My life through a lens: Sam Wall
We’ve been asking asking North East-based photographers to open up their archives and select two handfuls of images which encapsulate life as they’ve captured it
For Sam Wall, photography is rooted in energy - the kind found in crowded venues, on festival fields and in those fleeting, high-intensity moments in front of the stage.
It’s a sensibility that runs through the 10 images he’s selected from his archive for this week’s My Life Through a Lens.
Now based in Newcastle and working as lead music photographer for Darkus Magazine, Sam’s artistic instincts started early. “I’ve always been creative in one way or another, playing instruments, drawing and painting since my early teens,” he says.
His introduction to photography came through a simple gift, but one that quickly became all-consuming.
“One year on my birthday I was given a digital camera and instantly connected with it and what I could create with it,” he says. “I used to take it everywhere I could.”
Even when he didn’t have the camera on him, he was moved to document life as it happened. “I would also buy disposable cameras and take pictures on nights out and festivals I would go to with my friends.”
Photography developed further during his university years, but a personal loss proved to be a defining turning point. “It was the death of my father that was the real catalyst for me to refocus on what I wanted to do in life,” he says. “He was a keen amateur photographer and after his passing I inherited his gear, some of it still comes to every show I shoot.”
Live music is where Sam feels most at home and where he does his best work. “I feed off the energy and the atmosphere of a concert. I love just throwing myself in and reacting to it.”
Not every setting comes as naturally. “To be honest studio shoots/portraits challenge me the most, I find directing people and dealing with all the variables can be quite overwhelming at times,” he admits.
Inspiration comes from those around him. “The work of my friends and other photographers shooting music has always inspired me,” he says. Meanwhile when asked to offer tips to those hoping to follow a similar path, his advice is simple and direct: “Learn the fundamentals. Find your niche. Shoot, Shoot, SHOOT.”
You can follow Sam Wall on Instagram here.
AJ Tracey: Taken at Leeds festival last year (2025). I’m always on the lookout for unique and interesting angles to shoot from so when I noticed the lighting above flashed a union jack so with my fisheye lens equipped I lay on my back and waited to get this obscure shot.
Cian Ducrot: Shooting music can be very limiting because usually you only have the first three songs to get everything so when Cian jumped into the crowd to serenade his fans up close, I had to jump into the fray and join them.
Coldplay: Taken at Glastonbury festival in 2024, I’d snuck my camera in to cover the festival unofficially. Coldplay always put on one of the most visually spectacular shows you can imagine.
When the show was closing a barrage of fireworks was released and I kept shooting and shooting to get it all, this image is actually a result of 20 or so pictures layered together
Frank Carter: Frank is known for his explosive performances and energy on stage, even with a broken wrist he still threw everything into the show.
The stars aligned for me to get this shot, the lighting was strobing and the settings on my camera had to be just right when he got right up in my face screaming at me. I knew immediately I’d taken one of my favourite shots to date.
Fuel Girls: Fire is always exciting to be around, even more so when I have a camera in hand. The Fuel Girls are known for their impeccably choreographed performances so I jumped at the chance to shoot the show. I’d never shot anything remotely like this before and it was just as exhilarating as you can imagine.
Great North Run: The GNR is one of the biggest events in the Newcastle calendar, It brings the whole city together in support of all the runners. The atmosphere on the Tyne Bridge with all the runners streaming past and the red arrows soaring overhead is electrifying.
Iota: One thing I particularly love about shooting music is the unpredictably of it and having to react on the fly to what’s going on around you.
When the lead singer of Iota, Jodie Robinson, parted the crowd and lay on the floor like this I had to react fast to get the shot. A quick lens change, throw on the flash and hope I caught it before the moment passed.
NUFC Carabou Cup: I have great pride for where I live and football is Newcastle’s great unifier. When they won the Carabou Cup the whole city came out for the victory parade. This moment meant so much to everyone.
Sam Fender: This is from the first time Sam played the arena not long after the release of his debut album and the first time I’d shot a show of that size. I was incredibly excited to be there for his biggest show up to that point.
Wargasm: Shooting heavy music is where I thrive, the more chaotic the better, when the crowd parts to form a mosh pit from wall to wall there’s a huge rush of excitement like the charge before battle.
I loved being in the right place to capture the (relative) calm before the storm.