In an era where everyone’s a photographer, Jessica Christian stands out from the pack. She’s got the credentials, having shot Avril Lavigne, Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon, and Qveen Herby, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But the LA-based photographer, known to the IG-savvy as @lovesquish, didn’t come up shooting rock royalty. Her journey to the photo pit started in a place that’s about as far from the glitz and glam of Hollywood as you can get – a biker rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.
“I started off years ago doing weddings, shooting models and family portraits – things like that,” Christian says. “Then, in 2017, I was shooting the motorcycle rally in Sturgis. Tech N9ne was playing that night, and I got tapped to photograph his set. It was the first time I had ever shot a live show.”
That fateful night in Sturgis was a baptism by fire, one that would change the trajectory of her career and life. “I had no idea what was going to go into shooting live music or how drastically different it was from everything else I’d ever shot,” she recalls. “I fell in love.”
Since that chance encounter with the music scene, the self-taught photographer has built an impressive portfolio, working with everyone from up-and-coming indie acts to Grammy-winning superstars. One of the most sought-after music photographers, her evocative, ethereal images have earned her a reputation as one of the most exciting and innovative talents in the industry.
But it wasn’t always easy. After a few years of shuttling between Florida and California, Jessica relocated to LA full-time in 2020. The City of Angels welcomed her with a harsh reality check – a robbery while she was living in her van (or “a Kia Soul with no back seats,” as she puts it). “They stole everything. When you live in a car, that’s everything you own.”, she says. But Jessica is a fighter. She had her gear, and that’s all she needed to start rebuilding.
At first, she cut her teeth in the grittier corners of the music scene—dive bars, cramped clubs, wherever she could get her foot in the door. “I was going to small shows with artists that didn’t really have a following and venues that didn’t care about me bringing a camera in. That’s where I got a lot of practice,” she explains.
It wasn’t long before her talent and drive got her noticed. She credits much of her success to good old-fashioned networking. “I get most of my work via word of mouth,” Christian says. “It’s really just having the right people to advocate for you and treating people correctly so that people want to advocate for you.”
For Jessica, it’s about more than just getting the shot. She prides herself on capturing genuine, unguarded moments and building trust with her subjects. “I don’t want to be famous. I don’t ever want to be rich,” Jessica says. “I’m good at being a secondary character. I just want to be there to take pictures of moments for people and capture them at their best.”
She’s got her favorite haunts—the Wiltern and Teragram in LA and Terminal 5 in NYC. But it’s the old-school venues, the historic theaters of New England, that really get her going. “There’s something about those huge chandeliers, the tiered seating… those places were made for creating something special,” she says.
Even when she’s not on the clock, Christian is always thinking about her craft. “I grew up working. When I was 16, I worked in the service industry, where if you have a minute to relax, you are probably not doing something you’re supposed to be doing” she says. “That was drilled into my head at such a young age, so now I have a hard time relaxing.”
Thankfully, she’s found a few ways to unwind, and for Jessica, video games and diamond art offer a welcome escape. “I love my Nintendo! I’m playing Luigi’s Mansion right now. I’ve also gotten really into diamond art. I went through five of them in a month, and now I have a massive 16X20 one I’m working on. It makes my brain slow down.”, she says.
But make no mistake, music is her lifeblood. For Christian, the true reward lies in crafting visual stories. One such story is her ongoing collaboration with rapper Qveen Herby. “She’s one of my favorite people to work with and I’m very proud of how far she’s come,” Christian says. “I grew up listening to her when she was in Karmin, and she’s been just grinding for years. She’s gone through so much; she is so kind and has such a good head on her shoulders.”
With a busy schedule filled with upcoming tours, including another run with Qveen Herby, Jessica’s star continues to rise. No matter where her career takes her, one thing is sure: Jessica Christian will always be in the pit, camera in hand, ready to capture the magic of live music. With her lens, she freezes the frenetic energy of the stage, the raw emotion of the performers, and the electric connection between the artists and the audience. Her photos are more than just images – they’re a portal to the heart of the live music experience. And as long as the music pulses through her veins, Jessica Christian will be there, immortalizing each moment, one frame at a time.
All photography courtesy of Jessica Christian. Follow her Instagram @lovesquish to see more of her work.
