This interview is part of a series in collaboration with Women Who Rock.
The Photo Lady of the Hour – Lesley Keller Interview
It’s always a pleasure to meet amazing people while you’re chasing your dreams or fulfilling your passion. I began writing at Pancakes and Whiskey in 2013 and by extension, working with Lesley Keller has always been a highlight. As co-founder of The Photo Ladies, a woman/non-binary photography collective, Lesley has made it her mission to focus on community over competition.
It’s fun covering shows alone because you get to meet people while dancing to your heart’s content, or singing (yelling) along to your favorite songs. But there’s something special when you’re collaborating with photographers. It’s almost an unspoken language where you both do your thing and circle around the venue. You meet again at some point, enjoy each other’s company and then get back to it. Lesley and I have always meshed so well on collaborations because, without discussion, she nails the moments I want to convey to the reader.
Whether we’re covering shows or randomly bumping into each other, Leslie’s work never fails to captivate!
From the bright aura of Anderson. Paak at Boston Calling to enchanting portraits of Penn Badgley from Mothxr; Lesley’s talent for capturing moments is uncanny. I always geek out whenever I have coverage requests where I know Lesley is the photographer. Not only is she super fun to work with but a professional who takes pride in her work.
One concert I’ll never forget is Brazilian Girls at Bowery Ballroom in May of 2018 – the lead singer, Sabina Sciubba had a very interesting and revealing dress made from contraceptives – Lesley and I just laughed, loved it, and enjoyed the concert. I always geeked out whenever we had concert coverage requests and I knew Lesley was the photographer who was covering along because she’s super fun to work with as well as a professional who takes a lot of pride in her work. My favorite moment ever was randomly bumping into Lesley at Mayer Hawthorne concert and was so extremely happy seeing her do her thing while I saw my music crush belt out these sultry, croony love songs
I was super excited for the opportunity to talk to Lesley about her favorite shows to shoot and how The Photo Ladies came to be.
Karen: How did you begin your photography career?
Lesley Keller: I guess I could say my photography career began when I took my little point and shoot Panasonic Lumix camera with me to a Bobby Long show in 2009 at the now-closed Lakeside Lounge. I would post the photos I had taken on my Picasa page and people would comment on how much they enjoyed them. But really, it wasn’t until I posted photos of MUTEMATH’s performance at the Bamboozle festival in 2010 that I thought that maybe I could really do this, and be good enough to go pro. After that, I bought my first dSLR, a Canon T1i, and I went to every show I could that would allow me to bring my camera without a photo pass to really develop my skills. The first pro assignment that I received was for Mumford & Sons at Barclays Center in 2013.
Karen: When you’re building your portfolio, how do you choose which images to feature?
Lesley Keller: I always try to choose the photos with the most impact. I definitely remember which photos people comment on most, or which ones get shared via social media. Those are usually the ones I choose to showcase my skills.
Karen: What would your favorite top 3 shows you’ve photographed be?
Lesley Keller: First would be Volcano Choir at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am a huge Prince fan and to get to shoot in that legendary venue was a memory I’ll never forget. Secondly, MUTEMATH at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. Seeing my favorite band in that tiny venue knowing how explosive their shows are was a dream come true. Some of my favorite photos came out of that show. Last but never least, FKA twigs at Park Avenue Armory. I wasn’t officially assigned to shoot this show, but I brought a camera and captured some incredible photos of twigs in action. She is beyond a force to be reckoned with.
Karen: The Photo Ladies seems like an amazing collective, how did you get involved?
Lesley Keller: One day, I was on Facebook, talking to my friend, Victoria Sanders. We were talking about the ups and downs of being a woman in this industry and we said it would be nice to have a club, so to speak, for women. To share photography knowledge, get tips, etc. Just so other women in this industry wouldn’t have to go through these same struggles alone. And just like that, The Photo Ladies was born.
Karen: What is the most challenging aspect of photography for you?
Lesley Lesley: Constantly having to prove yourself as a woman. There’s always someone asking who do you know that got you access to be in the photo pit? or who are you dating in the band?. No one ever believes you’re there because of your own talent, it’s frustrating.
Karen: If you could go back, what advice would you give your younger self?
Lesley Keller: Explore all your passions and hobbies no matter what it is. There’s always something to learn about the environment you’re in, and at the same time, you’ll learn a ton about yourself.