Ladies with Lanyards is a blog post I published a while ago that put a spotlight on some of the most talented music photographers in Australia. That blog post had such a good response so I decided I wanted to dive deeper into this and interview these creatives! So, I'd like you to meet fellow music photographer, Lisa Businovski...

My name is: 
Lisa Businovski

I am based in: 
Melbourne, Australia

I started shooting live music because: 
In my first year at university in 2003, for an art assignment we needed to create images to be used on silkscreens, my project was on movement and thought rather than taking photos of dancers, I would take photos of my friends performing on stage.

My favourite gig I’ve ever photographed was: 
Liza Minelli in 2009. I was completely out of my element and it pushed me to develop my creative approach which has been major influence on my photography and print making process since. 

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Sheppard supporting Justin Bieber a little while back 💚

A post shared by Lisa Businovski (@foxindots) on May 16, 2019 at 3:03am PDT

The hardest / worst gig I’ve ever photographed was:
Each performance is unique and each have something to learn from. The only times I’ve had a negative experience is when a crowd or staff of a venue or touring staff are disrespectful.  

My photography style can be described in the following 3 words: 
Layered, Textured, Emotional.

My advice to young women looking to join the music industry as a live music photographer is:  
Get involved in your immediate community. I began by photographing friend’s bands. It was a safe environment to develop creatively and professionally. Build your portfolio by doing as many local gigs and shoots as possible. Put yourself in situations where you make all the mistakes you can so you can learn about yourself and your own style. The only way to be unique is to understand what works for you and what doesn’t.

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One last trip down memory lane tonight with @teddysphotos live at Etihad Stadium last year for @frontiertouring

A post shared by Lisa Businovski (@foxindots) on May 13, 2019 at 6:43am PDT

If I could tell my younger self anything it would be: 
To not fear your lack of technical knowledge. That will come with experience and asking questions, and they are totally reasonable to ask. Spend time researching different cameras and brands so when you do commit, you find yourself working with it, rather than being dictated by it. Don't feel rushed ahead to make a name for yourself, that its ok to keep a slower pace and do the best on each job. That burn out and resentment can creep up on you without truly reflecting on your work and purpose.  To check your ego, it serves no purpose when making authentic art.

The best advice I’ve ever been given is: 
Trust yourself when you want to take creative risks. If you want to try something you haven’t before and you might end up with nothing at the end of a show its ok, what didn’t work, can be the answer to what will help you move forward.

The hardest thing about being a live music photographer is: 
Various factors can knock your motivation and enthusiasm. The long hours, the turn-around from shooting to delivery of images can result in burn out. When you are let down by the industry’s community, not only as a creative but as a female creative. Our jobs are undervalued and we need to be supported and respected professionally for how important our contribution is.

The biggest lesson I’ve learnt as a music photographer is:  
To always own my copyright and not just give away my hard work for free. To reach out to my community, for moral support and to feel connected. Its not always just about your work, you are a human being. Human beings need each other especially when you’re not feeling %100.

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Flashback to Julia’s show at the Forum ☀️ More clouds coming soon ☁️

A post shared by Lisa Businovski (@foxindots) on Apr 7, 2019 at 4:20am PDT

My favourite live music photographer is:
Currently in Oz,  I have been closely following the work of Sydney based photographer Dani Hansen @dani__hansen  I think there is something really punk and raw about her work. I sense a feeling of movement, breathe and intensity which commands my attention in her body of work, and she makes me really observe and spend time with each shot.
I will always have a huge amount of respect for people directly in my community at the time of when I first began like Jacinta Mathews and Courtney McAllister. The women who carved the path in Australian music photography like Toni Wilkinson, Sophie Howarth, and Wendy McDougall.  Internationally our heroes who crash landed on the scene, with so many iconic photos during the 70s and onwards like Jill Furmanovsky, Annie Leibowitz, Jenny Lens and Pennie Smith

My goals as a live music photographer are: 
To capture creative and emotional frames which are respectful to the moment and the artist. To express myself but to always continually develop my art praxis. Coming from a Fine Arts training, I have an urge to always be developing and pushing my work.  To always learn from my mistakes and to develop through those happy accidents.

I also:
I also work in Music Licensing and as an illustrator with a background in Print Making and Education.



Excluding camera equipment, in my camera bag you will also find:  
Ear plugs and a beanie. I like to keep my bag light and simple, so its easy to tuck my camera away when needed , or pull out other lenses. The more you have in there, the more you fidget trying to find the equipment you need. Plus it makes it easier to move around crowds and audiences. 

This is the photo I’m most proud of because: 
Angel Olsen live at the Corner in 2017. Angel ended up using it on her 3rd LP “Phases”. The photo was a breakthrough and culmination of efforts in marrying printmaking and photography techniques, specifically using the technique of chronophotography. It’s been a technique I’ve been researching with my print making process. This photo represents the first result I was truly happy with, an approach which began with printmaking experiments at university; to the image I took of Liza Minelli. 



I shoot with:
Canon 5d Mark III Body, 35mm/50mm and 70 – 200mm lenses (All Canon)

Instagram:  @foxindots
Website/Folio:  www.lisabusinovski.com
Email: lisabusinovski@gmail.com