A2 PHOTOGRAPHY - EMILY MOORBY
MUSIC CULTURE
Sum 41 - Selected Images
Based on the fact I feel that this shoot was very successful, I have picked out ten outcomes that I especially liked from the range of images I collected on shoot. Whilst taking photos, I had in mind that I wanted to get a range of images that showed every band member, and not just the front man; Deryck. I am a big believer in every member getting the credit they deserve when it comes to Rock bands, so I wanted to equally cast my attention on all Sum 41 members. My selected outcomes below are all the raw files of the images, and in some cases, I have decided that editing them would ruin them.
Tom Thacker is one of my all time favourite musicians, and I was delighted when I found out he was staying in Sum 41; despite Dave's return. I picked out this image due to two main elements that made the shot stand out to me, and those two things are the illumination of the frame from the stage lights, and the composition. I have previously mentioned that I really like pink and purple lighting when photographing shows, as I feel it makes the image look vibrant and more appealing to look at. Despite the contrast between Tom's face and the lights not being as evident, I like how the lighting on his face is quite subtle, but adds more shading and detail to certain areas. Plus, I find the overall contrast on this image between the lighting and other subjects very subtle, which I feel is different
for me, as the contrast is usually quite apparent. As well as these factors, having the medium close up shot means that the audience can see that the pictured person is a musician (more specifically in this case, a guitarist). Back to Tom's face, you can see the concerntration and passion that he is putting into the performance, and this is something that I will always get a thrill of; when I capture an artist's passion in my own photographs. One thing that I think could have enhanced this image, was if more of Tom was in the composition, but saying that, I feel that the slightly canted angle shot type may cut some of the shot out , but I think this makes the image appear quite unusual and abstract.
This image definitely contrasts against my first chosen outcome based on the colours of the lighting. I feel that with blue/green lights, images often look very refreshing and more natural, and this is a factor that I really like about this outcome. One way I feel I could improve this image however, is to crop it in order to eliminate the dead space that is above Dave's head and to the left side of him. I feel that this cropping would make the image look so asymetric, however I feel that having Dave slightly off centre in the composition makes the image look interesting and unusual. Dave was to the right of me (stage left), and I couldn't get directly in front of him to take images of him centrally framed, however I like how the images have turned out with me being stood to the left of Dave, as you can see
more of the side of his body. Especially with other gig photography, the photographer often captures the band members from the front rather than the side, so with this image mainly, I feel that I ave diverted away slightly from the style of shooting Adam Elmakias goes for when he collects his image, but none the less, I still do look up to him for his work. The medium close up as well as medium long shot enables the audience to establish that the subject matter is part of a performing band, as well as seeing them up close.
I feel that the red lighting in this shot really intensifies the image, as well as combining with Deryck's facial expression; creating quite an angry effect, which in turn links with the idea of Rock music.
This is definitely my favourite outcome from the whole of the shoot, as I knew even before I stepped into the room that I wanted to get at least one image of Deryck's iconic custom Fender guitar. I like how the image gradually goes out of focus the more you look towards the right of the image, and I feel that this is down to the f/1.8 50mm lens and the shallow focus/macro style that this piece of kit enables on the images. I like how the focus is on the body of the guitar, and this means we can clearly see the detail on it (the tape crosses) and the typical features of a guitar (pick guard, strings etc). I also really like how you can see Deryck's hand, as well as his 'Bizzy' tattoo (the nickname 'Bizzy D' is something that Deryck is also known as by the fans and his friends, and it is also on
his personal guitar picks, which I was lucky enough to be actually given one from Deryck). The lighting is also very pink and purple, and I feel that in this specific outcome, the lights make this setting look quite intense and mysterious. With rlation to the fact this is a close up shot of an iconic model of custom guitar, people who are not entirely familiar with Sum 41, will probably not know who this guitar belongs to, or why it is so iconic; which supports the mystery element that I feel the lighting gives the image. Fans were also dragged out from the crowd to watch a few songs from the side of the stage, and despite the shallow focus meaning they cannot be clearly seen (to the right of the image), you can still see through their actions how much fun they are having and are clealy enjoying the music. This is another reason why I love music culture so much, because it can make even the saddest of people feel more alive and happy.
I picked out this image because I like hot the background is almost completely black, but then Deryck is in the frame and illuminated with the blue stage lighting. If I were to edit this, I would definitely work on getting the background completely black. As well as the contrast between the background and Deryck, I really like how various parts of Deryck are more shaded than others, making more contrast and a more interesting outcome. I would have liked to get all Of Deryck's hair in the frame, however this isn't too much of a problem. The medium long also enables the audience to see the finer details on Deryck (like his tattoos and ear piece), as well as seeing his upper body and body language. As well as this, the background can be seen, despite it being black.
Despite this image not being entirely in focus, I like the positioning of the musician Jason McCaslin (or more familiarly known as 'Cone' to the fans). I really admore Jason as a musician, and watching him play was quite an experience for me. I quite like how the blue lights have mixed with the yellow to create an unusual colour tone for the image
Putting aside the fact there is a bit of shine on the end of Deryck's guitar, this is probably one of my favourite images from the shoot. I like how the shallow focus has made Deryck in focus, as he is the main subject within this image, and the effect enhances how he stands out compared to the background of the shot.
I think cropping this image would make it stronger, as I don't like the dead space above Deryck's head
