Embarking on a biographical venture through the lens of live music, our Photographer Spotlight Series aims to highlight photographers’ talent and perspective — all while showcasing their skill to the creative community and rest of the world. These interviews aspire to provide a glimpse into the world of concert photography uniquely told by each individual and create a network for fellow photographers to link with one another and potential opportunities.
In this feature, we present Olivia Khiel, who is based in Arizona. Olivia currently operates and shoots for Atlas Artist Group. She has also shot for Diva Bleach and deathdotgov.
Portfolio: https://atlasartistgroup.com
Instagram: @oliviakhiel
What do you shoot with and any favorite lenses?
Canon 5D Mark IV as my primary and Canon 6D as my backup. My 24-70mm 2.8 is my go-to lens for almost every show.
Do you have a signature editing style or aesthetic to your photography?
I really love bright colors and sharp details, so I will fully abuse the dehaze and clarity options in Lightroom to make my photos pop.
How and when did you get into concert/music photography?
I photographed a few shows back in college, but I was primarily a writer… so I stopped shooting after I graduated. Since I wasn’t able to get a job in the music journalism sphere, I co-founded Atlas with my best friend and picked up a camera when it became clear that artists would only give out one ticket with a photo pass. I am entirely self-taught and I’ve loved getting to explore this side of covering concerts!
Do you have a niche or specific genre that you tend to shoot?
Atlas covers all genres and I’ve been in the pit for everything from hip hop to rock to metalcore and everything in between. Hip hop and KPOP are my favorite genres to shoot because they’re both incredibly dynamic and tend to have the best production.
How do you approach capturing the performance energy and atmosphere in your work?
My goal is to capture both sharp, static moments as a journalist and dynamic moments with a lot of movement. I tend to shoot from the sides of the pit instead of dead on so I can catch those little nuances with hands or facial expressions. This also lends itself well to when artists walk or jump onstage and I can capture those one of a kind instances.
Have you photographed any of your favorite artists or events? What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishments so far?
I’ve been so lucky to photograph some serious bucket list artists over the years. Getting to shoot bands like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance was incredible and being in the pit at festivals like Riot Fest and Innings Fest was always amazing. I also love getting the chance to shoot hometown favorites The Maine and having them make goofy faces at my camera is awesome. There’s so much more that I hope to accomplish. I was recently approved to shoot Sick New World and Lovers and Friends so that was a milestone both for myself and Atlas. I really hope to be in the pit at Gov Ball and Lollapalooza one day and maybe even photograph Paramore… fingers crossed!
In a perfect world, what would be your dream photo job/opp?
I’d really love the chance to do one tour with The Rocket Summer one day, but the ultimate dream would be shooting festivals as part of their media team… looking at you Gov Ball and Lollapalooza!
What is one thing you’d like to achieve in 2024?
My biggest goal this year is to expand Atlas into even more genres and festival opportunities so we can continue to tell these amazing stories to our readers. Personally, my biggest goal is to cover Lollapalooza.
Who in the creative community has inspired you or helped you on your journey?
Arizona has an incredibly tight community when it comes to photography and I’ve been mentored and inspired by some really talented individuals that helped pull me out of my fear when I started. I definitely want to shout out Chris Mark and Kelly Fox: both amazing photographers and some of the best hype people out there. My assistant editor Taylor Knauf is also one of the most talented people I know. Atlas would not be anything without her.
What is one misconception you’d like to clear up or a hot take you have regarding challenges or life as a concert photographer?
I wouldn’t even call it hot take, but I think that concert photography is all about the relationship between skill and etiquette. There are a lot of us out there and usually a lot of us in the pit. It’s so important to be mindful of your peers and make sure that everyone is in a position to succeed when we’re sharing the same space. Understanding that will take you so far, both in getting the shot and building meaningful relationships with other creatives. And of course, always learning and growing and taking your skills to new heights is amazing. It’s important to never let go of the idea that you’ve reached your full potential. There’s always more learning to be done.
Additional photos by Olivia:
