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08/06/2007 06:10:26 PM · #26 |
the band i was shooting two weeks ago requested their band photo today to be published in some newspaper...
they did'nt give me any input what they wanted and due to the lack of time i had to come up with something...
 
i think if you shoot band photos you really need to have an idea or picture in your head and than try to put that idea into practise as quickly as you can, than move to your next idea/picture, otherwise they're getting nervous and antsy (most of them artist are like that, they don't have too much time either) and the shooting ends up beeing bullsh... |
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08/06/2007 06:44:33 PM · #27 |
Fire!!!!!!! Use fire! I have always thought fire would be a cool addition to a band shot... perhaps arrange the guys artfully around the girl on their knees with their instruments and have her standing in front screaming at the camera with a guitar, microphone, etc... in her hand and have a flaming background :) hehe
If you call Art, he might be able to help you with getting the village ready :) |
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08/06/2007 07:35:25 PM · #28 |
A couple people have touched on this, but I think it is important if you havn't already, sit down and discuss there ideas, goals for the shoot before time. This is from my point of view as the band from the days I used to play. I mean, you can have great ideas that you think are cool, but if the band doesn't like 'em, they won't use them. We did a couple of shoots for our band for promo material and stuff. One, the photog showed up with their ideas, and we spent more time going over and REjecting their ideas, and trying to come up with stuff spur of the moment than getting shots. The next time, different photog, she met with us earlier in the week, talked about what we wanted, ideas for poses, locations etc, and she shared some of her ideas. We went into the shoot with an agreed plan, and it worked well for all involved.
Some other thoughts on it- if the band really looks the part (hardcore) in their attire/appearence etc, it get's easier, location wise. More spots will work, because they will just look right. Infact, with a good, punked out looking hardcore band, it could be real fun going totally against cliche's. Get kind of a surreal like images, putting them in totally unlikely settings. For example, get on a city bus and ride around, interior shots. Yeah, the sofa in the middle of a road was cool. Cruising through a zoo. Park or playground equip. Local sites/attractions. (example, when I was in a hardcore band years ago, we talked about doing a shoot with us hanging out around the capitol building, never did it though). HOw daring and quick are you? :-) Take them to like a real nice upscale restaurant or something like that, take some quick shots sitting around (quickly before you get kicked out, hehehe) This might take some set up, but, shoot them jamming out in front of a small audience of little kids, or some senior citizens.
Anyways, like I said, see what they are thinking, they might have some cool ideas that they have been thinking/talking about for awhile. |
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08/06/2007 09:18:39 PM · #29 |
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08/06/2007 09:51:47 PM · #30 |
| Fisheye type shots in B & W on a series of steps (east coast of course there is steps) with plenty of arm tattoo action showing seems to be a mainstay for bands like that. (I actually like all of the influences on their myspace though I'm definitely not "hardcore" :p)Anything showing street element. Sitting in gutters, walls with lots of flyers, dive bars that kick the bums out so the bands can play... I'm guessing your not attending a show but the best classic hardcore shot is the singer screaming with three of four in the crowd up trying to sing as well, or the everyone in the crowd with their fists in the air shot. |
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08/06/2007 10:02:45 PM · #31 |
| Oh yah, don't forget the everyone sitting down with someones foot right in the lense fisheye shot (in b&w of course) :p |
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08/07/2007 08:31:38 AM · #32 |
Originally posted by lunachicken:
I'm guessing your not attending a show but the best classic hardcore shot is the singer screaming with three of four in the crowd up trying to sing as well, or the everyone in the crowd with their fists in the air shot. |
All to familiar with that shot, and its one of my favorites:
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08/07/2007 08:32:26 AM · #33 |
Plenty of tattoos there haha. |
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08/07/2007 08:56:56 AM · #34 |
evan hunt does a great job, he is on this site
His Myspace |
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08/07/2007 08:59:40 AM · #35 |
Dude, I totally know this urine soaked brick wall...
Originally posted by pawdrix:
This here is the best what NOT to do site when shooting a band.
It's hysterical for starters and has a ton of the worlds most horrificly bad band shots.
You'd be crazy not to look at that site before shooting. You'll see every corny band cliche conceived and then some. Worse than Spinal Tap... |
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08/07/2007 09:04:27 AM · #36 |
Originally posted by Elmakias:
evan hunt does a great job, he is on this site
His Myspace |
Yeah, he posted the link to his site up above, im super impressed with his stuff. |
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08/07/2007 10:21:07 AM · #37 |
Hehe on a less cliche note...
Dress em up like various sideshow freaks (if you can come up with props). Strongman with mustache, bearded lady, sword swallower etc..
Stick em in a dog pound cage acting like animals. Or similiarly a vet room (with the stainless steel table) have one of em lookin like they are gettin a shot with the others hovering over.
Or a urine soaked brick wall! Brilliant! |
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08/07/2007 10:24:34 AM · #38 |
| I love those ideas, and to take it one step further, im going to have a brick wall with a train tunnel going through it, but the train derailed, and spilled its cargo...A CUBIC SHIT TON OF URINE!! all over the brick wall!! |
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08/07/2007 11:57:36 AM · #39 |
I don't have many great shots of bands I am still learning. They are lots of fun to do, but make sure they all have enough time to shoot. Bands have this idea that they can show up for 10min right before their day job, you will shoot a couple shots and that is that. There will always be one guy who has something he has to do 20 minutes after the shoot starts. Also if you shoot in the winter tell them to bring coats. Bands are like children, they will show up to a shoot in -20 weather wearing a t-shirt and black jeans and want some "nature" shots 30 minutes from the warm car. In this shot, the reason I went with the tones, and the grunge look was because they were bright red from the cold. I had to have them take deep breaths to stop shivering so I could stab a shot or two.
