For this month鈥檚 news, sport and entertainment feature we caught up with music and fashion photographer, Katie Collins. Having worked in the industry for more than 19 years, Katie has photographed well-known bands such as Linkin Park and The Darkness. She has also covered London Fashion week runways and behind-the-scenes action for many years.
Katie has been busy this summer capturing music and fashion events in and around London and Europe, with some of her highlights from this year being SXSW and Download festival.
Delve deeper with us as we find out how Katie started working for photo agencies such as PA Media, why being in based in London is a bonus for her and why she finds it important to also capture fans and the crowd at music events as well as the bands/performers.
CG: You specialise in music and fashion photography; can you tell us how you got into the industry?
KC: My career began in radio as a journalist on a commercial radio station in Guernsey, where I grew up. In 2005 I travelled with a radio station colleague to Sri Lanka to work on a story about the aftermath of the Asian tsunami. It was whilst I was there travelling across the country that I started taking pictures with my film camera and developing an interest in photography and photojournalism. By September of 2005 I had left my radio role and had begun studying for a Masters in Photojournalism at the University of Westminster. This led to work at photo agencies in London, including the Press Association (PA Media) a year after graduating.听
CG: You鈥檙e based in London – does this help with capturing content within your expertise?
KC: Having good links into the city definitely helps with photographing music and fashion. Photo passes for live music can sometimes come through very last minute and being able to hop on the tube and get to a venue quickly is a big bonus. There are also lots of great music venues and many, many fantastic artists touring through the city. London also hosted the SXSW festival this year for the first time which showcased some fantastic musical talent.
CG: Are there any challenges to capturing music and fashion events? If so, how do you handle this?
KC: London Fashion Week is always busy and can involve very long days, but I always enjoy shooting it! For each show you need to be there at least two hours beforehand to mark your photography position. So, there鈥檚 a lot of dashing around the city, fitting in editing in between and remembering to eat and drink!听With music, there seem to be a lot more restrictions than there used to be and artists asking for pre-approval of images. It鈥檚 an ongoing challenge in the industry right now.
CG: What has been your favourite event to capture in 2025 so far and why?
KC: There are two. The first is Linkin Park at Wembley Stadium. It was such a special gig to shoot. To be in the photo pit at Wembley was a real 鈥減inch me鈥 moment – the crowd was bigger than the population of Guernsey, where I grew up. The band also allowed photographers to shoot their first three and last three songs. It was the most incredible and happy experience, and I sensed a big event for the band who were touring with their new vocalist Emily Armstrong.
The second is Download Festival. It鈥檚 a rock and heavy metal festival in Derbyshire which is incredibly fun to shoot as there鈥檚 always plenty of movement and action on stage! The fans/crowd are also incredibly generous and friendly and make this a special festival to keep going back to.
CG: As we can see from your Download Festival 2025 coverage you also focus on capturing the atmosphere from the crowd, is this just as important to you as capturing the bands performing live?
KC: Definitely. The crowd are a huge part of Download and meeting, talking and photographing them, for me, goes hand in hand with photographing the live music. I have been stopped several times at the festival to be given gifts such as a handmade keyring, bracelets and stickers. People are so friendly, there鈥檚 a lot of fancy dress (also great for pictures) and they just seem so happy to be there.
CG: What do you think is the best way to get your photos noticed by the media?
KC: I try to get my pictures edited and out quickly (within 1-2 hours of shooting) and I always like to keep the edit pretty tight. Having worked on a newspaper picture desk myself, I recognise the importance of not sending too many similar pictures. I keep my website and social media up to date too.
CG: What photography equipment do you travel with?
KC: I shoot with two Canon R6 mirrorless cameras. In terms of lenses, I carry a 70-200mm, a 70-300mm (I probably use this most for music) and a 24-70mm. I also have a 100-500mm for times when I might be shooting music from a front-of-house position (near the sound desk rather than the photo pit). My go-to camera bags are by Think Tank and have been a solid choice over the years. For fashion, a fold-up step is essential.
CG: You have been in the industry for 19 years; do you have any advice for photographers who are just starting out and want to get into the music and fashion industry?
KC: My advice would be if this is what you love, keep going, keep shooting, keep sharing your work and don鈥檛 be afraid to ask other photographers for advice. It鈥檚 a competitive industry but if it鈥檚 something you are passionate about and you love doing, don鈥檛 give up. I know how happy I feel when I am lost in the moment, shooting an exciting singer or band, watching the pattern of the lights, lining up the shot and waiting for that key moment or expression. It鈥檚 something special and I鈥檓 very lucky to be able to do it.
We hope you enjoyed Katie鈥檚 interview and feel inspired to photograph what you love and pursue your passions. Keep an eye out for future uploads from Katie by checking out her collection here.
You can also keep up to date with Katie’s work via her website and Instagram . Come back next month to see will be next in our NSE spotlight.
