We meet photographer, Sarah Ginn to learn the realities of being a working photographer in the music industry.
When it comes to getting into the dance music industry, there’s no right or wrong path, but when you’re just starting out, it’s hard to know where to even begin. When you’re caught up in the humble beginnings, it’s easy to forget that almost everyone you’re looking up to has been in the same boat as you, trying to figure out where to start.
In our new series, ‘I Want That Job’, we profile the people who are pivotal in making the dance world go round, from the artists, promoters, agents and managers – and beyond – to find out what they actually do, how they got there and what advice they an give for anyone thinking about a similar career. In our first instalment, we meet prolific photographer, Sarah Ginn, whose clients include no less than the legendary Fabric nightclub, to get an insight into her success.
Name: Sarah Ginn
Age: 35
Job title: Music Photographer
What people think I do: Party and take a few snaps, live the high life, have a drug problem
What I actually do: Walk a LOT, carry over one stone of equipment on my back, concentrate intensely for 8 hour stretches in loud and volatile environments, do 24-hour jobs with next day deadlines, travel late at night and early morning, stay sober… This sounds like I’m bitching but it’s my reality to be able to listen to some of the best music in the world and work with some of the coolest people in the world (across the whole industry). I am in a very lucky and unique position, I take my work seriously as all the artists I work with take their music seriously.
A typical day for me looks like…
There is no typical day! I could be on a plane going abroad doing a festival, going to Vauxhall to shoot a club, doing head shots in Canary Wharf or going to Borough Market to shoot a food demo. It’s so varied as a photographer… At the moment though, I’m setting up my studio in New Cross and I rent a couple of rooms to Scratcha DVA and Mark Force (of Bugz in The Attic), so I’m spending most of my time here if I’m not away, getting this place up to scratch and working on my ten year book. My studio is like my haven!
As a photographer, there are many roads you could have taken your photography down, but for the most part, you have chosen dance music. Why specifically this industry? Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve thought a lot over the last few years about why I chose this industry and the basic common denominator is music, I’ve been music obsessive for as long as I can remember. There are also personal and creative reasons for me to choose this industry so it’s rather complex!
From the personal side, my dad was a sound engineer for BFBS radio, so I’ve grown up with constant music through the hum of the FM. Music also gave me an identity, as it does to so many people when they are young and provided me a link back to my family. I also moved around a lot as a kid (I didn’t settle in the UK until I was 14) so there was no home town for me as such. Music provided with the constant I needed to feel like I belonged, a way to get over imposter syndrome, I guess! All my work up until this point has been like a love letter back to music, I wanted to give something back to an industry that has featured so heavily in my personal development, and continues to do so. I also wanted to immerse myself in the scene and find as many new sounds as possible. As a female, it’s rare to be like that, it’s seen as a masculine thing, so the way I got over that was just to shoehorn myself into the rave through my photos…My mates just weren’t into it so much, so I branched out on my own.
From a creative side, I saw that the music I loved was not represented in a way that matched the quality of the music. I did photography on and off at college and uni, I just played around with it. Historically dance music is of the ‘non-image’, so there is huge creative scope to do anything you really want, it’s not tied by tradition as rock music is. Artists need an image of some sort now to move with the times. It actually pisses me off to see someone that doesn’t have a quality of imagery that matches their talent; it seems like a wasted opportunity, it makes their work less powerful in the media. It’s this factor that drives me creatively and has done for the last ten years.
You have had some high profile clients over your prolific career, what would you say has been the key to earning them and keeping them?
Be as kind as you can be. Treat people with respect from the bottom up. Your integrity is everything; long after your work has been completed, the main thing that people will remember is how you treat others. If your integrity matches your talent and passion for what you do, the right clients will seek you out and continue to use you. In fact, if you do this then your influence will be far more powerful, because basically you will inspire people to hire you. A shitty attitude blunts your talent and your longevity not just in your profession but also in your life. Music also has less monetary value now unfortunately, so working fairly as a team with your client is very important and good conflict resolution is a must.
What would you say are your favourite things about what you do?
The people I meet, I meet so many different and incredible people every day and always learn something from all of them. I never get bored! Plus, I get immense satisfaction when I create a good set of images, it makes me so happy.
The good times, the incredible atmospheres that I experience and the music, the unity of it, like the old rave culture days… Really it’s the music! If someone told me 15 years ago when I just left university that at age 35, I would have amassed a decade of imagery of some of the finest artists the UK has produced, I would have thought ‘bullshit!’, but luckily it came true!
If anything, what are the least enjoyable aspects of your job and how do you combat them to stay motivated?
Ego is a problem in this industry (as it is in all parts of the entertainment industry), but in a way though you must have an ego to survive. It’s a fine line that everyone has to tread. A healthy ego enables you to look out for yourself and be confident in your work, but the minute you lose sight of your main objective – which for me is to make music look beautiful – you are basically fucked. I admit that at times I have got caught up in the fluffy parts of the music scene. Really those things aren’t important no matter how pretty and fun they are and it can turn bad very quickly. The scene is an unreality, its not real life. The only downside to this job is the struggle to not be distracted and keep yourself in check, to stay grounded. The way I get around this is to stay close to my family and friends outside the industry, do ‘normal’ things as often as I can, for instance I’m a vintage fashion junkie, I scour markets on my off days, it relaxes me.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Wow so many! All the RBMA jobs have been awesome and those guys are great to work with. I’ve done work for many of my heroes and those who have lived up to my (very high) expectations count as one of my high points! I think really all my jobs are a highlight; each one has pushed me personally and professionally, so it’s hard to pick out anything in particular. All the festivals I work at are great, in particular I love Outlook as so many people I work with are there. Plus my long standing relationship with Fabric definitely keeps me close to my roots, that place is my home.
Where do you hope to see your career progressing to in the future? Is there anything else you’d like to try?
I have no idea, all I do know is that I just want to keep taking photos and be the best photographer and person I can be.
If someone were considering doing a job like yours, what advice would you give them on where to start and how to progress?
Work hard on your product, which is also yourself, don’t mix business with pleasure, be respectful of people, walk away with dignity if things don’t work out, and lastly, enjoy it! The physical aspects of the long night time hours mean you will only really have a ten-year window of intensive club work. So yeah, get fit now! Start by working for the best name in your field even if it’s unpaid for a period of time, that will get your foot in the door.
What do you think the future of the industry looks like?
I don’t think much about the future, I live in the now.
Words By: Yasmine Ben-Afia
All Photography – Sarah Ginn