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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
I ducked as the bottle flew over my head. The lead guitarist took a punch to the face, splattering blood over the drummer that was passed out on the floor. The bass player was being kicked and so was his amp, which I was now taking cover behind. I decided it was time to depart. My camera had drunk more beer than I had and my flash was making a funny crackling noise. I later found out that this was not some violent outbreak, but a regular almost weekly occurrence for this band... It's not that their fans didn't like them, quite the opposite they loved them and this is was how they showed it... I believe it's called anarchy.
Another time I was all set to shoot Ian Brown (The Stone Roses lead singer). He was now pushing his second solo album. I was always a fan of the Stone Roses and subsequently Mr Brown. When I finally got to meet him he was holding in his left hand a large orange and in his right a lemon. I don't think he was trying to boost his vitamin C intake... rather he thought they were some kind of magical musical instrument... a citrus-powered tambourine? He didn't want to have any photo's of himself which was a real shame. I had been organising to shoot him for about two months. But "the man from Delmonte say...No". His management then told me I couldn't even shoot him singing live, which I went on to completely ignore. He got up on stage and did his three songs. I was waiting for him to break out into "Oranges and Lemons" but sadly he didn't. I was then noticed by one of his people and got chased out of the venue. The joys of music photography!
I have however had many wonderful experiences and met many lovely people from doing music photography. I spent the best part of my degree shooting bands. At that point in time it fitted well with my love for music, I love the nature of music and photography being fused together. I still shoot a fair bit for music artists, but now its mainly for my own enjoyment rather than money. Trawling through my archives to make this blog was a little hard. Much of my best work is sitting in a negative folder in my old dark, in my parents loft. I'm sure the mice are munching their way through them as you read this.
My tips for shooting music & musicians
# 1 If your shooting live performance, make sure you use a mixture of flash and available light.
# 2 if your flash has a strobe setting give it a blast, it creates some great effects with the right kind of music.
# 3 Now ditch your flash. Just use the light you are given. pump up your iso a touch and don't be scared to shoot on a slower shutter speed, it creates amazing mood.
# 4 When shooting musicians you need to be louder than them which can be hard at times.
# 5 I like to let them do what ever they want (eating wild flowers is accepted) This sometimes backfires, but this is when you get the best shots.
# 6 Listen to their music before you shoot them, it helps you get an insight into the artist.
# 7 Try to build relationships with the artists you shoot, this is how most of the best music photography is created. The more time you spend with them the less they notice you and the camera.
# 8 Don't take it too seriously, it takes the fun out of it.
# 9 Always put the drummer at the back of a group shot, it is an unspoken rule!
Old Man River
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
Washington
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
Dappled Cities
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
Sullivan Street
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
Tuesdays Child
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
Silverman
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
The supernaturals
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| Simon Hewson ©2010 |
