SARAH GINN STUDIO - CLOSED & ARCHIVE DELETION NOTICE - 1st MARCH 2025 (8 DAYS REMAINING)

FOR ISSUES REGARDING SAM NEILL & WORSHIP ARTISTS AS THE MAIN FACTOR IN THE CLOSURE OF THE STUDIO - PLEASE SEE DETAILS BELOW - DUE TO THESE INCIDENTS MY ENTIRE MUSIC PHOTO ARCHIVE FROM 2007-2024 WILL BE PERMANENTLY DELETED ON 1ST MARCH 2025. THIS DECISION IS A DIRECT HARDLINE CONSEQUENCE OF THE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES (WHICH IN MY OPINION ARE EXTREMELY SERIOUS/DANGEROUS ) I’VE HAD FROM PITCHING WORK TO THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM. THEREFORE THAT WILL RESULT IN THE REMOVAL OF 17 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC ACROSS ALL GENRES

IT IS ALSO DUE TO RISING STORAGE COSTS THAT CANNOT BE COVERED IF THE BUSINESS IS CURRENTLY CLOSED, DUE TO BLACKLISTING & A LONG RUNNING LACK OF INVESTMENT/BOOKINGS. CURRENTLY THIS IS APPROXIMATELY £100 A MONTH JUST TO STORE THEM SECURELY. FOR ANY ARCHIVE PHOTOS EMAIL ME BEFORE THIS DEADLINE ELAPSES: sarah@sarahginn.co.uk

THE FEEDBACK LOOP THEORY HAS ALSO BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS SITE TO PREPARE THE ESSAY FOR A PHYSICAL PUBLICATION TO EVENTUALLY MAKE INCOME LONG TERM. MY PHOTOGRAPHY WORK WILL BE STRIPPED OFF THIS SITE WITH ONLY A FEW PAGES REMAINING IN DUE COURSE, BECAUSE I SIMPLY CAN’T BE A PHOTOGRAPHER WITH NO WORK OR SUPPORT. MY KIT WILL ALSO BE SOLD TO PAY OFF MY DEBTS OVER THIS TIME.

PLEASE NOTE AS OF JANUARY 2025 I HAVE ALSO TAKEN ON A FULL TIME ROLE AS AN ACCOMMODATION MANAGER WITHIN THE EDUCATION SECTOR

1) ENFORCED & PERMANENT HIATUS FROM TRADITIONAL LIVE/EVENTS MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY & STUDIO CLOSURE - SAFETY PRECAUTION DUE TO INTIMIDATION INCIDENTS & CAREER BLACKLISTING - ARISING FROM PRE-FILING AN IPEC CIVIL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT CASE: SARAH GINN VS SAM NEILL & WORSHIP ARTISTS

Due to an industry backlisting resulting from the pre-filing of a planned (& public) civil alleged IP Infringement claim, against photographer Sam Neill & his management Worship Artists (in my opinion) I’ve decided to leave all traditional live music photography, as there is no work at all for me currently in electronic music. The highly political nature of the music industry has now caused many clients to no longer hire me, after publicising the alleged IP Infringement evidence & filing this case (in my opinion - & after the complete loss of all booking opportunities in drum and bass and larger music festivals since March 2023 when the plagiarism occurred). Retaliation blacklisting of individual creatives who don’t have powerful agents/money/record label backup/expensive lawyers etc to their disposal over IP disputes/contract disputes/pay disputes etc is extremely commonplace in this industry on multiple levels, and considered a normal everyday occurrence. This shows how unregulated the music industry is, and it’s very risky to pitch original concepts for standalone creatives such as myself. In this case it was Sub Focus’s management & despite my long history in D&B (including RAM records), pitching this project was ultimately a risk that didn’t pay off. I’ve unfortunately been blacklisted in retaliation for exposing the alleged plagiarism & choosing to legally protect my IP (in my opinion). This can also occur by default as people get too nervous to book me as to not effect industry connections with popular artists, and sometimes kickback even comes from fans. But ultimately, I’m immensely saddened that this has happened for both parties.

