Liam Gillin
Interview by: Brittany Ormiston & Everly Ormiston
Article by: Brittany Ormiston
“Have a community. Have people who are going to ride behind you. That’s what matters.” As a New York City (NYC) concert and event photographer, videographer, and content creator, Liam Gillin is chasing his dreams while building a community of creatives all his own. He strives to make content that is all-inclusive, realistic, educational, and brings the music scene to life in a unique fashion. After just three years in the music industry, Liam has made a name for himself and is known by many as “the stop motion guy.” Despite being recognized and garnering countless achievements, Liam remains humble and leads with purpose, reflection, and opportunities to mentor others along the way.
Liam’s journey has been “years in the making” when he started filming and taking pictures at only six years old. In high school, he was told by teachers social media was not a real career and he would not succeed. With his parent’s support, he attended Marist University for four years to pursue film and graphic design. After graduating, Liam quickly realized the film industry was dulling his creative spirit with its toxicity, gatekeeping, and unwillingness to use his ideas. Attending his first concert post-COVID in 2022 at Olivia Rodrigo’s show at Radio City Music Hall opened his eyes to the world of concert photography. He now knew what he was meant to do.
Even today, Liam still remembers his very first gig and posts a concert photo from the night on an annual basis. “Shout out to him [Nicholas Pozo] for being the first band to take me on,” he shares. Since then, Liam has photographed almost everyone on his Spotify playlist including Olivia Rodrigo when she debuted GUTS. Talk about a full circle moment!! He has been a part of several festival teams, such as Governor’s Ball and Soundside Music Festival. Working with the NBA to create a video for the Brooklyn Nets was certainly nothing but net (pun definitely intended). Liam set aside two days for the shoot to capture the city of Brooklyn alongside the Net’s public practice. The video includes shots of the Brooklyn Bridge, Barclays Center, and the basketball courts in the heart of Brooklyn. His most recent accomplishment includes being invited to Austin, Texas for the Nikon Creators Camp aka his first brand trip. Learning the ropes of the new Nikon Z5II before its release was memorable to say the least.
Looking ahead, Liam has his eye on moving up to the next level: working directly with artists and more brands. “Gaining the trust of the artists is now the new challenge [for me],” explains Liam. Regardless of obstacles, he remains optimistic and knows he will be successful in due time including being a touring photographer. “There’s no stop motion touring concert photographer, and I want to be the first to do it,” stated Liam with great confidence. The brilliance behind the Stop Motion Mastery Course is certainly an indication he will be touring the country in no time. Back in 2024, Liam created the entire course in secret for five months before surprising his family and friends the day before it was announced. After its first week of launching, Liam was rewarded two-fold with the positive response and creatives excelling from what they had learned. “I am a firm believer in: you need to create the work you want to be hired for,” says Liam. The Stop Motion Mastery Course is direct proof with new doors opening for him in just one year's time.
Stop motion animation is in a class all by itself, and that is why Liam loves it. “Don’t be afraid to be different,” he exclaims. Back in February, Liam followed his own internal wisdom by stepping out of his comfort zone and into the studio for his first editorial shoot ‘Overworked and Underpaid.’ The shoot is about a political issue, and “tells the story of Gen Z’s relationship with the job market and economy…Gen Z entering the workforce now are having to hustle and grind for barely the bare minimum,” Liam shares on his Instagram. The model, Justin Seepersaud, and photo assistant, Gabriella Crean, brought Liam’s vision to life in such a way individuals from all walks of life came to the same agreement: we are all struggling. Liam wanted to tell a story, and in the process made a point to cultivate an environment where the team was treated with care, respect, and fair pay that same day. Not only is ‘Overworked and Underpaid’ his most viral post of 2025 thus far, it is also the photoshoot he is most proud of.
Liam is a constant source of inspiration for many creatives, and he enjoys seeking out photographers on the rise. “I look up to a lot of people, but I also want to make sure the up and comers are getting their flowers too,” states Liam. At just 19 years old, Lia Hansen is experimenting with her concert photography with studio work, fashion and more. Kayli Sandoval is changing the narrative with VHS tapes as her top choice when creating mixed media. The media teams for Lollapalooza Chile, Argentina, and Brazil are excelling at their craft, and Liam encourages everyone to take notes. Similarly to these photographers, Liam also had to start from square one and has been influenced by individuals such as Sarah Ohta. She was one of the first creatives he found who inspired him to create something other than “journalistic-type photos.” Mentor and friend, Nikki Cardiello, has taken Liam under her wing since the beginning of his concert photography career, and now they navigate the NYC music scene together. Christian Sarkine’s work and editing style caught Liam’s eye years ago. Liam explains further, “The emotion. He is just so good at emotion. I don’t know what it is. I think his colors are phenomenal. Just a very very talented guy.”
Aside from fellow photographers being the blueprint, Liam takes inspiration from non-concert material. He loves to bake, and will often use it as a creative outlet. From an editing standpoint, vlogger Mama Cookie on TikTok utilizes fast cuts to which Liam finds incredibly captivating. Purposefully having influences “not in the niche, not in the concert world” has helped Liam to not burn out easily, and find a good work-life balance. Another major part of Liam’s identity is disability advocacy. In high school, he worked at a camp for children and adults with disabilities where he was shown “a different side of the world.” His publication, Out Jamz, has a main focus on representation especially for LGBTQ+ creatives. Liam has also brought creatives with disabilities onto his team, and pushed to release articles surrounding ways to provide accommodations and accessibility. “My art: I want to make sure every race, every gender, every sexuality is represented…Everyone is included regardless of who they are,” claims Liam.
With inclusivity at the forefront, Liam is looking to the rest of 2025 through a realistic and innovative lens. Since this year has been one of the most challenging of his career due to the recession, he is taking the time to learn new softwares and pinpoint problems that need solving in the industry. Liam will continue to release educational online content, including a new tutorial in his Stop Motion Mastery Course. He is in the process of joining more festival teams, and is hopeful for a touring opportunity. With Liam’s intellect, ambition, and heart of gold, he will continue to succeed in all of his endeavors with an ever-growing community supporting him every step of the way.
Photos by Liam Gillin
