Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Noisette.
Hi Madison, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey started in 2019, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. At first, I thought I wanted to DJ, hahaha. So I was pursuing that for a (very SHORT) amount of time. Funny enough, during my stint of trying to be a DJ, my friend Jeremy kept asking me what my DJ name would be. I told him I didn’t know, that I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Of course, in cheesy Jeremy fashion, he was like “How about DJ Mad Noise” (a play on my name, Madison Noisette) I quickly proceeded to tell him how corny that was and just moved on hahaha!! But underneath my short lived DJing efforts, at that time I had this quiet desire to create. I had an idea was to make content that highlighted local artists and the music scene around North Carolina. I started by shooting recaps of shows at places like The Pour House in downtown Raleigh and other local venues and nightclubs. At the same time, I was also buying general admission tickets and sometimes meet-and-greet packages for artists who were beginning to gain momentum (at that time it was I was going to see guys like Smino, Nav, Tobi Lou). I would document my interactions with them and create concert recaps from the front of the general admission pit on my phone. I was essentially finding ways to create the kind of work I wanted to be hired to make before anyone had officially hired me to do it. From there, the opportunities gradually became bigger, like larger concerts, major artists, behind-the-scenes work, and eventually music videos, etc. And the name I initially dismissed as corny—Mad Noise—became the identity behind all of it. Shout out to Jerm, lol.
Photography was not entirely new to me, though. My dad has always been a super passionate photographer as a hobby, and he trained my eye long before I ever even owned a camera. He would show me his work, expose me to other photographers, and teach me to pay attention to lighting, composition, emotion, and the details that make an image feel intentional. So when I finally picked up a camera myself, I wasn’t really starting from zero. A lot of my earliest work naturally reflected his work and the things he had taught/exposed me to.
My dad also helped open some of my first doors, and I learned how to turn each opportunity into the next. I took the plays he made for me, showed up prepared, did the work, built relationships, and continued creating new opportunities from there. One experience led to another, and over time I was able to work with major artists, record labels, networks, and brands.
Today, I consider myself a photographer and videographer working primarily within music and entertainment. I have photographed celebrities, concerts, festivals, and behind-the-scenes moments, directed music videos, and so many other things. Concert photography and music videos are still two of the areas I feel most connected.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road. One of the challenges of working in music and entertainment is that access can sometimes be political. Getting approved for press passes or being allowed into certain spaces is not always based solely on the quality of your work, so learning how to navigate relationships, credentials, and industry expectations has been a process.
I have also learned that not every client relationship is an easy one. Working for yourself means learning how to communicate clearly, establish boundaries, protect your work, and handle situations where expectations, payment, or professionalism may not be what you hoped they would be.
COVID was another major setback. Because so much of my work was centered around concerts, events, and being physically present with artists, the shutdown affected both my business and my momentum. Coming out of that period required me to rebuild my motivation and reconsider how I wanted to move forward.
The industry itself has also changed rapidly. Technology, social media platforms, content trends, and the expectations placed on photographers and videographers have all evolved, sometimes seemingly overnight. Staying current while still maintaining my own creative identity has been an ongoing challenge.
On top of all of that, I was learning how to start and operate a business without having much previous experience in entrepreneurship. I had to learn about pricing, contracts, client management, marketing, finances, and the administrative side of being a creative professional—often through trial and error. I am still learning, but each challenge has made me more intentional about both my work and the kind of business I want to build.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Photography and videography are my center of gravity. Although I enjoy working across different forms of visual storytelling, concert photography and music videos are where I feel most at home.
Concert photography is probably my drug of choice. I am drawn to the crowd surge, the lighting, the movement, and those split seconds that disappear unless someone is there to catch them. There is something incredibly rewarding about creating a still image that allows people to feel the energy of a live performance long after the moment has passed. I have photographed artists including Drake, Lil Baby, Key Glock, EARTHGANG, and Moneybagg Yo, among others, and I have had the opportunity to work with companies such as Republic Records, Interscope Records, BET, REVOLT TV, and Live Nation.
