In my last post, I shared some cover art candidates for “Feel” by The J.O.B. (Jim O’Ferrell Band). Here are the balance of shots I sent along for the band to consider. The idea behind the photos is feel the light. Enjoy.
Have fun, and go make some great photography.
Craig
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
I am very honored by a recent invitation to continue artistic collaboration with The Jim O’Ferrell Band. Lead guitarist Jason Crawford recently sent lyrics to the upcoming single Guardian – and once again swore me to secrecy.
The lyrics convey the image of an ever vigilant entity, a guardian angel, a superhero-like presence. From a photographic perspective, this is a fun place to start.
The two photos are a couple of the concepts I sent to Jason. As always, I am excited about the artistic collaboration and am already enjoying the process. The second single I will be working on is “Feel.” Again, the lyrics invoke some fantastic imagery of light and shadow.
Stand by for more reports on this project and my work on “Feel.”
Have fun, and go make some great photography.
Craig
Run, don’t walk to the J.O.B. website, or itunes and get your copy of the new single “Messenger.” The J.O.B. has once again created something truly special you are certain to enjoy.
Sure, I have a slight bias – I like seeing my photography pop up on my iPhone when the song comes on. But for the moment I will put my bias aside and tell you these guys are beyond good, and this song highlights their strengths as musicians and story tellers.
The lyrics are haunting, and represent another great example of artistic story telling set to music that deftly amplifies the message and the mood. The gritty voice and acoustic guitar of Jim O’Ferrell are perfectly supported and echoed by the original craftsmanship of lead guitarist Jason Crawford.
This song is a must have for your music collection. Like I said, run, don’t walk to the J.O.B. website and support this refreshingly original band.
Finally, I would love to hear your thoughts on the cover art with respect to how the photography compliments the music.
Have fun, and go make some great photography.
Craig
I am very excited to share with you the new album artwork for the soon to be released single “Messenger” by The J.O.B (Jim O’Ferrell Band). I have been working with lead guitarist Jason Crawford over the last couple of months to compose an image that provides a visual background for the lyrics. As we progressed through the project, I posted several times to discuss the process and give a behind the scenes look at the creative process that ultimately led to the final product you see above. For the full history, visit these posts:
So the purpose of this post is to wrap a bow around the project and recap the fun highlights of the creative process. First of all, although Jason and I have never met, it was a real pleasure working with him. Projects like this are always more enjoyable when you are working with good people. I’m sure we will get together sometime for a beer or maybe Jason will venture up to DC for one of my signature wine pairings.
The great challenge and fun of this project was creating an image that evoked the essence of the lyrics. We started by Jason sending the lyrics (sorry, still can’t share those, but the single will be out in a couple of weeks – check iTunes or visit The J.O.B. website). What I can say is that the lyrics speak to a deep level of connection between people – much of it unsaid and below our radar of our consciousness. Jason then pointed out a couple of the photos from this blog that hint at the concept and sent a couple of photos from other sources he was also attracted to. Armed with this information I began shooting. I actually shot quite a bit, but only sent those photos for consideration that I thought reflected the heart of the lyrics.
Adding to the fun and challenge of creating the “right” photograph was the fact that I was dealing with abstract ideas – and I had no idea of the music supporting these very powerful lyrics. While the lyrics are full of vivid images, they remain abstract until the shutter is clicked and the band starts playing. In the end, Jason selected the photograph below.
This shot was created by setting up my camera on a tripod and taking a series of shots as people moved in front of me. The shots were all set at a sufficiently slow shutter speed to blur as the people walked by. I then combined the photos by masking in the passing people while the background remained static. My interpretation of this photograph in the context of the lyrics is an unseen connection between the people as we race through life unaware until someone illuminates those connections.
Having become a fan of The J.O.B. and their uniquely enjoyable style of Americana Rock, I encourage you to find them on iTunes, pull out your coin jar, and purchase “Messenger” when it is released in a couple weeks. I have not yet heard the final production, but these guys are good and put a great deal of thought and talent into their passion for music. I am confident it will get 5 stars on my iPhone playlist.
I hope to continue this creative relationship with Jason and The J.O.B. and soon be writing about the next single release in the coming months.
Have fun, and go make some great photography.
Craig
Last week, Jason from the Jim O’Ferrell Band (the J.O.B.) suggested Union Station in Washington DC as a potential subject for the cover art of the single “Messenger” which they are now recording. Easy stuff. I took a walk over to Union station and got some shots.
The next photograph is an alteration of the first. With the intent of reflecting the haunting lyrics of the “Messenger,” I decided to add a texture to muddle things up a a bit and add a mysterious feel.
I doubt that a photograph taken in portrait orientation will make the final cut, but here are a couple of shots from Union Station in a different orientation. The repeating patterns of pillars, windows, scallops, and other architectural elements make Union Station a great subject – whether shooting in landscape or portrait orientation.
Have fun and go make some great photography.
Craig
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
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
