Band Photo Ideas?

[Guitarseh]

Any ideas on settings or themes for a modern/alt rock band? We need stuff for our promo kit, web site, CD jackets, etc. Esp. those local to the NoVA/DC metro area, any specific places that might make a good backdrop?

Thanks,

MarkB

[adgc]

Pressure Boys (early 1980's Chapel Hill ska band with hats and coats)

B&W publicity photo of them 'on the moon with Neil Armstrong' (They jumped over the railing onto a huge NASA moon landing exhibit) Classic.

How far do you live from the Air and Space Museum?

[Guitarseh]

Pressure Boys (early 1980's Chapel Hill ska band with hats and coats)

B&W publicity photo of them 'on the moon with Neil Armstrong' (They jumped over the railing onto a huge NASA moon landing exhibit) Classic.

How far do you live from the Air and Space Museum?

We're not far at all, thanks

MarkB

[seeker]

What's the name of the band? Do you want your image to be fun times (whoo hoo!), we're here to play and hope you enjoy, semi-serious, or very serious?

As adgc said, the A&S museum would have lots of opportunities for mostly the first two, and some of the later.

For another spot, there is the Hirschorn Museum, with lot's of indoor stuff, as well as outdoor sculptures.

For buliding imagery, there are a good number of distinctive buildings such as the Supreme Court. Or if you want to find some granite steps or railings those are everywhwere.

Heck, if you're lucky, and it's cold enough, stand on top of a steam grate. Homeless resident optional.

[Guitarseh]

What's the name of the band? Do you want your image to be fun times (whoo hoo!), we're here to play and hope you enjoy, semi-serious, or very serious?

As adgc said, the A&S museum would have lots of opportunities for mostly the first two, and some of the later.

For another spot, there is the Hirschorn Museum, with lot's of indoor stuff, as well as outdoor sculptures.

For buliding imagery, there are a good number of distinctive buildings such as the Supreme Court. Or if you want to find some granite steps or railings those are everywhwere.

Heck, if you're lucky, and it's cold enough, stand on top of a steam grate. Homeless resident optional.

Good ideas all. Name of the band is Chaotika. I guess semi-serious is right--we do a mix of kinda dark stuff plus some funny/quirky stuff.

Thanks,

Mark

[serial]

Um, so the Billy Squier satin sheet set is out, I guess.

[cmatthes]

It's still warm enough that you can wade into the Reflecting Pool fully clothed, eh?

You could also all climb up into ol' Abe's lap before security gets you.

[Steve Haynie]

If you can go into a pro photographer's studio and be photographed against a blank white background it will look more professional than any public space backdrop. The band will be the focus of the photo, not the setting. Wear your stage clothes and show your stage attitude. A pro photographer is worth the price if you are trying to stand out above the competition.

If you are trying to go with a friend and a good camera, have your picture taken on a good looking stage. Be sure to have better than normal lighting. You can plant your own people in front of the stage to make it look like a more enthusiastic crowd than normal. Find the best live band photos you can and imitate them.

[HamerHokie]

Re: brick walls...

Throw off expectations by photographing your band BUILDING a brick wall.

[MCChris]

FWIW this is my favorite band photo of all time (photo studio backdrop, band members caught in a candid moment):

[Jeff R]

What about "The Awakening" statue? Is that a site other bands have used?

Freaky statue

[robbie]

FWIW this is my favorite band photo of all time (photo studio backdrop, band members caught in a candid moment):

funny thing is, nearly 40 years later, if I saw a band photo of a new band today that looked just like that(outfits, hair & all) I would not flinch.

I agree with the candid moment comment. That is not always easy...

basically every band photo idea possible has been tried... but, get a white backgroud and in big black paint write "brick wall" on it... has that been done?

[polara]

+1 to what Mr. Steve H said above...

At the risk of sounding flip, if you'll spend thousands on gear, spend a few hundred on a great shooter. Do a bit of looking around and a pro photographer will have the ideas and eye and even gear to do it.

I'm not pitching this guy specifically. I just happen to know his work. Good example of how a pro can make all the difference.

http://zackarias.com/

[lonote049]

If you can go into a pro photographer's studio and be photographed against a blank white background it will look more professional than any public space backdrop. The band will be the focus of the photo, not the setting. Where your stage clothes and show your stage attitude. A pro photographer is worth the price if you are trying to stand out above the competition.

If you are trying to go with a friend and a good camera, have your picture taken on a good looking stage. Be sure to have better than normal lighting. You can plant your own people in front of the stage to make it look like a more enthusiastic crowd than normal. Find the best live band photos you can and imitate them.

A big +1. We just had photos taken by a professional photographer in his studio last Thursday. He spent about an hour and a half with us and the results were excellent.

[DaveL]

ditto on the friend with camera dealio...

BTW: some photographers who shoot bands REALIZE that bands have no

money so they might be able to work a deal (like maybe shoot the gig or

sitting for free, then sell you prints, or license an image). The guys on Craig's

list tend to be HACKS however you can find some talented people out there

pretty cheap.

[Stevieconlon]

I thought the Awakening was dismantled and moved.

[cmatthes]

Black and white with a vintage GTO can't hurt either...

As long as you've got the right photographer. :lol:

[seeker]

I thought the Awakening was dismantled and moved.

It's at the National Harbor, a newly opened gigaplex in MD:

Yeah, it looked much better at Haines Pt.

[Camstone]

Here's band photo we just did two weeks ago. This is on the inside cover of a CD that just went to the duplicator today. Woohoo!

The big boy in the back is "Tiny" our bass player. He's 21 and 6'8", doubles as our bouncer.

[Guitarseh]

ditto on the friend with camera dealio...

BTW: some photographers who shoot bands REALIZE that bands have no

money so they might be able to work a deal (like maybe shoot the gig or

sitting for free, then sell you prints, or license an image). The guys on Craig's

list tend to be HACKS however you can find some talented people out there

pretty cheap.

My sister-in-law is a semi pro photographer. We ended up spending a couple of hours at a local urban park that has lots of different interesting bits, getting all sorts of individual and group shots. Part of our problem is that we don't have much of a "look"--heck I don't even have a Les Paul --so something else in the pic needs to be interesting. She's done alot of shoots of my brother's band before, so she has some experience with it, although mostly she does the usual family/baby/school stuff. We'll see how it turns out. We may still want to get the studio photos as suggested, but at least we'll have some ideas from here and our own brainstorming to work from. Thanks for all the tips!

Mark

[polara]

Your local university (or better yet school of fine arts) might have some students who need a portfolio project. Sometimes they are very talented and into music. A pro shooter's day rate will be somewhere between $1200 and $2000, and they usually don't do less than a half-day charge but as noted above many will cut band deals.

If you're going to pay to do it right, it's a good time to consider your look. Get the haircuts and new boots, and sit down for 30 minutes to check out the looks of bands you admire. You don't have to suddenly fake some look, but it really helps the photo a lot if you don't look like you're randomly selected people from all over the world.

Unless of course it's a Village People tribute act.

[Steve Haynie]

The early Smashing Pumpkins looked like four random people chosen from a line of people waiting at a cash register-- no look. There was no way to tell what kind of music they played. The same seems true for a lot of Christian bands.