Even though the music industry is very male-dominated, there are women who are making waves and impacting the culture. One of them is photographer Vicky Grout, who influences the grime scene with each snap that she takes. Such influence is important over here in the United States, considering we aren’t as familiar with the grime scene as other countries.

So REVOLT decided to chop it up with Vicky to find out more about her photographic contributions to the music scene.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into photography?

I’ve always had an interest in creating imagery, since before I can remember. But it was the process of film photography that really got me hooked when I was about 14. I found our old family camera, an Olympus Stylus Epic, and would just take it everywhere with me.

I see you take a lot of photos with grime artists . Why do you like to shoot that scene?

I started shooting grime artists when I started attending raves at 17 and my love for it has stayed throughout. Due to my constant involvement and love for the scene I have been able to build good relationships with some of the artists, meaning I get to work with some of them on a regular basis. There’s also something about catching an MC mid pose, mid spitting, or ravers in the crowd bussing a skank that really captures the energy of the moment.

Vicky Grout at right

The photo with Skepta garnered a lot of attention. What about it do you think drew people to it?

I think that with Skepta’s ever-growing success and popularity, it was rare to see such a personal and up-close portrait of him. People like to see the side of someone you don’t often get to see, especially when they’re staring intensely into the camera. I think Skepta’s expression in this image could be interpreted in many different ways, which is what makes it so intriguing.

Adele showed your photo some love by posting it up on social media. How was it seeing that?

Adele is one of the biggest artists in the world, so seeing her share my image of Skepta was a little mad! I don’t think she knows of me or who took the image, but it’s still an amazing feeling to know that she’s feeling my work.

Portrait-styled photos are classics — such a great way to represent people, their emotions, their feelings, and so forth. I see you shoot a lot in that style, why do you like shooting portraits? What about it do you like?

I love shooting portraits because it allows you to see a small glimpse of that person’s personality. Whether they’re full of emotion or completely unwilling to open up, you can always get a snippet of their character. I find it interesting to shoot different people, whether they’re a friend of mine, an artist I admire, or somebody I’ve never met before.

STEFFLONDON

Who are some people that you love taking photos of and why?

I love shooting with Little Simz; she always has such a sick energy about her and it really shows through. I also love shooting with my friend Lily Bridger. Every couple of months we’ll just hit each other up for a shoot. She has such a natural beauty about her it makes shooting her feel so effortless.

What message would you like to leave people with after they view your photos?

I hope to give people a sense of either what it may have felt like to be in that particular time and place, or if it’s a portrait, an idea of what the person might be thinking. There may not be a right or wrong answer!