Got a band shoot coming up, need some advice...

bdavis

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I just got booked to shoot this up and coming local area band called Smoking Blindfolded. I was talking to one of the guys and asking them if they had any ideas about where they would like to be photographed. Since they are a rock/grunge group, I was thinking of something old, industrial, maybe some alleyway or near a brick building, but the guy said they wanted to be in front of a smokestack or something like that to reference the "Smoking" aspect of their bands name.

The thing is, there aren't any smokestacks around and the ones that I can find are for a Bridgestone tire plant and it wont be a suitable location because its all fenced in and guarded.

Does anyone else have any ideas? What should I tell the band?
 
I see that you have some flashes, can you trigger them wirelessly? If you can't find what they're looking for, improvise! Associate anything that has to do with smoke. Buy some of those transparent binder dividers from any office store and you can use them as flash gels. Rent or buy a smoke machine and place it in the background and point the gelled flash towards to the smoke to create an ominous feel to the background while your subjects are lit from your other flash. You'll probably have to shoot at narrow apertures and near full power to severly underexpose your background. That's the first thing that popped up into my head...

You could ask them what word or thought directly represents thier band. It doesn't even have to do with smoke. If they're trying to project an 'image' or 'style', then go with that. I've seen hundreds of promo shots that are based directly off a certain genre instead of the band's personality...Imo, it's very distasteful.

I say just have a session where you sit down with the band and spend an hour or so a day before the shoot and brainstorm. Take notes and get into it. Good luck!
 
I was actually planning on shooting this Zack Arias style with one light. I was going to use my 17-50mm f/2.8 and get a low angle while shooting my SB-800 through my umbrella with some industrial stuff in the background. However, the ideas you mentioned gave me some ideas. Where could I rent a smoke machine? How would I use it outside without the smoke blowing away? lol
 
Why not have a look at Lyncca's thread over here --> Smoke Art

Perhaps something layering that type of effect with some band shots might suit.
 
Sorry but thats not really the direction I want to go. I dont really want to use photoshop and "make" my image.
 
I was hoping for ideas about places to shoot. I really dont want to rely on photoshop at this stage in the game. Since I'm an amateur at this, I would really like to focus and build up my photography and lighting skills. I'm still working on building a portfolio so I would actually like to fill it with some editorial-style on-location shots.
 
Looks like you may be going for a ride and just looking around. It is amazing what you can find if you look. Now, no, you may not find a smoking stack somewhere, but you maybe could find a place that would give you the urban grafitti look that you may be able to tak advantage of. That and a $40 rental of a smoke machine and you could have some magic, maybe?

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^ see thats the kind of shots I want. I would love to find a good location that would mix well with the grungy rock that this band produces. I never thought of graffiti, great idea. I actually think I might know a location that works for this. Guess my saturday mornings going to be spent driving around downtown with several cups of coffee lol.

I also have another random question, I'm not too sure about posing the band members, can someone give me some tips from their experiences?
 
With or without insturments?

Studio4Fun - a set on Flickr

You should find a few ideas here. BTW, don't mirror ideas you see... a photoshoot is like painting... no 2 should look alike, and each one has ideas that come from inside you that make them yours.

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Don't be afraid to have fun!

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This is where compositing skills really come in handy. I do this sometimes and it's a real life saver. It takes some good preparation and detailed notes but if you do it right you can shoot your band in front of a neutral background and them shoot you smoke stack later on using your reference points and notes and build a perfect shot in PS.

Sometimes that's what you have to do, PS is not evil, it's a tool like anything else. Your client wants a certain shot, how you produce the shot is up to you. One of the best commercial photographer's in the US composites tons of work, his Nike images are great. :thumbup:
 
Just a thought......

Is there a landfill or metal scrapeyard or a 'you take it off' auto salvage yard in operation nearby? I'm thinking some great B&W shots could come of it.
 
I did some location scouting this weekend and I couldnt find any accessible smokestacks. However, I did find some old brick buildings, abandoned loading docks, rusty corrugated metal sheds and things like that to go along with the grungy rock theme. I'm proposing those ideas to the band for some initial shots.


Also, I have another question, what about a model release? Do I need one? I'm assuming yes. I would really like to maintain the original rights to the photographs but license the band to use them for commercial/promotional purposes...if that makes any sense. Can someone tell me how I would get a model release for something like this?
 
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Two words:

Smoke Bombs.

They are cheap, can be found at even the lamest of fireworks stands/stores, and can even let out various colors of smoke.
 

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