How to become a recognized musician?
To become an accomplished musician, you need to find opportunities to perform on stage, either solo or in a group, during small or large-scale performances. But before stepping onto the stage, you need to gain visibility and convince others of your professionalism. How can you convince without high-quality photography?
Selections made by programmers, studios, or event agencies rely on the visual and personal identity you project.
Your appearance won’t make you a better musician. However, a great profile picture, an appealing poster for your upcoming concerts, or a website that showcases you will undoubtedly set you apart from other musicians.
What is a great photo?
Everything is subjective in art! Photography included! If there were a magic formula for art, there would be no art. Asking this question is like asking: “What makes a piece of music a good piece?”
No one really knows; there are a few conventions to follow. But nothing is very clear or allows anyone to predict whether a photo or a piece of music will be successful. The idea of what makes a photo great is subjective. The image and the emotions it evokes differ from one person to another. The context of its use is also a factor to consider. It’s not just the beauty of a photograph that matters, but also its framework and purpose. Some photographs are designed to sell a product, others to illustrate a point, or to preserve a memory of an event.
For an artist, the goal is to highlight yourself, a project, or an artistic concept.
Differentiating between stage photography and portrait photography
What do we mean by stage photography?
Stage photographs are all the photos taken during a concert. They showcase your stage presence, the energy, and the commitment you display. They can also reveal your musical style through your clothing, the stage you perform on, the energy you exude, etc. However, they are not as representative of an identity as portrait photos.
These photos can help convince others of the quality of your stage performance, but for a more creative context aimed at an artistic project, you need to turn to portrait photography.
Portrait photography
Portrait photographs are often taken in a studio or in an environment related to what you wish to represent. They don’t necessarily reflect who you are in real life, but rather who you are as an artist or a group.
Typically, each new album by an artist is associated with a new visual universe that is expressed through photographs, a website, a music video, or on stage. These photographs are essential for communication and presenting yourself.
Photos for Daniela Padrón and Olga López’s album LATAM by Amanda Smith
An example with the album LATAM by Daniela Padrón, violinist, and Olga López, pianist and Daniela’s mother. These photos were taken by photographer Amanda Smith. Her shots were used for the album cover and the general promotion of the tour. The goal was to bring mother and daughter together on a shared album reflecting their Venezuelan heritage and to represent the parental bond uniting them.
Photos to present the 3Dvarius and its creator by Thomas Tetu
A second example with photos by Thomas Tetu, who took the very first photos of Laurent Bernadac and his first 3Dvarius. In this case, the goal was to create photographs highlighting the 3Dvarius and its creator for use across dozens of communication platforms: media publications, websites, press kits, events, etc.
How to take this type of photography?
Hiring a professional photographer
A photographer inevitably has expertise in shooting, framing, lighting techniques, etc. They have equipment that allows them to produce high-quality images.
Many photographic effects are not easily achievable without proper equipment. You need to master techniques like aperture and shutter speed to, for example, achieve a blurred background or perfect sharpness in low-light conditions. You didn’t become a musician overnight, so you’ll understand that you won’t become a photographer in a few hours.
Indeed, hiring a photographer will cost you some money, but you’ll get a high-quality result! A photo session in a studio or outdoors won’t break the bank. Sure, nothing is free! But don’t forget that it will allow you to walk away with stunning photos! Each of these photos can enhance your social media, website, biography, technical rider, etc. And even adorn your mom’s bedside table 😉
Where to find a photographer capable of doing this?
You’ve probably met photographers at your concerts, or you have musician friends who have already done photo sessions with one. Ask around; there’s bound to be a photographer capable of taking these photos.
Taking your own photographs
If you prefer to go it alone, it’s important to find a camera that can do the job and to have someone with knowledge of shooting techniques or a keen, artistic eye.
Your smartphone may give you the impression of taking great photos. It’s designed mainly for landscapes, but it’s limited in terms of customizing settings to achieve, for example, a blurred background. Even though the latest smartphones offer tremendous possibilities, they remain limited.
Try to borrow a good camera with one or two lenses if possible. Ideally, a lens designed for portraits. The 50mm lenses with a wide aperture (preferably f/2.8 or f/1.8) are often recommended.
