Neelam Khan Vela : Life Through The Lens
We’ve been huge fans of Neelam’s work for a while now. The Barcelona-born, Glasgow-based photographers Instagram account is filled with her wonderful work and is a total joy to scroll through, bursting with saturated energy, excitement and vibrance.
YES, she has shot some of the coolest bands around (The Orielles, Confidence Man, HINDS, Dream Wife, The Ninth Wave...) but artists-aside, it’s Neelam’s eye that caught our attention. She has her own brilliant defining style that you can spot a mile off, leaving her Neelastica mark on everything she touches and producing work that reminds you of your favourite heartwarming 90's film. Neelam took us through her archives and let us into the back-stories of her favourite snapshots, from sneaking onto her first tour-bus when she was 18 to spending NYE with Hinds & The Strokes…One of your earliest photos:
“I’ve been taking photos since I was really young, but when I was a teen I started getting into music photography as my love for bands and music grew. One of the first photos I remember being super proud of was this one of Vivian Girls I took in Barcelona when I was sixteen, I feel like it still looks like something I could take now, that’s why I love it so much!”Your most recent shoot:
“I’ve been working on some special few bits lately that I can’t share yet, but the latest released work I’ve done is this single artwork for the Spanish artist El Último Vecino. I’ve loved his music for years and a couple of months ago he got in touch with me after coming across my Instagram. It was such a dream working with him, we both had exactly the same vision as to what we wanted the cover to look like and it all worked out super smoothly.”The first shoot that felt like a big deal:
“When I was eighteen I snuck my way into a Christopher Owens tour around the UK. Girls are one of my all time favourite bands and when that tour got announced I knew I had to do whatever it took to try and be on it. I got in through the support act, Corey Bowen. I’d never been on tour before, let alone with someone who I admire so much, so it was an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience.”Favourite Glasgow shot:
“I love this shoot I did with Confidence Man at the Botanic Gardens of Glasgow for the cover of Femme Collective Zine. They’re simply the best to take portraits of, they’re so sassy and fabulous!”Favourite Madrid shot:
“This one of Carlotta from Hinds has always been one of my favourite photos ever. They play so much all around the world that when they get to play at home it’s always the most special gig.”Who are you listening to at the moment?
“Amaia! Her debut album last year has been my go-to album the past few months. She’s a Spanish musician and singer with a voice of an angel, the sweetest and most fun and down to earth artist I’ve had the pleasure of shooting.”Favourite format to shoot on:
TWIN PEAKS / WEYES BLOOD
“I mainly shoot digital. I love film too but I like the possibilities that the digital world offers, the only limit is your own creativity! I love spending hours on end editing pictures, creating and retouching colours and making them look the best they can possibly look. Most of my work is very bright and colourful, I love making the most of the lights at the venues when they’re good but also a big strong flash to capture a high movement moment.”Favourite lockdown shot:
“I did a few FaceTime shoots over lockdown, including one with Nasty Cherry for Love Letters Zine’s latest issue. These of Gabbriette are definitely my favourite. At first I felt quite unsure about the whole FaceTime shoot trend but after doing a few I got quite into it, I think it’s great to get to work with people all around the globe, and the result is so different than from a IRL shoot because you’re so limited you need to work harder to make it look interesting. The pandemic brought a new format for photographers that I am definitely going to keep using after it all blows over.”Someone that everyone should have on their radar
“Everyone should follow my girl @luxurygelatto for the coolest food content! She is my favourite cook and best friend and she posts the most delicious and heart warming recipes <3”Your favourite candid photo you’ve taken:
“SO many to choose from! But I think I’m gonna go for another one of Carlotta from Hinds. This time at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, supporting The Strokes on New Year’s Eve last year. I love it because it’s quite different to most photos I’ve taken, of them and in general, and this show was so iconic that I was very pleased to have shot an iconic shot at it.”A photo with a funny memory attached to it:
“Mainline Magic Orchestra are a live house music quartet from Spain that I started working with earlier this year. Shooting with them is always such a laugh because they always come up with the most random and funny ideas, it’s actually hard to pick just one memory. One day I was with them at a thrift market and all the sudden the four of them appeared wearing matching Eminem tops that they just bought. We had to do something with it so when we got back to one of their houses we did an improvised shoot in the pool. The t-shirts were so old they all started disintegrating while they had them on and they were completely gone by the end of the day."A favourite summer shot to give us a glimmer of sunlight & warmth:
“My homies at our favourite beach this past summer!”A photo that sums up 2020:
“I took this one of Sid and Esme from The Orielles in New York on the second week of March, when the pandemic was starting to take over the world. We were meant to be on tour around the US during the whole month but we had to fly back home after being in New York for four days. I was taking this portrait of them two when that guy walked past in front of us, and bear in mind this was before everyone wore masks, so this photo gave us apocalyptic vibes and I feel like It really freezes a moment in time.”A photographer you want to shout out:
“I recently started following this amazing photographer from New York called Yu Lez and I am absolutely obsessed.”Favourite BUS shot:
“Henry from The Orielles on tour!”