Interview: Katharina Stock on photography, concert moments, AI and real emotions
- L7
- May 29
- 7 min read
Today’s interview is with Katharina Stock, photographer, model and AV media technician. What immediately stood out to me in her work was this connection between creativity, naturalness and real feeling. Her photos have a quiet intensity that doesn’t feel staged, but very close and honest.
That’s exactly why I wanted to talk with her about photography, concert moments, real models, AI, music, and why authentic images may become even more important in an increasingly digital world.
To go with this interview, we also put together a Spotify playlist you can play while reading:
1) Style and that “naturally creative” feeling
Niflheim Records:
What immediately stood out to me in your profile was this special mix of creativity and naturalness. Images with that kind of mood never feel accidental. How did this style develop for you, and what do you pay attention to so that a session feels truly authentic?
Katharina:
I think images always tell stories. Both in photography and in paintings. An image is always something special when you can build a connection with it. This happens through emotions. We perceive an image as beautiful or appealing when it triggers something in us. Most of the time, this happens subconsciously. And that is very important to me.
Of course, it is not only about the content of the image. Several design factors play a role: image structure, visual design, composition, color. That may sound like art class, but it is exactly the same in photography. Images are images.
That is why it is also important to me that the person in the image, the model, can create a certain presence. Many people think that when it comes to modeling, it is enough to simply look good and have certain measurements. That may be enough for some models or some photo projects, but I believe that a professional model needs more than that.
I always compare it to acting. It is the art of being able to step into roles and embody them with the desired emotions. Because no matter how beautiful the person in a picture is, the image lives from what the eyes and face are able to express.
2) Authentic moments in front of the camera
Niflheim Records:
Not everyone stands on a stage or in front of a camera every week. Because of that, tension, insecurity or the question “What should I do now?” can easily come up. How do you handle that so people stay as natural as possible in front of your camera?
Katharina:
Not everyone stands on a stage or in front of a camera every week, and that can make people nervous. I am often asked: “What should I do?” But just because there is a camera in the room, you don’t have to behave differently. The most beautiful photos are the authentic accidental moments.
To minimize these worries or fears, the artist should ideally not notice or pay attention to me at all. They should focus completely on their “job”.
The best thing about the work is that every professional is focused on their own thing, nobody interferes with anyone else, and in the end good results come out of it. The artist performs on stage in front of the camera, and I perform behind the camera. I make sure they are captured well.
Of course, it is cool if the artist gives me a few seconds of attention and sings or plays into the camera. But I don’t expect that. In the end, they should feel comfortable and do their show, and I take care of the rest. That’s my job!
3) Concert photography: timing, light and movement
Niflheim Records:
Live concert photography is its own world: unpredictable light, constant movement, no second chance. What fascinates you most about this field, and what is the biggest challenge when that moment has to become a strong image?
Katharina:
There is no chaos there. Events and concerts have fascinated me for a long time. That was originally the decisive reason why I studied event management and event technology. At first, the idea was to organize events myself later, but during my studies I became more fascinated by the technical side.
That means that as an event photographer, I not only understand my own area, but also what the departments for light, sound, rigging, management, security and everyone else are doing. Maybe that is why it does not feel like chaos to me.
I simply like this world in which you find yourself working on projects with other people. Always different projects, new faces or familiar ones.
4) Fan perspective and recognizing moments
Niflheim Records:
When you don’t just document live music but also love it yourself, you often see concerts differently. Does that fan perspective help you anticipate certain moments, that split second when exactly the image appears that stays?
Katharina:
I had to say goodbye to a fan perspective relatively quickly. That happened very gradually during my studies. Suddenly you are standing at a concert and have trouble getting into the band because you are looking into the rig the whole time.
Then I start saying to my husband, who actually wants to watch the concert: “Look how they did that”, “What were they thinking there?”, “This kind of technology is called this and that”, “I would have done that differently”.
Since I also specialized in photography, the inner urge to comment on every spotlight, every speaker box and every technical element has faded a bit.
But because of that, I do not really have a fan perspective. What I do at concerts, however, is inform myself about the concert content, roughly what happens when, and whether there are special effects. If I am on tour or know the band’s program, then of course I already know what will happen and when, and I position myself accordingly.
5) Music in personal life
Niflheim Records:
What role does music play for you personally, especially in stressful or loud phases? Is it more of a retreat, an energy source, focus, a vent, or maybe all of that at once?
Katharina:
Good question! I listen to less music in my free time than I used to. Of course, when I go to concerts privately, I listen to music. But I don’t put records on at home.
What I consume instead are audiobooks. I always listen to them while driving or during my daily training.
6) AI and real visual language
Niflheim Records:
In a time when images can be produced, perfected and generated by AI faster and faster, the question of the value of what is real becomes new again. Why do real models, real photographers and real interpersonal work remain irreplaceable for you? And where do you see AI as a useful tool without replacing the human level?
Katharina:
I find the use of AI useful for supporting mechanisms. For example, to create moodboards, so that thoughts and ideas can be presented to the other person in an understandable way. Of course, that was possible before AI too, but for this it is a supporting tool.
I also find AI helpful in post-production when it comes to retouching.
But in photography, especially in event photography, photography is becoming increasingly important in the age of AI. It does not show generic moments, but real people, real emotions, real memories. People want to see what took place and what happened.
Events, celebrations, concerts, weddings, everything is real and cannot be documented by generated images. Real photos not only document what happened, they also transport emotions and create trust. For public relations, branding and event communication, this credibility remains a decisive factor.
This topic always reminds me of a story. A few months ago I received an email from a potential client:
“We have decided not to commission photos at the moment. We will test AI-generated content. We see this critically, but we cannot ignore the development.”
This email came from an event company. So! I will just leave that here. After what I have already said about it, everyone can form their own opinion.
Event photography and the entire event industry have fewer problems because of AI. The bigger problems are much more political, and connected to the distribution of money and missing funding.
I like to say this again and again: during Corona, the entire industry suffered extremely and had to fight for survival. Locations, musicians, artists, events, the entire art and culture sector were affected. Yes, gastronomy too, no question.
Many did not survive that period. But after the pandemic was over, people were starving and desperate to live again, with music and art. Now that the industry seems to have recovered somewhat, current crisis situations lead politicians in cities to create savings measures and budget cuts that hit exactly this industry again.
As if to say: “That is the easiest thing to do without.”
Something has to change in this regard!
7) Dream session without limits
Niflheim Records:
If you could develop a shoot completely freely, without limits of budget, time or location: what would this project look like? What atmosphere, what setting, what story would you want to tell?
Katharina:
Something about reunification and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Moving moments with real emotions: strength, joy, resistance, rebelliousness, tears of happiness.
That probably comes from the fact that as a teenager I read many, many books about German history. Novels based on real stories, partly with fictional plots. I was so interested in all of that at the time that I also chose history as my oral Abitur exam subject.
Follow Katharina Stock
If you want to see more of Katharina’s work or contact her for projects, here are the best places to start:
Instagram: @katharinastockfoto
Portfolio: https://www.fotografensuche.de/de/katharina-stock-katharina-bulthaupt-karlsruhe-com-14415
A big thank you to Katharina for her time and for sharing her experiences and thoughts so openly. I really appreciate it, not only as someone who loves concerts, but also as someone who finds the whole craft behind photography, events and real visual language fascinating.
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