If, unfortunately, a phone is the only device available, then do some tests before the big day. Try different things to achieve a slight background blur. This helps focus the viewer’s attention on the subject of the photo. To do this, position the subject at different distances, explore the phone’s settings, etc. Also, think about the type of framing and composition of the photo. This will somewhat compensate for the artistic possibilities achievable with professional cameras.
A few ideas to implement
Here are some framing ideas and key points to put into practice.
Focus on the eyes
The eyes are often the key to a photograph. This is especially true if there’s only one artist in the shot. If no visual element stands out, the eyes can change everything and give meaning to a photograph. The subject’s eyes don’t necessarily have to look at the camera. They can be directed at any other element.
Blur the background
If the background is irrelevant to the defined artistic project, it’s better to blur it and keep sharpness on the main subject. This is essential to stay focused on the main element of the shot: the artist or the group. To achieve this, you need to play with the lens aperture (f/2.8 is a good option).
Avoid wide angles except in specific cases
Wide-angle lenses have been popular in recent years. They’re great for capturing beautiful landscapes. But for portraits, they’re not ideal. Unless the main idea is to highlight the artist or group in a specific space.
Frame to fill the space
Framing is also one of the keys. Perhaps the most important? If the surrounding space is uninteresting, a centered frame on the subject is important. Creative framings can also make sense. When it comes to framing, anything goes!
Manage lighting
If the shoot is outdoors, avoid shooting in the middle of the day, in the height of summer, under direct sunlight… It’s the worst idea ever! Strong light will overexpose faces, and the photos won’t turn out well. In this case, it’s better to wake up early to shoot during the golden hour. The golden hour is the short period following sunrise or preceding sunset. The light is warmer and softer, so shadows are less harsh, making it easier to highlight the subject.
If the shoot is indoors, good lighting is essential to highlight the subject. A single bulb won’t really give you satisfactory results. A flash can also help illuminate the subject’s face if used correctly. It needs to be oriented properly to avoid overexposing the face. Sometimes, it’s necessary to soften the flash’s light.
Many violinists owning a Prism play with the lights and modes offered by this electric violin.
Play with body position and possibly the instrument
The subject can be standing, sitting, or adopt any other body position. If it’s a musician, what better way than to let them pose with their instrument? This opens up more framing possibilities and, therefore, more photographic opportunities.
Ask the model to perform
For the shots to be successful, the models need to be actively involved in the project. They should feel comfortable and play along with the photographer through expressions, gazes, body positions, smiles, bursts of laughter… The photographer must find the right words to make them feel at ease and encourage their participation. Then, the photographer needs to press the shutter at the right moment to capture the perfect instant!
Create a collage of multiple photos
When photographing a group, it’s sometimes tricky to capture the faces of all five musicians at the right moment. Their best smiles don’t always happen at the same time. In this case, plan ahead for a possible collage of multiple photos where you can select the best pose for each musician.
How to prepare for a shoot? And where to do it?
Define the purpose of these photos
Before any shoot, you absolutely need to know what these photos will be used for. Are they for an album cover? For publication in magazines? Or to illustrate your biography?
This reflection on the use of the photographs is essential to explain your needs to the photographer. They need to fully understand what you want to align as closely as possible with your expectations: bright, dark, colorful shots, etc.
Choose a location
Once your needs are clear, it’s necessary to choose a location for the shoot. This can be in a studio or outdoors. The location must be decided before the big day. Otherwise, you’ll spend an hour looking for the right spot and then run out of time for the photos.
Whether indoors or outdoors, try to find a location that suits you or decorate the space with objects. Don’t limit yourself to portrait-style shots; play with the space.
Select one or more outfits
Also think about your outfit. You can have several and change on-site. If the photos are for an album, find an outfit that matches the album’s theme.
Bring accessories
Take your musical instruments if they’re easily portable. For a drummer, skip the drum kit, but bring the sticks. Once again, try to find ideas that align with the theme of the album or tour.
Determine the shoot’s schedule
Pay close attention to the timing of the shoot. If possible, take advantage of the golden hours to benefit from the soft light they provide.
Depending on the chosen location, also consider the position of the sun. You don’t want to be disappointed on the day of the shoot because the sun is completely hidden behind a mountain when you get there.
Sources and images: 3Dvarius, Amanda Smith, Thomas Tetu, Eric Galindo, Katariina Salmi, Géraldine Puel, Oh Story, Javier Bragado, Paolo Dirito
