Shooting musicians for promos and CD cover artwork

Let's generate some ideas for places to meet and things to shoot.

Moderators: Greg B, Nnnnsic, Geoff, Glen, gstark, Moderators

Forum rules
Please ensure that you have a meaningful location included in your profile. Please refer to the FAQ for details of what "meaningful" is. Please also check the portal page for more information on this.

Shooting musicians for promos and CD cover artwork

Postby simonrenton on Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:59 am

Greetings all,

I'm new to this forum and very new to taking the photography gig seriously in terms of wanting to work professionally in the field. One of the areas I'm interested in working in is providing album artwork images for musicians and artists to use in their portfolios and promotion/products.

Now I need lots more experience in lighting and model direction along with building story boards for this kind of shoot, so what I was wanting to do was see if there were other togs on this forum who might be interested in shooting a guitarist (me!) in either a studio or other location that was visually interesting/appealing/evocative based on this purpose.

What I would like to get out this session would be a) some good photos of me and my guitar!; b) exposure to how other togs would use lights and props to tell the story; c) model direction, or at least see how the interaction between the tog and model works in practice; and d) composition ideas.

The challenge for anyone interested in this idea is that I'm not particuarly photogenic (that's why I make sure I'm normally behind the camera!) and that I've got a 'good head for radio' as they say. If you reckon you can work with craggy, hairy and ugly, then maybe this could your thing!

The guitar would be an acoustic classical guitar if that helps set the scene.

I'm heading back to Melbourne for Xmas with the family, so sometime in the new year would suit me.

Any ideas on location/props/clothes etc... would be good to hear about on this thread.

Looking forward to hearing from anyone interested.

Cheers,

Simon
User avatar
simonrenton
Newbie
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:24 pm
Location: Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne

Postby Onyx on Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:06 pm

Hi Simon, welcome to the forums.

Certainly an interesting concept. We have plenty of likeminded musicians here - as evident in the guitar thread (one of the longest in this forum's history I believe).

Whenever you're willing to volunteer as a model, I'll certainly be willing to volunteer as photog. :)
User avatar
Onyx
Senior Member
 
Posts: 3631
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 6:51 pm
Location: westsyd.nsw.au

Postby simonrenton on Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:22 pm

Thanks Onyx. Can you point me in the direction of the guitar thread? I did a search and couldn't pic k the one you refer to.

Thanks,

Simon
User avatar
simonrenton
Newbie
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:24 pm
Location: Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne

Postby gstark on Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:26 pm

That would be this thread. Enjoy.
g.
Gary Stark
Nikon, Canon, Bronica .... stuff
The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it - US Pres. Bartlet
User avatar
gstark
Site Admin
 
Posts: 22896
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:41 pm
Location: Bondi, NSW

Postby simonrenton on Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:43 pm

Oh... I see! Looks like this is already well travelled territory. No probs if this thread was met with a bunch of yawns! I'll go back to my box now...
User avatar
simonrenton
Newbie
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:24 pm
Location: Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne

Postby gstark on Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:46 pm

Well traveled, but still fun.

If you look carefully, you'll find some fairly recent images of this old fart playing his '77 fretless Fender P. In the family we have a couple of other Fenders, an Epiphone, a Gretsch Golden Eagle, and a full size upright.

Music is big here. :)
g.
Gary Stark
Nikon, Canon, Bronica .... stuff
The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it - US Pres. Bartlet
User avatar
gstark
Site Admin
 
Posts: 22896
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:41 pm
Location: Bondi, NSW

Postby simonrenton on Fri Dec 14, 2007 5:14 pm

That's great! I'm an acoustic lad though. One Richard Howell 1984 concert classical, a 1975 Yairi classical and a 92 Maton steel string are my babies. I missed them all terribly when I was overseas for a year.
User avatar
simonrenton
Newbie
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:24 pm
Location: Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne

Postby Reschsmooth on Fri Dec 14, 2007 5:37 pm

I still miss my Yamaha semi-acoustic 12 string and 71 tabacco burst Les Paul. Bought when I thought I could play, sold when I realised I never would. :wink:
Regards, Patrick

Two or three lights, any lens on a light-tight box are sufficient for the realisation of the most convincing image. Man Ray 1935.
Our mug is smug
User avatar
Reschsmooth
Senior Member
 
Posts: 4164
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:16 pm
Location: Just next to S'nives.

Postby Dargan on Fri Dec 14, 2007 6:29 pm

"If you reckon you can work with craggy, hairy and ugly, then maybe this could your thing! " I think you've described half the forum :D :D :D
In the end we know Nothing, but in the meantime Learn like crazy.
Your Camera Does Matter Nikon D70 D200 D300
PPOK
User avatar
Dargan
Senior Member
 
Posts: 702
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2004 11:22 pm
Location: Sunshine Coast

Postby simonrenton on Fri Dec 14, 2007 6:32 pm

Then I am among friends... :D
User avatar
simonrenton
Newbie
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:24 pm
Location: Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne


Return to Shooting and meeting ideas

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests