Music / Get To Know
Get To Know: Shotbytia
The art of the rave photographer is not one mastered by many. The ability to remain hidden in the background, to be entirely invisible, while also being at the centre of the action capturing the most exciting moments of any given night – takes time to learn.
Tia Payne (aka Shotbytia) is one of the lucky few who can claim to have mastered this craft. While still studying at university, she has climbed her way up the freelance ladder, working with ever-more prestigious promoters. Now, she finds herself being the one stop shop for the UK’s top underground party-starters, and she’s even touring with a certain UK number one artist at the start of next year.
We sat down to have a chat about Tia’s photography journey: how it started, why she’s uniquely positioned and of course, how much would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
is needed now More than ever
How the devil are you?
“Yeah, I’ve been absolutely wonderful! Life is good. My last show of the year is done and I’ve just handed in the final bits of work for first semester, so I’m feeling free as a bird!”
Tell us about your photography journey. When did it start? How did you fall into it?
“It’s a bit cliché but I’ve been taking photos for as long as I can remember. I remember writing in my books as a kid that I wanted to be a ‘photography’ when I grew up, not realising that it was actually a photographer – grammar has always been my strong point! I studied the subject at GCSE and that was probably the first time I really started getting into taking serious photos.”
Tia shot Keep Hush’s EC2A takeover at Loco Klub back in February – photo: shotbytia
Why club photography?
“I used to shoot raves on disposable cameras prior to lockdown, just for fun. Then I moved to Bristol in 2020, and I bought my first point and shoot film camera. It was just so many photos of my friends during that time – capturing the shenanigans as I got a feel for the format. Once clubs reopened I found myself always shooting the raves I was going to, as a sort of documentation for my own fun and as a bit of stimulation.
“I think clubs were just a place I was always in. Because of my music taste at the time and constantly being at different raves grew the fascination of the people in these spaces. Seeing if I could encapsulate the energy, the way people dress, the varying styles of dancing. It all drew me to taking images in these spaces.”
Of course you now shoot on film. Was it always this way? Why did you choose film over digital?
“It wasn’t always that way. When I started out it was predominantly digital and I bought my first and only DSLR. I began studying photography at college and from then it was predominantly film. We had a dark room and through college most of my time was spent shooting black and white film, developing and printing my own images. I think from there I just began to love the process of film.
“When I finished college I didn’t own a film camera (I still had a DSLR) but sort of fell out of love with photography overall. I didn’t understand why for so long, but I think it clicked that it was the digital process I never really enjoyed.”
Tia has become Keep Hush’s go-to photographer for their parties across the UK – photo: shotbytia
Over the past year (not to toot your horn too much) you’ve become one of the UK underground’s hottest club photographers, working closely and regularly with top promoters such as Keep Hush and no_one. What’s the story there?
“Back in the summer of 2021, I attended a Keep Hush day party at The Cause in London that my boyfriend was playing at, and it was the first time I had really noticed film photographers working music events. For me it was like a lightbulb moment: ‘I take photos all the time at raves – but this could actually be a job’. I think from there I was just unconsciously building my presence on Instagram and messaging every event company I knew in Bristol, spamming the promoters with my pics.
“I was also pretty lucky with the timing, as it was just out of lockdown and that energy and push of the underground scene was huge at that time. I think film photography at raves became something people valued.”
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
“317.515kg.”
How does it feel to be such an integral part of telling the stories of the UK underground while still being a uni student?
“I don’t know about integral. But to be honest it’s all been quite mad and surreal. I think being able to combine my love for underground music with my love for the film aesthetic has been such a blessing. I do have to pinch myself sometimes. It feels special to document a time that is so deep rooted in my own passion and so close to my heart.
“Doing it while at uni has really enabled me to have that freedom to be creative, having access to facilities and help throughout has been a huge plus and I don’t think I would have been able to have such a strong focus on it if I wasn’t at uni when it started.”
Tia’s work has taken her to many festivals, including Outlook UK – photo: shotbytia
Being positioned uniquely in the club space, what’s your view on crowds in general? Do they make your job easier or harder?
“I think it’s so varied from job to job. Ultimately, crowds are the focus of my work and capturing individuals within these spaces is what I tend to enjoy most. I think it’s what sets me apart from other photographers, or the standard narrative that we are just there to take photos of the DJ. However, you can get some crowds who don’t have the energy, that act in different ways, and that can make my job slightly more challenging. Mainly because I am hired to create photographs that promote people’s events and show that people are having a good time.
“But on the flip side, you get some jobs like the no_one, Misscoteque and Keep Hush shows where before I even walked in, I just knew people were going to be gassed and that makes my job the most fun and easy.”
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“Ooooo, that’s a hard one! But I do think it’d be jerk chicken, rice and peas. I think it’s a meal I could eat all day every day, and everyone makes it so differently so I’d never get bored.”
Who would be your dream client? Could be a promoter, a DJ or just anyone in particular.
“I would love to shoot for We Out Here festival. It’s probably my favourite festival I’ve been to and just being able to roam around and the versatility that would come from the lineup and the friendly, diverse crowd would be wicked.”
Once you graduate from university, is the plan to continue pushing the photography?
“It’s a scary thought. It’s only about five months then I’m officially done with uni – but I think the plan is to keep the momentum going on everything I am doing right now, as I really love where I’m at and really grateful for it all. I think I’d like to push it further into shooting other areas than clubs, possibly working for a magazine or some sort of music related portraits like album covers or something. I want to grow as a photographer and think this is where I want to take it.”
Capturing ravers in candid positions has become Tia’s speciality – photo: shotbytia
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
“I mentioned earlier, but I had always thought about being a photographer since I was in primary school, which is quite mad because I don’t think I fully understood what that even meant.”
I’m sure the dizzying heights of club photography isn’t all glitz and glamour. Tell us about a time where things didn’t necessarily go according to plan.
“Oh yes, it is most definitely not. I think shooting with analogue equipment comes with a fair few mess ups. I only got my first SLR about a year ago and was already shooting events at this time. So, I was learning about this camera while being on the job. I remember shooting a Keep Hush EC2A takeover back in February and my camera locking into place so I couldn’t load the film or move onto the next shot. I spent the whole event running around like a mad lady and messed up a whole two rolls due to not knowing what the issue was.
“Luckily I had my point and shoot on hand and had images to give to Keep Hush but I think things like that have been so crucial to my understanding of film cameras. I now carry a small tool, a 20p coin and too many batteries as these issues can be sorted mid-shooting.
“It’s also shown me that you need these stressful nights and screw ups to grow as a professional, because nobody gets it right all the time, far from it. The other thing about this was how understanding and patient the guys from Keep Hush were. as someone still new to working in these spaces, it was really great to see.”
Booty Bass for Keep Hush at Strange Brew – photo: shotbytia
Okay, now tell us about a time when things went incredibly according to plan.
“I think one time that sticks out in particular as a really surreal experience was being invited to shoot the Keep Hush day party at the Cause in London. It was my first time getting paid to shoot somewhere other than Bristol. This shoot was exactly a year on from the same party where I had the epiphany that it was an achievable future.
“It was a ten-hour day, it was 36 degrees and the energy was so beautiful, something different to what I’ve had before. I just had learned so much from all this practice I had been putting in and was being so thoughtful about every image I was taking. The day itself was so much fun and the images are some of my favourites to date I think because of how meticulous I was with each shot.”
What’s next for the big bad Tia?
“The trajectory of the past year has been crazy, but the start of 2023 comes with one of the biggest challenges yet. I’m going on my first tour around the UK with Interplanetary Criminal, a real pinch me moment. 2022 has been a wild one and I never thought it would pan out the way it has but I am forever thankful. I just hope to keep building on things and continuing to learn more and more about who I am as a creative.”
Main photo: Shotbytia
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