On our recent shoot (two shoots, actually) for the Soul Rebels Unlock Your Mind CD we were able to utilize a most unusual light source not only for “practical” (existing light source) lighting, but as the predominant image in the cover itself. The recording session took place at The Music Shed, one of the hottest studios in New Orleans lately, which was also being used as an automotive body shop for the TV series Memphis Beat.
Now if you’ve ever been in a body shop you’ve probably seen the large florescent light boxes the body artists use to illuminate their work and check for surface defects. A huge box like this was being used for Memphis Beat and it was real eye candy for a lighting obsessed photographer! I knew I wanted to use it as a light source, at the very least. When the designers suggested we also use it as a subject element in the cover image I was thrilled to hear it. Upon arriving, however, it was a bit of a messy scene..
There was quite a lot of industrial junk scattered about. I typically like to fly by the seat of my pants on these kinds of shoots, though. I’ve found that too much control can be worse than too little when you’re trying to catch lightning in a bottle. I cleared out a few pallets and made some room to at least pose the guys near the light and do some portraits with the big box and a bit of fill. The band members were in street clothes, which didn’t scream “killer album cover” to me, but since it was a local shoot in a place I dig it was not a problem for me to return during the week if the record company felt they should be more uniformly attired (and I felt they should). We were able to make some nice portraits at this session, though, even in street clothes…
This shoot was yet another opportunity to work with one of my best friends and a guy whose contribution to New Orleans music cannot be overstated, the multi-talented producer/musician, Scott Billington, of Rounder Records fame. Scott was in need of a new head shot so I used this amazing big-box to do some new shots of him (one of which, I believe, will run in the upcoming issue of Offbeat Magazine to acknowledge Scott’s Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed by Offbeat)..
I was flexing my new 35mm f1.4 lens on this shoot, a hunk of glass that does amazing things with very little light..
CD cover shoots are SO much fun when you get to hang with laid-back, massively talented guy like the Soul Rebels. I always try to provide a lot of coverage and produce a lot of images in several different styles. I often bring a small strobe kit (I like to fly solo) and move lights around in the studio during rehearsals. It enables me to move quickly and blend available light and strobe without getting in the way of the recording..
Once we got the band on board with a more uniform wardrobe I returned to the Music Shed for Round 2. The guys were all dressed in black this time, which just works a lot better for a cover image. It also enabled me to isolate them and make a much more symbolic (and powerful) image for the cover. The cover has to SELL the record, in a psychological sense, for potential buyers who may not have heard the actual tracks but are curious and motivated to buy. I tried a bunch of different things, including some abstract shutter-drag things..
Pleasing artistically but probably not best for the cover. Still, you gotta hang loose and take some chances. Its not like we’re wasting film…electrons are free (for now). The band shots, I think, are better with this wardrobe change and one was used in the package:
The designers often want “collateral” images to use as background textures or layout components. I had a lot of fun prowling the neighborhood and talking to locals as I shot the area. The forklift image with cardboard clouds is strangely compelling to me…
The icing on the cake was finally getting to meet “Ms. Linda” of Linda’s Ya-Ca-Mein fame! It was my first time sampling this legendary local delicacy and her “N.O. pho” did not disappoint! A perfect finale’ to another wonderful Rounder shoot…
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