She sent a longshot email fresh out of university. Since then, she's photographed Taylor Swift at 3 tours
Taylor Swift has millions of fans worldwide, but Brampton, Ont.'s Jasmeet Sidhu has gotten closer to the musical icon than most.
"As a photographer, you're so lucky because you get to be front row," the 36-year-old said. "You're basically pushed up to the stage."
Sidhu has photographed Swift at concerts during three separate tours: 1989, Reputation Stadium Tour, and Eras, which kicks off in Canada on Thursday.
"This is going to be the Woodstock of our generation -- that concert that people talk about 10, 20, 30 years from now," she said.
It all started more than a decade ago with an email she wasn't even sure she'd get a response to.
She had just finished her graduate school at Columbia University in New York and decided to move to L.A. because she wanted to work in music videos.
"I cold-emailed this music director Anthony Mandler just explaining that I really enjoyed his music video work," she said. "At the time he was doing a lot of work with Rihanna, and Jay-Z and Beyonce."
Mandler offered Sidhu a chance to shadow him on set during the production of Swift's "I Knew You were Trouble" music video.
She went.
But the die-hard Swiftie knew she had to play it cool.
"I was like, a long-term relationship with this music video director is better for my career than five seconds of 'fangirling' over Taylor Swift on this music video set," she said.
That discipline paid off. She used the contacts she developed to gain concert access during three separate Swift Tours – in 2015, 2018 and 2023.
A laptop shows a selection of photos Jasmeet Sidhu captured of Taylor Swift during her performance. (Image courtesy of Jasmeet Sidhu)
That compilation is now part of an exhibit at the CN Tower, where we spoke, and at Toronto's Eaton Centre.
Her artistic journey started in high school - when she signed up for a high school photography elective. One of her first photos was of a waterfall near her house, which she developed in the school's dark room.
And gently encouraging her were her immigrant parents from Malaysia, who had so little when they came to Canada that the kids had to sleep on a single mattress.
But what they did have was the will to dare their daughter to dream.
Jasmeet Sidhu is seen with her family posing for an image the day they got their Canadian citizenship. (Image courtesy of Jasmeet Sidhu)
"I mean, it is a long path," Gurmeet Sidhu, Jasmeet's mother, admits. "It was not an easy path. It was up and down," but ultimately "fruitful," she adds, admitting that she beams with pride when she sees her daughter's photo.
It's a path that has also turned Gurmeet's mother into a Swiftie.
"On the radio, when I see a Taylor Swift song, I make it loud in the car and listen to her," she said.
Although Sidhu takes concert photos professionally, and has also photographed Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sia, it's not her full-time job - just a very busy hobby for the photographer, who initially wanted to become a doctor, and recently moved to San Francisco with the hope of starting her own tech company.
Jasmeet Sidhu captured this photo of world-famous musician Ed Sheeran in concert (Image courtesy of Jasmeet Sidhu)
And while she reaches for another dream, she wants to keep inspiring the next generation in her own way, just as Taylor Swift does.
"That's why when people come up to me, or email me asking for advice, I try to be generous with my time because someone once upon a time was generous with their time," she said.
Her main advice: keep making connections, even if you aren't guaranteed a reply.
"Every single action you take in a creative career has to be an opportunity of your own making. So how do you create those opportunities? You have to reach out to people."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Hunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO heads into third day as new clues emerge
As the investigation into a masked gunman who stalked and killed the head of one of the largest U.S. health insurers moved into its third day Friday, possible leads emerged about his travel before the shooting and a message scrawled on ammunition found at the crime scene.
Purolator, UPS pause shipments from couriers amid Canada Post strike
Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies as they try to work through a deluge of deliveries brought on by the Canada Post strike.
Canadian unemployment rate jumps near 8-year high
Canada's unemployment rate rose more than expected to 6.8 per cent in November, a near-eight-year high excluding the pandemic years, even as the economy added a net 50,500 jobs, data showed on Friday, likely boosting chances of a large interest rate cut next week.
Canada's list of banned guns is expanding. Here's what you need to know
Canada is expanding its federal ban on firearms, adding 324 makes and models of guns to the prohibited weapons list, effective immediately.
What is still being delivered? What to know about the Canada Post strike
With Canada Post workers on strike, many individuals and businesses are facing the challenge of sending and receiving mail. Here are the answers to some of Canadians’ most-asked questions.
80-year-old driver with expired licence accused of going nearly double the speed limit in eastern Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police say a man caught stunt driving on Highway 37 near Tweed, Ont. Thursday was 80 years old, and his licence was expired.
Jasper family reunites with cat missing 100 days in the wilderness
Nicole Klopfenstein's four-year-old black and white tabby survived in the wilderness for more than 100 days after a ferocious wildfire forced the evacuation of the Rocky Mountain town of Jasper, Alta., this summer.
Salmonella cucumber recalls include products that may not be labelled: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has published an expanded pair of recalls for cucumbers over risks of salmonella contamination.
Local Spotlight
Regina home recognized internationally for architectural design
Jane Arthur and her husband David began a unique construction project in 2014. Now, a decade later, their home in Regina's Cathedral neighbourhood has won a title in the Urban House and Villa category at the World Architecture Festival.
Calgary director Kiana Rawji turns her lens toward slums of Nairobi with 'Mama of Manyatta'
Two films shot in Kenya by a director and writer based in Brooklyn who grew up in Calgary are getting their Calgary premiere screening Saturday.
N.S. woman finds endangered leatherback sea turtle washed up on Cape Breton beach
Mary Janet MacDonald has gone for walks on Port Hood Beach, N.S., most of her life, but in all those years, she had never seen anything like the discovery she made on Saturday: a leatherback sea turtle.
'It moved me': Person returns stolen Prada bag to Halifax store; owner donates proceeds
A Halifax store owner says a person returned a Prada bag after allegedly stealing it.
'It's all about tradition': Bushwakker marking 30 years of blackberry mead
The ancient art of meadmaking has become a holiday tradition for Regina's Bushwakker Brewpub, marking 30 years of its signature blackberry mead on Saturday.
Alberta photographer braves frigid storms to capture the beauty of Canadian winters
Most people want to stay indoors when temperatures drop to -30, but that’s the picture-perfect condition, literally, for Angela Boehm.
N.S. teacher, students help families in need at Christmas for more than 25 years
For more than a quarter-century, Lisa Roach's middle school students have been playing the role of Santa Claus to strangers during the holidays.
N.S. girl battling rare disease surprised with Taylor Swift-themed salon day
A Nova Scotia girl battling a rare disease recently had her 'Wildest Dreams' fulfilled when she was pampered with a Swiftie salon day.
Winnipeg city councillor a seven-time provincial arm wrestling champ
A Winnipeg city councillor doesn’t just have a strong grip on municipal politics.