Ramble Radar EP 001: Brit O’Brien talks translating emotion through music photography, ‘pinch me’ touring moments, and more
APRIL 16TH 2023 | by EMMA SCHOORS
When the lights go down at the end of a Hippo Campus show, there’s one person the band can count on to have immortalized the night – photographer, creative director, artist manager and “general handyman” Brit O’Brien has them covered. Always. “I don’t have any wall up with them, and they trust me entirely,” she says. “I feel incredibly respected and appreciated, and that makes a massive difference in my desire to create my best work and push boundaries.”
Really, there isn’t anything O’Brien can’t do. Selling merch, managing tours, and publishing photography books and zines are just some of the roles she’s undertaken in her pursuit of live music, and the candid documentation of it. O'Brien's first taste of touring as a photographer came when she joined Finish Ticket on their run opening for Twenty One Pilots in 2015, three years after purchasing her first camera. “As soon as I got into the green room, [I] started snapping the tension/excitement in the space,” she says of her first show with the band in New York City. “It felt palpable - like I could read their feelings exactly when looking back at my camera screen.” That electricity followed her through tours with K. Flay, Pinegrove, Fitz and the Tantrums, Beach Bunny, COIN, and more, and most recently led her to the position of artist manager at Framework Management. “I love implementing creative ideas with logical processes,” she says. “It’s been incredibly difficult and extremely rewarding. I’m learning every day.”
Set aside the exacting process of editing photos, learning the ins and outs of low light photography, or the passion that drove her to this profession in the first place; O’Brien’s success is also a product of consistency. “Growing a portfolio by whatever means necessary is so important,” she advises beginner photographers. “Meeting new artists, being confident enough to give them a link to your portfolio, being sociable and willing to stay out late… those are all keys in this industry. There is no secure or magic path, it’s all about finding ways to get yourself seen.”
PHOTOS BY BRIT O’BRIEN
We spoke with O’Brien recently about her path to the music industry, exploring the world on tour, and the story behind her all-time favorite capture.
RAMBLE: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Brit! Before we get into your music industry-spanning work, we’d love to learn a little about your beginnings as a photographer. Do you remember the first camera you ever used, and who you got it from?
BRIT: Of course! The first camera I ever had was a Nikon D600. I bought it used on Craigslist for $500. It was the first major purchase I’d ever made at that point (2012) and it changed my life.
RAMBLE: There must be such a rush in capturing the perfect moment, especially if it’s something a little off-kilter or totally candid. When was the first time you took a photo and thought to yourself, “This is something totally unique to me?”
BRIT: First off, really nice of you to say that it feels unique! Thank you. I first got a rush out of capturing the emotion behind candid moments while I was working with Finish Ticket in 2015. I had flown myself out to hang out with them in NYC while they were opening for twenty one pilots. I brought along my camera, and as soon as I got into the green room, started snapping the tension/excitement in the space. It felt palpable - like I could read their feelings exactly when looking back at my camera screen. I got so excited being able to translate emotion in that way, and was obsessed.
RAMBLE: The first tour you photographed was Finish Ticket, opening for Twenty One Pilots when you were 23. What were your emotions surrounding that? Was there any anxiety attached to heading out on the road for the first time, or did excitement override it?
BRIT: Excitement overrode it!! I couldn’t believe the feeling. It was unreal. The fans were loud, the rooms were packed, it was this feeling like anything could happen. I joined them for a handful of shows on that tour, and the whole time, in the back of my mind, I was determined to make this a job. “How can I do this again?” “Is this a real job?” I got home and would spend my days emailing every band imaginable, looking for a way to get back out there.
RAMBLE: In the years since, you’ve worked with half•alive, K. Flay, Pinegrove, Fitz and the Tantrums, COIN and more. Can you take us through some ‘pinch me’ moments you’d had on tour, whether that be finally going to a place/venue you’ve always wanted to visit, or a particularly memorable show?
BRIT: Absolutely!! I toured with K.Flay in Europe. It was the first time I ever had gone to the EU, and I landed in Switzerland and truly couldn’t believe I was about to get in a bus with my friends and photograph stadiums across Europe. Kristine (K.Flay) really taught me a lot on that run. She taught me how to explore a city with my feet — we’d walk miles exploring. She taught me how to find happiness in the quietest moments and how to experience and be thankful for what you have. Another moment came from getting my first “solo” hotel room while out with Fitz & The Tantrums. Think it was 2017? Really felt like I’d “made it” when I got the key to a private boutique hotel room on a day off in New Orleans. Not having to share? A bathtub? Wow, that was a huge moment.
RAMBLE: A band many in the industry associate you with, because of your fantastic photos of them over the years, is Hippo Campus. You’ve become a piece of their puzzle. In what ways does your closeness and comfort with the band help you document them more authentically?
BRIT: This is a great question. Our group dynamic and relationship is incredibly important to how I capture them. I don’t have any wall up with them, and they trust me entirely. That freedom allows room for endless experimenting creatively. I don’t feel pressure, there isn’t any fake or forced content capture. We’re doing it to remember and preserve, not to follow the trend of the moment. That’s my favorite part. The band is also SO grateful — I feel incredibly respected and appreciated, and that makes a massive difference in my desire to create my best work and push boundaries.
RAMBLE: One aspect of your work that jumps out immediately to me is that you very rarely make bands pose for a group photo. You capture the in-between moments, the hugs, the wide smiles. It takes an attentive person to notice details like that. Are you naturally observant?
BRIT: Honestly, I think I must be! I can really “feel” how someone is doing. I can sense that it’s “not a good time” to lift up the camera, or to ask for a certain shot. I love studying my friends, learning their nuances, embracing how they function.
RAMBLE: You’re not only a music photographer, but a creative director and artist manager. Which role has proved the most difficult or mentally strenuous so far?
BRIT: Artist manager!!!! It’s new for me and a whole different side of my brain. I love implementing creative ideas with logical processes. Helping artists grow through years of touring experience. It’s been incredibly difficult and extremely rewarding. I’m learning every day.
RAMBLE: You’ve been around the globe capturing live music; are there any countries/places you’ve yet to check off your bucket list?
BRIT: Absolutely! Dying to go to Iceland. Also Alaska! It’s the last state left for me to see. Greece and Spain are up there as well. To play a show in Spain?! A dream.
RAMBLE: What advice do you have for beginner music photographers, or photographers who’ve worked their local circuits and are looking to tour for the first time?
BRIT: Don’t get discouraged by/be okay with doing free gigs. Growing a portfolio by whatever means necessary is so important. I worked for free for the first 3 years. Then the 2 after that it was just “bonus money” — five years! Meeting new artists, being confident enough to give them a link to your portfolio, being sociable and willing to stay out late… those are all keys in this industry. There is no secure or magic path, it’s all about finding ways to get yourself seen.
RAMBLE: This is a totally unfair last question, because it may be impossible to answer, but do you have a favorite photo you’ve ever taken?
BRIT: I love it. Such a tough question. The first photo that comes to my mind is a shot I took of Nathan Stocker of Hippo Campus. He is standing in the bus, on the passenger side. We stayed up all night talking and we were watching the sunrise on the way to Canada — passing through beautiful and foggy Vermont. He was wearing our bus driver’s hat and I could sense the feeling of being alive and being in the moment. I reflect on that image often. <3
Check out more of Brit’s work at https://brittanyobrien.com and keep up with her on Instagram: