Legendary photographer Jill Furmanovsky impressed me to get into music pictures – now I take images of my favorite artists

The likes of Franz Lanting, Emmett Sparling and Ansel Adams are amongst Birmingham City University graduate Kieran Craven’s inspiration listing, however Jill Furmanovsky is a agency favorite with regards to the style of music pictures. Combined along with his love of music and live shows, following a route of music pictures has led Kieran to photographing native artists in addition to huge names like Marcus Mumford (Mumford and Sons). He shares extra about how he began, his present work and hopes for the longer term.

Our rising photographer sequence goals to shed a light-weight on up-and-coming expertise. Photographers are supplied a platform to share their work with a wider viewers by means of the AP channels, with the scope of furthering their careers. We additionally get an perception into their inspirations, the digital camera gear used and future aspirations, in addition to the journey taken into pictures – which doesn’t should be probably the most conventional route!

We’ll be sharing the work of photographers on our web site and social media and even within the journal. If you’ve got lately began your pictures journey or are a pupil / graduate, share your work with us at [email protected]

When and why did you begin taking images?

I’d say I’ve at all times been drawn to pictures in some sense. Growing up I used my dad’s movie digital camera on holidays, I used to take that many images he ended up getting me a digital digital camera, most likely to avoid wasting on movie. I feel I simply used to like the concept I couldn’t see the images till I bought again house and had gotten them developed. As I bought older, I began to go to plenty of live shows with family and friends and I’d take the odd photograph right here or there, the extra live shows I went to, the extra I started to note photographers within the pit and puzzled if I might do the identical.

Which style do you are likely to work largely in?

I primarily work in Documentary and Concert Photography; that is one thing I really feel obsessed with and I really like making work round native artists and the venues they carry out in. I’d like to enterprise extra into nature as that could be a huge ardour of mine and really feel it’s extremely necessary proper now.

What attracts you in direction of your favoured style?

I’ve an enormous love for music; my mum and pop are diversified in what they take heed to and so I really feel I’ve immersed myself in each their tastes after which added my very own music alongside the best way. This has then led to me being a giant advocate for gigs and seeing stay music. I feel it was solely a matter of time earlier than I ended up doing a job that revolved round it. There is one thing simply so cool about with the ability to see your favourite artists and with the ability to seize such intimate and uncommon alternatives.

Tell us slightly bit extra about your photographic coaching?

So, I’ve A ranges in Business and Applied science, I used to be then going to check Environmental Science at Nottingham University. I really like animal documentaries and at all times felt I wished to make my very own. I nonetheless do. Then I began to research into animal pictures and the way I might possibly work on exhibits and behind the scenes.

I lastly selected to do my diploma at Birmingham City University. It was near house so I might nonetheless see my associates and avoid wasting cash for touring, tools and plenty of digital camera movie. When wanting round I had heard nice issues about this course resembling tools, studios and the talents wanted. It has actually helped me when setting myself up for future aspirations.

Tell us extra about your current work

My remaining exhibition was carefully labored on with a buddy and singer named Bo Bardot (Edgar) she is an upcoming singer from Birmingham and has an enormous future. We have been working collectively now for simply over 2 years, we began planning out some future targets resembling movies, press launch and this exhibition. Bo may be very nostalgic in how she likes to carry out and elegance herself. We felt like an in-universe theme might go well with properly. I spent months researching previous basic film artwork and press releases after which creating my very own variations.

I even went so far as reducing out photos and curating them like they did in 1970’s papers. I wished the sensation of my remaining exhibition to really feel as genuine as doable, I submitted one Vinyl, 2 A1 posters, the curated newspaper and a few smaller photos based mostly round new songs popping out. I felt this gave a broader scope on who Bo was and what she was about. This can be a end result of labor that has slowly was music movies that are set to launch all year long.

What type of response has it had?

I did some major analysis when wanting into what colours, tones, grain and so on and the way that might evoke a sense of nostalgia. The important suggestions I had was that most individuals would assume a 70’s onwards vibe about my photos. This has helped me when it comes to what I assume our perceived data of nostalgia would possibly seem like, even after we haven’t essentially lived in that period. The work has additionally led to me getting different alternatives with related artists, so I really feel it has reached the fitting viewers when it comes to what it was meant.

What has been your largest photographic impediment thus far?

I really feel lots of people in pictures take care of plenty of the identical points. That is both feeling your work isn’t adequate or it isn’t adequate in comparison with different photographers. But I really feel like that’s fairly a creative downside anyway. Comparison and with the ability to see stunning work on-line is each an excellent and slightly disheartening. My largest impediment is overcoming the worry that pictures is in essence simply studying methods to see for your self and expressing this in a manner that individuals could really feel equally.

Who are your largest influences?

I’ve masses however I’ll attempt to slim it down. Emmett Sparling and his journey work is extremely good. Jill Furmanovsky is mainly the best live performance photographer of all time. Frans Lanting and his animal pictures is second to none. Ansel Adams and his gorgeous panorama images. I additionally love Alex Webb, who has a novel manner of layering his images. These have all had their very own affect on the best way I shoot my very own work.

What tools do you utilize?

I’m a Nikon consumer, that appears to be slightly controversial generally. But it was the primary DSLR I had and I completely find it irresistible. Usually at live shows I exploit a 24-70mm lens 2.8 or a 50mm Prime. But I’ve some cool occasions developing and I’d love to make use of a 70mm-200mm.

What can be your dream tools to work with?

I actually wish to get extra into music movies and cinematography, so I imply the purpose actually is utilizing a digital camera that shoots on 35mm Stock and even an IMAX 70mm digital camera. I do love utilizing older variations of know-how although, I feel it’s about what you’re making and never what you make it with.

What has been the spotlight of your pictures profession thus far?

Just over a 12 months in the past I bought an e-mail from the O2 Music group. They had bought in touch to see if I used to be up for becoming a member of their in home crew in Birmingham. I can’t inform you how blissful I used to be after that. I had spent so lengthy working to get live shows for myself, placing in hours messaging bands to try to work with them. So, to get the chance to have the ability to {photograph} bands on the O2 each month was a dream come true.

What are your hopes on your pictures profession sooner or later?

I really like making movies and making an attempt to see what I can do visually. I really feel the ceiling is wherever I would like it to be. I’d like to make my very own manufacturing firm and increase from there. I simply wish to go away no stone unturned and ensure I’m making use of myself to be the very best I can.

Do you’ve got a dream project?

I feel being requested to go on tour or to {photograph} someplace resembling Abbey Road Studios is excessive on the listing. The important project is to only maintain going and develop my profession into extra than simply pictures. That may very well be working or creating exhibits, crossing into different media or working with movie and TV.

What piece of recommendation would you give to different aspiring photographers?

Main recommendation I’ve learnt thus far is that getting out and photographing is one of the best ways to get higher. I used to take one or two notes on expertise I wished to be taught while on shoots or strolling round my native space. I’d observe these after which make logs on what my outcomes have been. I stored it small so I didn’t overwhelm myself and will simply give attention to enhancing that one facet. So in brief, get on the market!

Instagram: @kc_gigs

Success tales

At the 2026 AP Awards, Nick Teo was introduced as our Emerging Talent winner for this documentary-fashion work. Previous rising photographer award winners embrace Ethan Parker, Aliz Kovacs-Zoldi and Tariq Sadu. Si Jubb and Ethan Parker spoke at our Festival of Photography: Documentary occasion in 2025.

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