Hi, I’m Liz Costello, a live music photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee. I picked up my first camera when I was nine years old on the way out the door to a Girl Scout trip. I borrowed my dad’s digital point-and-shoot (without asking, of course), dropped it off a balcony, and broke it. The camera was donezo, but I was already hooked. Not long after, I was shoving a video camera into my family’s faces and interviewing them for pretend documentaries. Storytelling through a lens became a huge part of who I am.
I grew up in Seattle, spent years in California and Nebraska, and eventually landed in Nashville. Each place has taught me something about light and atmosphere, but it is here, surrounded by musicians and fans, that I really found my rhythm.
Live music is messy and unpredictable. Lights shift, crowds move, and performers disappear from shadow to spotlight in an instant. The chaos is what excites me. My goal is to capture the moments that feel most alive, whether it is the intensity on a singer’s face or the connection between an artist and their audience.
While I love photographing the big shows, I am especially drawn to smaller local bands. Those early performances carry a kind of raw honesty that you can’t fake. Documenting those moments feels important, not just for the artists who are finding their voice, but for the communities that grow around them.
I want my photos to feel like you were there, pressed against the stage, caught in a moment that matters. For me, it is not about creating flawless images. It is about making the memory last.
- Liz