However, these type of projects (Sarah Ginn XX - Please see intro tab above) were also pitched to The Chemical Brothers and Underworld’s respective managers at the same time with no issues. They decided to pass after considering my pitches & went no further with my original concept. So I have no regrets in pitching my work, it was an excellent project and extremely forward thinking. The reasoning behind these projects is to create art house meta ‘tool’ products that are theoretically and visually inspiring for the audience. As time as gone on my work has switched into a more intentional practice, with the audience well-being at the forefront rather than a means to sell products. Such projects need conceptual live acts to carry them out, of which there are only six artists approximately in the UK I can pitch to. It’s a shame I’ve just been very very unlucky in this instance. Civil cases over claiming owed monies (& the finer details of them) such as mine are generally well documented, much more than I am doing so here. This is demonstrated with the Four Tet VS Domino Records damages claim about streaming rights/payment. His plans to sue were widely publicised via his social media and the national/music press (see below). That case was even fraught with difficulties for him, as he publicly stated Domino had removed his album streams in protest when the case was filed (thus affecting his income, like what I’m experiencing on a much more extreme level). This case is remarkably similar but it relates to a damages payment over the alleged usage of my IP, by a photographer on the same management as Sub Focus (in my opinion).

https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2022/jun/20/four-tet-settles-royalty-rate-dispute-domino-records-keiran-hebden

I will re-file this claim in March/April 2025 (although could be longer to get all the info required) as it has been unfortunately been delayed due to the following reasons. I’ve only just returned to social media due to past legal threats & mobbing incidents resulting from exposing this copyright infringement (in my opinion & email/screenshot evidence). Adding to this, Sebastian of Worship Artists & photographer Sam Neill (of Worship Artists and Contour Agency) reported me to the Metropolitan Police on harassment accusations on the 7th July 2024 regarding a particular email I sent in September 2023. It had a GOT reference in it of Daenerys mother of dragons, which was of course meant metaphorically. However, they both twisted its meaning out of context and stated to the police they felt in danger from this email. They also only decided to report this email (along with one more recent one) just 3 days after my pre-court settlement deadline expired (4th July 2024). This was approx 10 months after they first received it and in the same week I was about to officially file my case (email evidence/my opinion and legal advice). So this email wasn’t classed as harassment by Worship for almost a whole year, ONLY when I officially started legal proceedings.

I believe they also continued to call the police, accusing me of harassment on numerous occasions each time I published my evidence of Sam’s alleged plagiarism/their legal threats & my civil court case plans online on this site and on social media (in my opinion). They could not remove the information I published publicly on this website via civil means (via cease and desist/defamation suit, which they threatened in April 2023 but never implemented). They also couldn’t halt/hide my civil court case without meeting my pre-court settlement terms and/or paying for an NDA (which they chose not to do). Subsequently the official case filing & its details would have then been on public record for everyone to view (in my opinion and legal advice). After all these options were exhausted rather than settling this objectively with me in the IPEC civil court, Sebastian and Sam finally used police time to excessively report me for harassment. They still continue to do so as of Jan 2025 regarding me publicly stating my own personal experiences on this site. This action I believe was the final attempt to hide the plagiarism evidence/details of this incident from the general public & the wider music industry, and to intimidate me/threaten my freedom so I wouldn’t officially file my case. Because if no case is filed, there is no official public record of this IP infringement dispute. It is also a case I would have won (in my opinion).

For details of this infringement please see the Sarah Ginn XX Sub Focus tab above.

