I AM A ROCKET SCIENTIST (photos updated Tuesday 3/27 @ 9:30pm CT)
Here are some photos from my shoot with belmondos the other night. They were kind enough to give me a spot of time before they went on to perform at The Tonic Room.
As usual with a shoot like this– we had no shot list or plan. I appreciated in total that the belmondos trusted me as an artist. For a setting, I used what we had within a 30 second walking distance from the stage they’d be performing on very shortly. I arrived a few minutes early to have a look around– and found plenty of beautiful backdrops that I knew would provide some beautiful texture. I was especially gleeful when I turned the corner from the bar and saw a wall I’d seen thousands of times before– a wall covered with a flaking mural of a quaint urban street. Though in reality it’s rather faded– I knew I could bring back the color later (or of course leave it faded– or desaturate it even more). There’s nothing like the happy accident. If I’d planned the shoot– I would have probably chosen a socation I knew well in an attempt to be conservative with everyone’s time, but– having to shoot with unexpected circumstances almost always pays off with…the good unexpected.
These guys were so fun to work with. We all hit a comfortable stride at the first moment. These guys were focused and fun, open to all ideas– and it took us a half an hour from start to finish. And– I love their music.
the other night, I could hear Benton Harbor Lunchbox hard at practice in the basement next door. I dropped everything and picked up flash-and-camera and knocked on Tom’s door. they were kind enough to lend their mugs for an impromptu portrait session at the wall. no prep, makeup, or forethought. just the photos…
now to get the other two members– and we’ll have an honest to goodness shoot…