5th September, 2024

How did you get started in this industry?

It all happened pretty organically to be honest. When I first picked up my camera I didn’t really know what to do or what I was doing. I opened Youtube and studied the shit out of everything and practiced shooting pretty much everything (events, motorsport, landscape, portraits etc). I’ve always loved live music, especially the heavy scene. As soon as I realized that I can not only get into shows for free, but also get paid to shoot bands that I love, it kind of made sense to dive head first into it.   

You recently announced that you are now running threesiximagery as a business. Did you originally think of this as just a hobby, or was it always the goal?

I originally had no intention of running as a business, however as the workload got progressively bigger and bigger, and the scale of the shows that I was working got larger and larger it made sense to me to start taking my photography more seriously and I’m happy that I made that decision, because I think now people see me as more of a professional rather than just some dude that brings a camera to shows.

Your work for Melancolia is outstanding, capturing Alex in all his demonic goth glory. How did you come to work for them?

Thank you! I’m really happy to be working with them and creating a consistent theme with the band’s content. Mason, their drummer, has been a real close friend of mine for quite a few years now. I’ve worked with his other band, Madura Green, previously. I’ve also known Alex (Hilldawg) for the last few years too. When Mason called me and told me that he had joined the band I was so stoked for him; I really wanted to go see him play and see what the band was like. I told him that I would drive over for their second show at Stay Gold, and before I left Alex messaged me asking if I was keen to take photos of the show, so naturally I said yes and made the overnight drive and made it to Melbourne the morning of the show. I met Billy and Josh probably an hour before the show and we all were bros pretty much from then till now.

Can you list some of the other artists you have been lucky enough to shoot?

I’ve been really fortunate to be able to shoot a wide variety of bands. Off the top of my head i can list:

Carnifex, I Am, Jesus Piece, Slaughter To Prevail, To The Grave, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Black Veil Brides, Malevolence, Gatecreeper, Wednesday 13, Cattle Decapitation, Fallujah. There’s so many more but it all becomes a bit of a blur after a while haha. 

Why heavy music? What is it about this style and sound that attracts you to it?

I think heavy music translates really well photographically.A big thing of mine is catching the intensity of each show to really show the audience and followers the energy that these shows have.

How did you first discover and get into metal?

I’ve always loved metal. I think I was randomly scrolling Youtube one day in primary school and came across a drum cam of Joey Jordison playing The Heretic Anthem, and thats how I discovered Slipknot. From there, it grew to bands like Mudvayne, Trivium, All That Remains, etc… and it’s been that constant chase of finding heavier and heavier bands

Were your parents supportive of your career choice?

They are still to this day supporting me and pushing me to go further and further, so yes they are very supportive. I’m very lucky to have both of them who are still stoked for me when I tell them about upcoming shows and tours.

How did you learn your skills – courses, online, etc…?

I’m completely self taught; everything I’ve learned has been through research of my own via Youtube, and sometimes Reddit. I’m a pretty hands on/visual learner, so I personally find the most effective way for me to learn is to physically go out and mess around to see what works and what doesn’t. 

Any tips for someone wanting to get into, or just starting out in this line of work, and looking to build a career in this field?

I found the best way to get a foot in the door is to reach out to local bands, mention to them that you have an interest to work in the scene, you might have to offer to work for free in most cases but eventually once you build experience you can eventually start to work out your value and start working for a fee. Some bands may politely decline or in some cases not even bother to reply to your message, but the best thing to do is not get disheartened by that instead just be persistent and keep trying other bands eventually someone will say yes.

How do you start working with artists? Word of mouth from working the scene, people seeing your work on social media, etc…?

I like to be pretty direct and to the point, to be honest. If a band sparks my interest I’ll message them directly. If that falls through, or I get no response, I’ll message the venue to see if they need a photographer to shoot for the venue and usually that works, not every time but most of the time. It’s vital to be persistent and stay hungry.

What photographers/ videographers in the scene do you admire?

There’s quite a few of them for all their own reasons, and I’m lucky to be friends with most of them, but to name a few, Tom Drizners, Karl Stellar, Colin Jeffs, Jack Fontes, Miki Simankevicius. There’s too many to list but you get the idea.

Who’s your bucket list artist to work for?

I would love to get the opportunity to shoot Avenged Sevenfold if they were to come back to Australia.

What’s the last show you saw that you weren’t working at?

I can’t remember the most recent one off the top of my head, but the most exciting one for me was definitely Mudvayne earlier this year. I never thought I would get the opportunity to see them (shoutout to my partner, Anya, for sorting me a ticket for the show)

What artists, old or new, are you listening to currently?

Going off my search history on Spotify – Nails, To The Grave, Gravemind, Starve, Gel, Pain of Truth, Outsider and Killswitch Engage.

Cats – lovable family members or Satan’s spawn?

100% loveable, I have I cat who lives around my area, I have no idea who the actual owner is, but he keeps coming to visit and hang out with me. I’ve given him the name Fizzy. He is the embodiment of a Fizzgig, from the movie ‘The Dark Crystal’; a super friendly and cute little dude.

What does the rest of 2024 have in store for Shaun Wilkinson?

At the moment, I’ve got a few local shows up until the Vulvodynia tour at the end of this month. I’ve got my first wedding in November, which is as exciting as it is nerve wrecking. Apart from that, I’m just taking it as it comes, but always trying to set myself little goals to one up myself each time. Hoping to tour more in 2025, so fingers crossed.

Shaun Wilkinson : @three6shoota