These actions occurred over 3.5 months entirely without my knowledge. During those months I was readying the case particulars/evidence to properly log it, plus working at a run of brand events & gaining legal funds to file. I had no idea at all of Worship and Sam’s multiple and varied reports/accusations until I was questioned by the Avon & Somerset Police mid October 2024, after they turned up on my doorstep at 8am in the morning. I was not arrested or charged with any crime from the outcome of that investigation, and received no court orders, fines, convictions, community service, letters of apology etc. & was given a warning/caution for the wording of 2 emails over a two year period. Most importantly, I was still allowed to progress a civil case via Worship’s lawyers, this will be via Sound Advice LLP as Worship have stated via email that they represent them. We were both banned from contacting each other as the last outcome (which was the best result). I would like to thank the Avon & Somerset police/The Metropolitan police for assisting me in this matter as they were extremely kind and helpful during this very challenging & very frightening process. I have unfortunately been sick since this point and it’s taken me some months recalibrate, with subsequent serious health issues arising from this incident (but these have luckily improved as time has passed). Therefore after the investigation they referred me to the Nelsons Trust, a woman’s charity within Bristol. I’ve been working with them over the past three months to rebuild my confidence/recover/establish a new career and I’m so very thankful for that assistance. It’s helped immensely with moving forward into pastures new.

The above factors will now be submitted as solid & undeniable evidence of intimidation that could strongly support my case due to its timing. So there is a plus side to this happening, it’s given me further collateral (in my opinion & from legal advice). They are also officially ‘on the record’ recorded actions so cannot be contested in court, and will be considered a weaponising of the police to intimidate/silence me (to be decided by the IPEC court). This is something they could be criminally charged for themselves long term. Parts of official police statements were also questionable in validity, and they could not provide concrete proof to back them up (in my opinion & legal advice). As mentioned before, I have not signed a civil NDA/gagging order regarding any of what I am stating. So therefore I can speak freely about my personal experiences & opinions on my own website/social media about what has happened to me. Due to these varied negatives (what I’ve experienced is defined as extreme bullying/harassment via legal threats, authoritative intimidation via excessive reports to the police & online abuse methods by proxy) I’ve made a decision to completely close as a precautionary measure (which is my personal opinion and decision). It acts to peacefully diffuse this dispute for all parties while it is settled objectively via the IPEC, as all allegations are alleged (unless on the record like the above investigation) until a legal decision is made. Worship & Sam do need a fair civil case despite the above situations occurring. However, in my opinion it is absolutely imperative and ethical to speak out on such serious events. Which I can do as it’s not going to affect my career (& no NDA) as that was unfortunately jettisoned by exposing this in the first place. This is for my wellbeing and for everyone on the music industry regarding this incident, many of whom I’ve worked with for over a decade. I’m not the only person these kind of situations happen to in this industry, it’s part of working in it for many. But if I can stop one less person experiencing it that’s good enough for me. I therefore strongly suggest in my personal opinion, that you do not approach this team or photographer under any circumstances. Adding to this, if you believe either Sebastian or Sam have carried out any crimes against you personally I strongly advise you report those incidents to the police.

After 17 years shooting I’m not planning on returning. I believe with the current state of play from this incident it’s now extremely dangerous & not an option. And as much as I would love to carry on photographing music, I’ve now been forced to stop entirely. Therefore it is best to draw such boundaries in instance.

Finally, one last reason for disengagement is to entirely remove myself/ignore an expected & foreseeable ongoing smear campaign against me instigated by Worship. This has been running for over a year now (another incredibly common industry occurrence for contractual whistleblowers). This is until it dissipates naturally over time. While this is in progress I’ll be working on academic writing based projects & I’ll also be concentrating on a new 9-5 role. Then, once the case particulars are officially filed and/or basic evidence is presented in the Sarah Ginn XX Sub Focus tab above, people can then objectively make their own judgments whatever the legal outcome.

‘Everything done in the dark, always comes to light’

Phew…I feel like I did a good job explaining all of that…kinda lengthy…

Soooooo in the meantime….the studio is now CLOSED - for any enquiries about my writing please email sarah@sarahginn.co.uk. Along with the above reasons, there has been so little money earned by the studio for approx 4/5 years (in fact much longer) it’s worked at a massive loss. Which was unfortunately made much worse by the incident above.

