Cover Art for “Feel” by The J.O.B. (Jim O’Ferrell Band)

Over the last couple of months I have been working with The J.O.B. to produce artwork for soon to be released songs “Guardian” and “Feel.”  With a new set of flashes and a model (my son and soon to be USAF Officer), I was presented with some new opportunities for inspiration and creativity.

The lyrics to Feel talk about light, possibilities, and the feelings and understanding between people.  The ideas of “Feel” and “light” inspired a photo shoot focused on feeling the light.

From a photographic perspective, this was a bare bones shoot.  The shots were made in my garage with a single light.  The garage was completely darkened and I used the base piece of a yard shed as a back drop because it was black and non reflective.

After a few test shots, I found that I had to close the garage doors, turn out the lights and shoot in the dark to get the effect I was looking for.  The main challenge of shooting in the dark was focus.  If you have not noticed, cameras do a really poor job of focusing in complete darkness.

To overcome the focus problem, I turned the lights on, dialed in the focus, and marked a spot on the floor for the camera distance.  I then set the focus to manual (so it would not change), and began to shoot.

The shots shown here represent half of the keepers.  Come back soon to see the rest…as well as the J.O.B.’s final selection for “Feel”

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Two Concept Photographs for the “Messenger”–The J.O.B.

After a good night’s sleep aided by my last culinary adventure (see Craig’s Grape Adventure tomorrow when I post Trinidad Doubles with Cucumber Chutney and Trinidad Pepper Sauce Paired with 2010 Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc), I set out before sunrise to work on some photography for the new single “Messenger” to be recorded by The J.O.B. (The Jim O’Ferrell Band).

The photos featured here represent several of the concepts I have discussed with Jason Crawford (electric guitar extraordinaire) including the ghostly images of the subjects evoking an unconscious connection among them.  The purpose of this post is to discuss how I captured the images.

The first component is that of capturing the subjects in motion – leaving them with a ghostly blur.  This requires a long enough shutter speed to allow the blur to develop.  This is why I was out the door early.  I do not have neutral density filters (dark filters that limit light arriving at the sensor), so I had to rely on taking the photos under low light conditions to maintain exposure and achieve a sufficiently long exposure to capture the motion.

The second challenge was getting enough bodies in the photo to achieve the crowded bustle and energy I desired.  To do this, I composited 10 to 15 shots for each photograph.  More precisely, I set the camera on a tripod to maintain a constant composition, then took a bunch of shots as I saw people in the positions I envisioned.  In post processing I started with a base photograph, overlayed the other 15 or so shots, and then masked in the subjects to get all the bodies in the same shot.

Stay tuned for further updates on this project.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

New Album Art Project for The J.O.B. (TheJim O’Ferrell Band)

In April I wrote a short post about working with The J.O.B. to produce a photograph for the band’s single “Nowhere.”  The project was a great deal of fun, and you can see the original post at Nowhere by The J.O.B.  I also encourage you to visit The J.O.B. at their website where you can connect with them in all the usual social media outlets, listen to their music, and download their latest single, “Nowhere.”  Speaking of the music, if you like original rock with great story telling, you will become an instant fan of the J.O.B.

Recently I received a note from Jason Crawford (blazing electric guitar and rocking artistic crafter of the band’s heart pounding lead guitar work) announcing the J.O.B.’s return to the studio to record their next single “The Messenger.”  Jason asked if I would be interested in helping with the artwork for the new single – “The Messenger” - I thought about it for quite some time, maybe a microsecond, and signed on.  Jason sent me the lyrics to “The Messenger” (sorry – top secret stuff that you will have to wait a short while to enjoy) so I could start the creative process of seeing a fit between the photography and the song.  From my perspective, the photograph must play a role in adding to, or supporting the story told through the lyrics – a visual component of the storytelling and a wonderfully enjoyable challenge.

While I can’t share the lyrics, I can tell you they are powerful, symbolic, and rich with images.  I had to read the lyrics several times, each time my “wow” impression was amplified.  From a photographic perspective, the lyrics are a bonanza of mental images supporting the central theme; each line adding another layer of photographic potential.

Jason and I are now deep in the collaborative process of exchanging ideas, commenting on photographs that may contribute to the composition of the final product, and even discussing the photographic techniques that will achieve the aesthetic that matches the vivid images in the lyrics.  I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge and the collaboration.  The photograph at the top of this post is one of the shots we have discussed and contains several components likely to find their way into the final artwork.

As I find interesting aspects of the creative process to share, I will keep you updated.  I promise to let you know about the final product, and most importantly, the release of “The Messenger” by The J.O.B.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Minimalist Photography–Checkout John A Downey Photography II

If you type “minimalism” in the handy search bar at the upper left corner of this page, you will find that for some time I have been exploring the idea of minimalist photography.  Different people have different views of what this means.  For me, I am happy to continue exploring it and defining it on my terms.  In other words, I am experimenting to define what minimalism in photography means to me along with what works, and what does not work.

Extremely helpful to this exploration are my conversations with good friend and fellow photographer John Downey (John A Downey II Photography).  John recently posted a couple of articles featuring some excellent minimalist photography:

Impending Storm – Minimalist Photography in the Gulf of Tadjoura

Minimalist Photography #2 – Abstracts of the Gulf of Tadjoura

I refer you to John’s work for several reasons.  If you are exploring any particular form of photography, there are a few things that can be very helpful:

1. Look at work of people who are doing similar work; it can help you refine your preferences as well as provide inspiration.
2. Discuss with a friend – critique and refinement of your approach through dialogue (i.e. my discussions with John) with a good friend can be revealing and very helpful.
3. Shoot – shoot a lot – then take some time to think about it with a friend.  Collaboration is fun!
4. Take your time – you are not in a race to define your style or approach.  I know John agrees with me on this; it is all about the process of getting there, not the destination.

I am confident you will see and hear more about my exploration of minimalism.  Stand by for more fun.

Have fun and go make some great photography,

Craig