Stealth band photos
April 21st, 2009
You might remember how I mentioned working with Minneapolis locals Modernsextrash back in February. (Entry here.) Well, the time has come that they are unleashing their new wave of publicity, so I can now share my work with them. We teamed up to get band photos that did not really look like band photos, and I believe we did a good job.
I’ve been working for a while to do more unassuming and less cliche band photography, so my mission was exciting for me, but also daunting. On top of it all, it was my first assignment with hot — or continuous — lights. The lighting situation got more complicated when one of them decided to break off its mount, rendering it nearly useless. (Though I did manage to put a faint, defining edge on some of the table mess with it.)
A tradiationl setting would have allowed fairly sterile and cool posed band shots, in quite a nice temporary studio space. But the challenging path was not only the most entertaining this time, but I think also the best. I’m convinced something that looks nearly like photojournalism will stand out greatly against the over-processed plastic wrap look that is all the rage these days. And I believe it serves and acheives the same purposes.
The setup we wound up with was naturally formed over the span of the shoot. Junk thrown in place, food actually consumed, anything and everything (including my own shoes) tossed here and there. The band wanted a party atmosphere, and I believe it works.
But just in case the mess wasn’t convincing enough, I had a couple of people who were hanging out at the shoot walk around in the background, to lend a sense of environment and photojournalism. I used a slow shutter speed and a light stand filling in as a wobbly-but-still-semi-steady tripod to keep the band from blurring, too.
This approach is similar to one I used with One For The Team last year, and I enjoy the results I got with them, too. Here’s that shot:
Anyway, I’m off to schedule and set up a bunch of cool stuff. Happy shooting!
Listening: 89.3 The Current
April 21st, 2009 at 4:39 pm
very cool! I agree that most band photos are so stiff and processed these days.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Thanks! Yeah, I flip through magazines I won’t name here, and it’s sad how the shots all kind of blend together eventually.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:07 pm
WELL FREAKING DONE!
I think you need to do a promo with mostly film, and a few digital shots just for safety and security.
I know how you feel about 35mm, but I think you should try some Kodak BW400CN, Its some color process Black and white film.
I LOVE the stuff.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Thanks! Yeah, I really should break out my A2 sometime. (Or even get back my old Canon F-1.) Maybe I’ll give slide another stab, though it’s such a pain to get processed. I do enjoy the tones the CN stuff gets, too. I shot some of that way back when it first came out, and they are still some of my favorite B&Ws. I actually need to dig those out sometime.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I like how you changed it up and made it less like other band photos! :]
April 21st, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Thank you! And thanks for reading.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:30 pm
thanks again jamie for all your help and hard work on the projects. indeed you have a vision for your art that stands above most cliche images out there. especially in the musical realm. how do you take such a typical idea and make itdifferent? call up jamie maldonado that’s how!
your link is now up on our press page btw!!
April 21st, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Thanks! For the kind words and the link. I’ve tagged the heck out of this entry and those photos, so hopefully that’ll help your cause, too. (I’ll add your link to the photos if I neglected to do so, too.)
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:05 am
Jamie. You take the best pictures in the world.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:18 am
Aw, thank you! I need to get the world thinking like you. heh.