“Ladies and gentlemen”
Then I heard my name.
I stepped up onto the stage and into the lighting. My old beat-up bar chair I only used for gigs was stage center surrounded by five guitars and two mics. My guitar pedals lay at my feet as I sat down.
“Hotter than a firecracker in here” I said to the few hundred people crowding the bar.
I heard the amplifier hum get louder as I turned up the sunburst semi-hollow Epiphone guitar. The slide I wear on my pinky found the aching blues note at the harmonic 12th fret and hung in the air for a little too long. The sustaining note faded as the tension grew around the burbling sound of the people talking amongst themselves. The first riff growled through the amp and the deep thump from my foot stomping the stage raised a few whoops from the audience. I felt good now. This was my first full length solo gig. A challenge at the best of times. It went pretty well and I have fond memories.
Sometimes you have to hold yourself accountable to your dreams. That gig was supposed to be with a bass player but he cancelled. I was nervous to do it on my own but I enjoy playing. It was my dream of my twenties to be a musician.
The thing about experiences like that is they test our abilities and our creativity together to produce a cohesive result.
My last shoot I did with a talented photographer (www.instagram.com/upperlimitimaging) and model; Larissa Angharada. Larissa is extraordinary and a method model if such a thing exists. Like a method actor, she can melt into a concept. The idea was “Betty Draper being photographed by Helmut Newton but today with retro sets”.
How the fuck do I even start with creating that set let alone produce work like his? When I thought about it, he was a fashion photographer that had a signature look. He also had his famous subject matter of sexuality and fashion. Of using skin to make as much a statement as the clothing. The choice of strong female subjects.
So I thought in three ways. Firstly, cinematic early 70’s in a modern movie by the Cohen brothers. Notice I was shooting at eye level to increase the cinematic look and intimacy.
Secondly, fashion but with easy Newton references such as the saddle. I shot from a lower angle to give a sense of dominance and being looked down on.
Thirdly, as if I were trying to show how his work influences me. Heavily influenced but not copies. Similar editing to emulate the film Newton used a lot. Trying to produce a piece of work and a photograph.
What I see in these images now isn’t Helmut Newton. I wish I had enough of a style that people would recognize my work when they see it but I don’t see copies of other work. Also when I look at each style, I prefer the final one. I like the cinematic look and the fashion inspired but I think the final set is the most visually intriguing.
Thanks and look out for next months B&W Republik magazine featuring the shoot with Riley Jade I recently talked about.
Also, I’m averaging 100 readers now which is amazing, thank you!
www.instagram.com/angharada.model
www.instagram.com/robinburchphotographic
www.instagram.com/republikmagazine