Straight from the pit.

Born, bred, and residing in Wollongong, Samantha Quintal is on the ground floor of one of Australia’s most music-friendly cities. With popular festivals like Yours & Owls and Corona SunSets, small venues like Franks Wild Years and (the recently closed) RAD Bar, along with thousands of keen music fans, Wollongong and neighbouring towns are becoming more and more of a must-stop destination for artists.

As you can see from her snaps below, Samantha prides herself on attending and shooting as many of these shows as possible. Having captured the on-stage action from a bunch of local and international acts, it’s Brisbane rocker WAAX who’ve made a lasting impression on her. “Craziest experience so far is photographing a WAAX show. No photo pit, with a rowdy and sold-out crowd, loved every second of it,” she says.

Check out her wild pics below and head here to follow Samantha on Instagram: