Over the last few years I’ve had the privilege of being involved with music in Northern Ireland via my film and photography work. In particular I have formed a strong attachment with the documentation of bands with as little of an agenda as possible – other than to show them up as I see them through the viewfinder.
The two pictures I’ve chosen from my archives are of Colenso Parade, a Beatles inspired pop group with quite a considerable element of charm in their sonic arsenal. I’ve been working with the band now for quite some time and enjoy the fact that they are not just subjects there to be photographed but also friends.
When I look back through my work and where I’ve been aiming it; it is striking to me how little that we see of the real people behind the music these days – what with the control and limitations placed down by publicists and managers who rarely seem to grasp that the icons of old were part created via the humanising force of seeing their true faces in many cases.
Showing their characters not as a contrived thought but as actual people. As an audience looking in, we connected more with them as people compared to the majority of today’s over polished ideas of image. This situation is something I try to pay as much attention to as possible within what I am doing.
Often I find that an Occam like approach to my work is the most effective way to accomplish this, using simplicity and a lack of pretence to create (I hope) a more relaxed atmosphere for the bands I work with. I try to stay away from using lighting setups (being well aware of how waiting around on setups affects actors on set I learned very quickly that most musicians are not naturally settled in front of camera), instead finding positions, natural embellishments, corridors of light or existing fittings to shape the image in a much more leisurely manner.
Despite saying that. I love technology, and it was my route into filmmaking and from that then photography. All of my equipment from camera to laptop I’ve tried to learn inside out (and in many cases self-repaired) to try and get a better grasp of each component’s limitations and uses.
Though I can see how the progression of technology can get in the way of a good image, whether it is a young band being physically unnerved by a camera that you could launch a missile from or the technical perfection of the frame coming before actual content – something I have been and can be guilty of myself.
Often I’ve personally found that the clear, crisp pictures that make up the bulk of music photographs out there can lack the emotion and life that was present on stage in the first place.
I love what I do, the people with whom I work and the experiences I’ve had so far, and would say to anyone interested in photography to find exactly what impassions you visually and follow it.
Thoughtful and honest. Both show through in your images.
nice angle and honest picktures/ Great to see
Nice work. You really can see emotion captured in those shots.
Great read Matt – i really enjoyed your thoughts on conveying emotion through the frame. I suppose for me, most of the time i’m so overconcerned with the clarity and sharpness of the photo that I sometimes forget if I’m evoking emotion through it. So it was great to read your perspective on that.
Would love to hear your any tips you have on documenting film production (since you experience in that field) as I might have a job lining up soon with it.
Hi Paula,
Documenting music is much like documenting anything really. Be polite, be personable, don’t get in the road of what’s happening; and just make sure to act in a relaxed manner that doesn’t put your subjects off their work.
Good luck and thank you for your kind words.
Regards…
Matt
Thanks for the tips Matt, appreciate it. I have noted them down! it’s hard to get relaxed as i’m normally quite an introverted person and hate asking people i don’t know..suppose got to start somewhere!
Lovely to meet you here and hear more about you! Awesome photos, and great processing too!
Great work…I’m a bit biased in that I do band photography too. *lol* But seriously, your images have a wonderful intimacy to them that brings us along for the ride. Look forward to keeping up with you!
oh and just looked at your site and saw the fella w/ the Jesus Lizard t-shirt…boy haven’t seen that band name in ages!!