On the video side, music videos are where I feel most creatively fulfilled. I enjoy developing concepts, directing, editing, and working alongside artists to translate their sound and identity into a visual world. Some of the music videos I have worked on have aired on BET Jams, REVOLT TV, and the California Music Channel. I also create concert recaps, event coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and commercial work.
I am especially proud that my work has allowed me to build relationships beyond my immediate environment. I have traveled internationally and extended my creative reach to Paris, where I have collaborated with emerging artists and entered new creative circles within the city’s music scene. Those experiences have expanded my visual language and challenged me to see music, culture, and storytelling from a broader perspective.
What sets me apart is the way I listen. Sound is central to how I tell stories, and my camera is a great listener. Whether I am photographing a live performance or directing a music video, I am always paying attention to the feeling beneath the music—the energy, the emotion, the personality, and the moments that may not be obvious to everyone else. My goal is not simply to document what happened, but to create something that feels like what happened.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Photography and videography are my center of gravity. Although I enjoy working across different forms of visual storytelling, concert photography and music videos are where I feel most at home.
Concert photography is probably my drug of choice. I am drawn to the crowd surge, the lighting, the movement, and those split seconds that disappear unless someone is there to catch them. There is something incredibly rewarding about creating a still image that allows people to feel the energy of a live performance long after the moment has passed. I have photographed artists including Drake, Lil Baby, Key Glock, EARTHGANG, and Moneybagg Yo, among others, and I have had the opportunity to work with companies such as Republic Records, Interscope Records, BET, REVOLT TV, and Live Nation.
On the video side, music videos are where I feel most creatively fulfilled. I enjoy developing concepts, directing, editing, and working alongside artists to translate their sound and identity into a visual world. Several of the music videos I have worked on have aired on BET Jams, REVOLT TV, and the California Music Channel. I also create concert recaps, event coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and commercial work.
I am especially proud that my work has allowed me to build relationships beyond my immediate environment. I have traveled internationally and extended my creative reach to Paris, where I have collaborated with emerging artists and entered new creative circles within the city’s music scene. Those experiences have expanded my visual language and challenged me to see music, culture, and storytelling from a broader perspective.
What sets me apart is the way I listen. Sound is central to how I tell stories, and my camera is a great listener. Whether I am photographing a live performance or directing a music video, I am always paying attention to the feeling beneath the music—the energy, the emotion, the personality, and the moments that may not be obvious to everyone else. My goal is not simply to document what happened, but to create something that feels like what happened.
Luck has definitely played a role in my life and business, although I do not always know whether I would call it luck, alignment, good karma, or God’s favor. There have been many moments when the timing was so specific that it felt like something larger than coincidence.
One experience that stands out happened when I was visiting my friend Sly in Atlanta. I had already been staying with her for about a week when she told me Lil Baby had a concert coming up and insisted that I stay a little longer and try to find a way to photograph it. I took her advice, hustled up a media pass, and ended up backstage at the show.
While I was there, I saw Chubbs, who is well known as part of Drake’s team, walk past me. That was the first sign that something unexpected might be happening. Drake had not been part of what I thought I was walking into, but he ended up appearing as one of the surprise guests that night. Suddenly, I was in a position to photograph one of my favorite artists of all time.
That experience felt incredibly lucky, but it also required several things to line up. I needed a friend who encouraged me not to leave too soon. I had to listen to her, find a way into the room, have my camera ready, and be prepared to do the work once the moment arrived. I have learned that opportunity can appear unexpectedly, but preparation determines what you are able to do with it.
So yes, luck has played a huge role in my journey. But I also believe some of those moments have been examples of alignment, favor, and being guided into the right room at the right time. I try not to take those moments for granted. My responsibility is to recognize them, show up fully, and turn them into something meaningful.
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