Visual Audio

Initially the thought of capturing music visually seems like a pointless task. The audio qualities are what defines music, so how could we take a picture of something you can't see? 

Every day music surrounds us, and although you cannot get the entire musical experience through the sense of sight alone, there are visual aspects of music which are just as important. For example, when you go to a concert, the stage and the lighting play are planned out and play a tremendous role in the live experience...

M U S E

 

P A R A M O R E

Most bands have professional photographers to capture their spontaneous concert moments and live performances such as this.I like this picture because Hayley is off to the right side of the picture with the blue and purple lights and then the crowd in the bottom half and the rest of the concert hall in the upper half tie the picture together for me. There is no empty space in this picture to me and I think the photographer did a great job of harnessing Paramore's live fan interaction in one picture. I do wish maybe the rest of the band was in this photograph, but I know there are probably dozens more which do include them. This particular one really stood out to me, with the lights and Hayley on the far right. 

Often musicians will also have portraits taken for things such as albums, posters, or any other promotional advertising they may do. They are all very different and each depends on the musician, their music style and ultimately personal preference. Professional photographs are carefully planned and can have a lot to say about the band or artist. Music and musicians are more versatile and unique than I could ever capture in this one blog post, but just for a little taste...

W E E Z E R

(They are known for their simplistic album covers -mostly a solid color background and the four of them standing shoulder to shoulder, titled in accordance as "The Green Album", Blue, Red, and Pink. Their portraits keep the same trend.)

A N I   D I F R A N C O 

I N C U B U S

T E G A N   A N D   S A R A

(The lighting in this picture is what takes it from being an ordinary photography to something a little more interesting. They are the only object of focus because there is no background and nothing else to distract the viewer besides the shadows. The photographer made a point to light their faces, but in this case it is obvious that the shadows were 100% intentional. The choice to leave some areas of the girls in the dark shows -at least t0 me- that they try to be different in their appearance as well as in their music and sound and they aren't afraid to push what is considered "the norm"- in every aspect of what they produce.)

T HE   G O R I L L A Z

An entirely digitally-operated band. They have these animated characters in all their pictures and even music videos as if they have lives and creativity of their own and the music came from these four individuals pictured below. Stepping outside the box and still being outrageously successful.

I love the versatility!!! There is no right or wrong way, and especially with camera and photo-editing advancements in the past decade, there is pretty much no limit anymore to how a band can choose to represent themselves visually. 

So with the increasing options for photographers (cameras alone have become advanced beyond imagination...), graphic designers, photo-editors and whoever else is behind the production of such images, we are hardly ever presented with an image that is out of focus, over/under exposed, dull in color or just poor quality unless specifically intended to be that way. I do think professional photography and editing is very much to thank for the a band's fan base and the people who identify with them. It is hard to compete with these photographers because not only are they professionals with the top-notch, newest and most expensive equipment, but they are given access where most of do not have the opportunity to take pictures. I could never have been between the front row and the stage to take a picture such as this: 

Love this picture. Rule of thirds big time. I'm sure you could say there's too much light coming from the background, but I think it works because they are not silhouettes and you still get all the color and action of the moment. To me it is bright and lively and it gives me the concert experience all in one picture.

More to come.