I find that the key is in getting the band to relax and just be normal. You get to know their personality after about an hour and you will find something that will speak to you.
Here are some ideas from my experience that might spark your creativity and help you get into the zone.
1) Identify the front man(woman) and explain to the band that in most of the shots that person will be the center of attention. It sounds silly, but I have been in bands or working with them for 20 years, and I know what goes on behind the scenes. They all want to be in the front even the drummer. Once you establish that it really helps the layouts of your scene. I like to have the front man look at the camera with the rest of the band not. That is just a style thing. Most people like everybody looking at the camera, but I like to draw the attention to the front man.
2) Go by how they dress. Most bands are not as "Hardcore" as they think they are, and they dress accordingly. This one band I did came to the shoot looking a little "trashy" if you know what I mean, so I shot it in a trailer park. They thought they were metal, but they really didn't dress that way.
Conversely, one look at these guys and I took them to the richest part of town and put them in a bench. 
3) For more "candid" looking shots tell the band to all go somewhere that they are not, stand there and find something to do. Then shoot while they are moving.
 
4) This is really just a style thing, but I think the best band shoots are when the band looks bored. I like to pose the band in such a way that the viewer of the photo will be trying to figure out what the heck they are doing there in that scene. I get a lot of negative feedback from this as well, but it is cool to me.
5) When you are needing ideas, look to the bands music. I gravitate towards titles and sometimes try and work with that. They come out cheesy sometimes, but most of the time the band loves shots that speak to one of their songs. This bands myspace song was staring at the sun. I had him throw up a rock and then edited the rest. It is stupid to some, but to the audience that listens to them, they love it.
6) There are always a few "interesting" people in a band. Those are the ones to shoot up close that people will love to look at. Most bands are looking for attention, so focus your shots give them that attention.
7)  Joey Lawrence. Nuff said.
***Best part about shooting bands is there is always bands to shoot. When one breaks up (sometimes before you finish editing photos) 5 more start up. Hope that helps, have fun shooting I want to see your shots for some inspiration when you get them done.***
Message edited by author 2007-08-07 12:01:59. |
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08/07/2007 12:07:07 PM · #40 |
Good stuff Jason.
And you are right about bands breaking up as soon as you get done hahaha.
I had a band that I shot the cover of their album break up the day after the album came out.
I threw some ideas around with one of the members last night, and she really liked the idea of the whole band eating hotwings (or pizza) and just do a panoramic 360% montage of it. They all love Pizza and Hotwings so it might work well.
So now its really just a matter of planning for that one. After looking at the Joey Lawrence stuff and also the Dave Hill shots, I really want to try to get some solid lighting going on, so Im thinking I might ave to do that one at home and just spice up the backgrounds by either shooting with a seemless white background, and putting in detail later, or see if someone has a friend that works at a pub that we could pull it off in. |
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08/07/2007 12:38:37 PM · #41 |
| A cool pub would work sweet. You could do some really interesting stuff there. |
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08/07/2007 12:42:27 PM · #42 |
| Doh. I just remembered - my brother has a bar in his basement, and its so dark and moody (think goodfellas/godfather 1950 italian style decorationg) that I could probably shoot down there. The walls and carpet are all black and a very dark red (like think of a black to dark red gradient) and I would have unlimited time to do it. Only problem would be space, but thats not a big deal. |
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08/07/2007 05:25:51 PM · #43 |
| Do they smoke? If so, smoke in the shot with the right light would be wicked cool. |
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08/14/2007 02:03:55 PM · #44 |
How did these band shots come out? I am waiting to see them!
Message edited by author 2007-08-14 14:04:09. |
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08/14/2007 02:35:21 PM · #45 |
| Scheduling is a bitch. Still in the plans, just trying to get everyone together. (half the band is from PA, half is from NJ, and im in DE) |
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08/14/2007 03:43:28 PM · #46 |
Here are some "crazy" ideas to mix-n-match:
If the band's name is "My Turn To Win". I could see a giant "Wheel of fortune" style wheel. On the wheel could be a well built girl with the letters "WIN" on her sweatshirt. A Girl model, whether real or exagerated makeup. The wheel could be just an angled "Merry-go-round" with pegs. Drive by carnivals have them. And you could rent almost any prop these days.
On the wheel can be all the members in assorted poses. They could each have a "Fork" in their hands, in a variety of gestures, with them.
Just give each one a fork and see how creative they can be. A fork can be a friend or a weapon. They could all have wads of money stuck on the forks and ketchup on the handles.
Some "Fire" around the wheel is a nice additive. I've actually created big campfires (outdoors) to photograph with a green or black. These were to be used for backgrounds of composites. Fire implying a "Hot" band and maybe it's the audiences turn to win, by listening to them.
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08/14/2007 03:45:58 PM · #47 |
| I wanan try stuff with some fire, definitely. Whats the best way to go about it? Make the fire outside, of course, photograph on a black background, and then just superimpose it where I need it? |
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08/14/2007 03:52:40 PM · #48 |
| I'm thinking the Red Hot Chili Pepper's infamous habit for performing while only wearing a sock. and not on their feet. |
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08/14/2007 04:16:07 PM · #49 |
| How would that work with a band with a girl in it? 2 knit hats and a well placed scarf? |
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08/14/2007 04:16:09 PM · #50 |
| Do a motley crue, and put them in leather poor gas on them and light them on fire. (do not attempt for real) lol |
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