always has the audience captivated from the very first note. He has a hold over the fans by his infectious energy and passion for performance.
Cult Manchester: How did you first get into photography?
Melanie Smith: Well, it goes back to the punk era in 1977 and the first gig I took photographs at was a Slaughter and The Dogs show. I've still got the photos. I mean, they're really bad - it was on a cheap camera and obviously I wasn't professional - but I think I realised that I love capturing moments. I started properly when I had my own music website with another woman in London which was called Mudkiss. We started doing interviews and progressed to doing live reviews and I started photographing gigs again from places like Ruby Lounge and the Deaf Institute. I was invited to shoot for the Academy music group in 2015. That's the O2 Apollo, the O2 Ritz, the O2 Victoria Warehouse. I'm on a rota for that and we pick which shows we want to photograph. I've been taking photos for Louder Than War for 13 years and now I'm live reviews editor and head of photography.
CM: Can you remember being down the front for one of your first big gigs?
MS: It was pretty daunting to be honest because all the photographers had two lots of cameras and I just had the one with a short lens and they had their long lenses. I felt a bit out of my league, to be honest.
The first big show I did was Kings of Leon, think it was Old Trafford cricket ground. That was a long time ago, and to be honest, I didn't get many photos there. We could only stand in one spot. It was all security men lined up and I just thought, oh, God, I'm never going to get anything. It was quite nerve-wracking. I turned around and there were thousands of people at the back of me and was I like, oh my God, how did I get here? Sometimes you feel a bit like a fraud - imposter syndrome!
CM: Being a woman, has that made any difference to your experience?
MS: I might have had issues, but nothing that I can remember, so it obviously wasn't that important. Maybe because I'm a bit older - I'm 66 now - I can stand up for myself. There are going to be people pushing and shoving sometimes in busy pits. I don't think it's anything to do with your sex, but I can stand my own ground.
CM: How much choice do you get in what you shoot?
MS: Now I try and select shows that I really want to shoot, rather than ten years ago when I used to try and pack in as many as I could and cover loads of artists. I like strong female artists - Patti Smith, Florence + The Machine, Paloma Faith, Debbie Harry.
CM: What's your favourite photograph that you've taken?
MS: One photo would have to be the burlesque queen Dita Von Teese in the champagne glass - it was my dream shoot to be able to do one of her shows. I did one show and then I was lucky enough to be invited back to do two nights at the Apollo this year.
Debbie Ellis @debbieellis_photography
Cult Manchester: How did you get into photography?
Debbie Ellis: I actually grew up in a house that was behind a photography shop because my dad was a photographer. But I didn't get into photography until quite late on in life. Growing up, you never want to be like your parents. I didn't see it as a cool thing to do. Looking back now, I was always surrounded with photographs of musicians and it's part of my DNA in a way. It's something that had always captured my imagination. When you didn't have the internet, you could just look at images and piece things together yourself and work out why a musician would look the way they looked and how they influence you. And I think that's what led me really into doing music photography - just my love of music.
While I was working as a teaching assistant, I realised I wanted a more creative career, and I decided it was time to pursue photography. I started going to gigs with a camera - it gave me a reason to be there on my own. It gave me a new lease of life of going out into the Manchester music scene again, which was nice.
CM: What was your first big break?
DE: A friend told me about this band called Blossoms. They were playing Gulliver’s in Manchester. So, I went down, took some photos of them and sent them to the band - this was before they were signed. They asked me to do their promo shoot for their posters and for online. I wasn't paid, but they weren't signed. The thing was… I didn't know what I was doing! So, I was just sort of winging it and going, well, I'm not getting paid. That takes a bit of the pressure off. Luckily for me, they got signed and it meant that my images had a bit more weight because obviously when the band breaks through people are interested in their early days.
CM: So, what's it like as a woman when you start working at gigs?
DE: Because you're in a quite tight space and those cameras are pretty heavy and valuable, you have to make a space around you and it can be a bit full-on. I do find it's a male thing where they collect lenses and gear and just have it all hanging around their neck and I'm like, ‘well, what are you doing with it?’ I'm really not buying into, ‘you've got to have all the latest gear…’ That’s just a marketing thing anyway.
I think this industry is still in its early stages with regards to female photographers. It’s women helping other women photographers with bursaries and funding scholarships. I think there's some sort of initiative within the photography industry, but at the same time, it's like the music industry. It's still so heavily dominated by men.
CM: Which picture did you choose for us?
DE: I love this image of [Canadian singer-songwriter] Tess Parks. Her music sits somewhere between 60s psychedelia and shoegaze which are two of my favourite genres. I used an intentional camera pan and a very slow shutter to translate her sound into an image. The light trails and blurred movement reflect the hypnotic, dreamy nature of her performance. Look, she has the most incredible eyes, you can get lost in them!