Adding to this the post Covid bite on events and a huge influx of new music photographer teams (which unfortunately I’ve not been allowed to join). The media team model implementation since 2018, although a great product for promotors as they hire one group for one price, has completely gatekeeped out a lot of skilled photographers of which I was one. Lastly the big elephant in the room is that I’m hired 80% of the time by women and have been since the start of my career, which cuts out a huge amount of work (so photography has structural issues like DJing and is the same as DJing was for women 15 years ago). That extends across all the sectors in photography I could diversify into like projection and branding work. The glass ceiling still exists and I can’t overcome it despite extensive marketing. So in essence it’s a bit of a perfect storm with many varied and complex reasons. Some purely circumstantial with how music photography has changed over the years. This has resulted in me being on government benefits for 3/4 of the last 3.5 years, which definitely isn’t sustainable at all. Baked beans for dinner is becoming tiresome. I don’t get offered gigs directly because everyone assumes I’m busy/too expensive/wouldn’t want the job which is an AMAZING assumption. But because everyone thought that I got nothing, and my requests for work were largely ignored/blocked by my male peers in the aforementioned team model (via discrimination or unconscious bias). Music photography is particularly cutthroat now in that way for both sexes, but it effects women a lot more. Jobs are generally passed between photographers/recommended to bookers via this word of mouth method. So this reason is crazy but that’s what actually happened.

Therefore I must now aim all my future energy to earn income within a normal 9-5 role on a permanent basis, and carry on writing my next book: The Feedback Loop Theory. Which is really my new passion now, as I only started writing in late 2021. This is a super positive way forward and there has been a lot more interest in that from viewing the stats in my website since then. Arguably, to put a great spin on the above ‘not so good’ issues that have stopped me shooting, I would have never started to write about music if it had not been for this immense struggle. Funny how things like that happen. Because all the time I was cold emailing 100’s of prospective clients and not getting any work at all, I was using my time to put pen to paper about music, and then that resulted in the start of my second book that’s now 35,000 words in. I just expanded on what I started on in Super Sharp Shooter (which was also put together over this period). It’s a rabbit hole and I would love to know your thoughts so far….I also started the XX projects as well to put myself above the pack to get bookings. So in a creative sense this pressure has been amazing. Truly one of the most important times in how my work developed. A big plus. That creativity will shoot me in much more fertile directions.

At the end of the day my human rights to file civil suits and freedoms are more important than this career, as is my financial situation (because we all need money). As is being well treated, respected & valued in the highest possible way. That is more important than any of my photography. Those are fundamental foundations for me to live and I deserve abundant respect/support/kindness/love & all kinds of opportunities across all areas of my life. I ultimately have more self love to even consider staying in this oppressive (& due to the above incident very dangerous) place. With the upcoming deletion of my archive and exit out of music photography, rather than be a victim of these circumstances, I’m finally removed from all these threats/structural issues/bullying/gatekeeping/financial pressures which is so much less stressful & also incredibly freeing. Adding to that I’ve thought up some incredible concepts and work over this time, which will now carry on moving forward in a different guise. It’s something I’m extremely happy and relieved about. So in short ‘fuck it’ (in the best possible way), I really don’t need this in my life, enough of this ‘ish’. Its also not progressive, in alignment with who I am/how amazing I am, therefore I no longer care about it. So with that release I do feel very optimistic about the future. May my own theory writing about music shoot me into new and well intentioned projects, that truly make a difference in the world.

My music photography work will remain on here as legacy work until it’s all removed & deleted over the next few months. A mail out detailing plans around the Feedback Loop Theory book will be posted out in the coming months via my mailing list. So stay with me, new exciting things are cooking….I just switched mediums…and revised the past and turned it into something beautiful. Because nothing is ‘impossible’ it’s ‘I’m possible’.

‘Turn the page and walk away, cos there’s sense in what I say’

Turn the Page/The Streets

Sarah Ginn Studio: Music Photographic Work: 2007 - 2025

My work is featured in the books below..