If dodging surfers while getting verbally abused, sprayed with booze, hit with things and spit on isn’t your idea of a good time, you should go back to watching Martha Stewart, needlepoint, or whatever it is that you do. And, whatever you do, do not go to a Mindless Self Indulgence concert.
I consider myself lucky whenever I’ve got a camera in my hands. That I’m able to photograph some of the most talented artists of our time and (even) get paid to do it is a huge blessing. And on some nights, I downright love every second of my work. These photos of Clint Mansell performing at The Church of Saint Paul the Apostle were the result of one of those nights. Continue reading
Months ago I had the pleasure of creating new photos for Emiko. Since then, images from the shoot have been used for everything from the social media, to the cover of her new single, to ads for her endorsements, and now the launch of her new website. Watching the timing and placement of each of the images over a series of months has a been great reminder that I’m not just creating pictures – I’m creating marketing material.
George Raab is one of the most highly regarded print makers in North America. His dramatic etchings of the Canadian wilderness have won him numerous awards and inclusion in over one hundred principal collections worldwide, as well as numerous private and public collections throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. I had the honor of photographing George in his Millbrook, Ontario studio over the Christmas holiday. Continue reading
DJ Melissa Nikita is a badass. She performs all over the world and, while I’m no expert, I’m fairly sure spinning tech-house with four turntables at once is crazy hard. I’ve known Melissa for years and while we’ve always want to shoot together, it never seemed like the right time or the right project. All that changed when she landed an endorsement from Denon DJ and the launch campaign for their new SC3900 Digital Turntable. Continue reading
I always find working with emerging artists very rewarding – there is so much new talent out there without the right photography. Months ago, the guys from Premonitions contacted me about shooting new promos for the release of their awesome debut EP – listen on Spotify, buy it on iTunes. The weeks before the shoot were filled with the usual; planning the look and feel, coordinating locations, and ironing out wardrobe. Then hurricane Sandy hit. Continue reading
I’ve been taking pictures professionally since 2006 and yet some of my favorite photos are still what I would consider happy accidents. This portrait of actor/stuntman Mark Smolinski was actually taken at a makeshift photo booth I’d set up at a friend’s wedding. Most of the photos I took that night are of the “I’m drunk and uninhibited” ilk, but Mark inspired something different when I looked through the viewfinder.
As much as I love my Instagram filters, there’s really no replacement for the magical, precious quality of real polaroid prints. On a recommendation from Allen Murabayashi, I scoured eBay for an old land camera. Two days, $75, and a trip to Radio Shack later, I had a working Polaroid 450 converted to use AAA batteries. So far, the 40 year-old camera has been an analog joy to use. Here are some of the shots that actually turned out my favorite photographs taken while in the catskills for Eddie Adams XXV. Continue reading
I’m celebrating my return to blogging with a new website template from my friends at Graph Paper Press bunch of new additions to my band portrait and concert photography portfolios, and a few of my favorite photos from M83‘s performance at the HARD festival in Toronto.
I get a lot of questions from artists about what they can expect from my promotional shoots. To get a small taste of what’s possible, visit my portfolio.
Here’s what’s typically included in my solo musician shoots:
The following additional options are also available:
Here’s one of my favorite shots from my recent shoot with Seether. This photo was taken amongst dozens of pianos that are being transformed into musical art installations as part of the Pop-up Pianos project. Pop-up Pianos is a public arts project founded by Sing For Hope that places pianos throughout the public spaces of New York City. The pianos, which can be played by anyone who passes, have been filling the NYC with music for years.
Sing for Hope is an amazing non-profit organization that mobilizes professional artists – from classical musicians to photographers to Broadway performers – in volunteer service programs that benefit schools, hospitals, and communities.
If you’re an artist interested in making a difference, you should definitely learn more about Sing for Hope and consider volunteering.
I admit it, whenever I pull a festival assignment I piss and moan with the best of them. The days are long, the gear is heavy, the food sucks, and something expensive always ends up covered in something cheap and sticky. Despite all this, there’s a rare and beautiful part of music that only exists at festivals, which is why I’ve attended The Bamboozle three years in a row.
The highlights of year’s lineup included Wiz Khalifa, Dashboard Confessional, Das Racist, New Found Glory, Travie McCoy, A Day to Remember, and a no-holds-barred (or is it no-bars-can-hold?) performance by none other than Lil Wayne.
Here’s a few of my favorite photos from The Bamboozle 2011. Continue reading
I had a great promo shoot with Neil Davis this weekend at Attic Studios. Over the course of the day, we shot 9 nine looks with 6 different lighting setups for Neil’s album cover and press kit. Check out the behind the scenes video and stay tuned for the finished images.
I love my job.
I was recently shot the legendary Mick Jones with Foreigner, a band whose music I’ve been listening to for literally my entire life. It’s hard to believe, but this year marks the 30th anniversary of Foreigner 4, the #1 album that in 1981, solidified the band’s place in rock’n'roll history. Foreigner celebrated the event with an intimate live show for some of their biggest fans. My assignment included portraits and live concert photography; here are a few of my fav’s from both halves. Continue reading
Strobist: Dynalite 2050 head with 30 degree grid above camera. SB-900 through the doorway camera right. SB-900 through curtains behing the band.
Even though I’d done several sets of promotional portraits for the New York metal band The Things They Carried. It wasn’t until last week that I got to see them perform live. Here are a few of my favorites from their show at Mercury lounge and a few portraits for good measure. Continue reading
I don’t know too many musicians, let alone eleven-piece bands, who are willing to spend an entire day shooting promos in the freezing cold. Enter EMEFE, an indie groove band from New York. I first met the guys at a wedding of all places. Other than the fact that there are eleven of them, two things immediately stood out; one, every member is extremely talented and two, they collectively kick some serious afrobeat ass.
As is typical for my band portraits, we worked together to nail down the creative direction in advance. If everyone isn’t on the same page on shoot day, it’s a colossal waste of time and money. Add to the mix temperatures in the low 30s and you’ve got yourself a downright mess. So, in order to maximize the number of looks and avoid frostbite, we planed the entire day from start to finish.
Here are a few of my favorites from our chilly promo shoot. Continue reading
My client, the beautiful and talented Molly Coogan, is making a music video for her new song “It Could Be.” She needs a little community help to get it done. I don’t always promote on behalf of my clients, but Molly’s idea of getting an old theater, dancers and shooting the entire thing in one continuous shot, is something I’d really like to see.
If you’re in a giving and curious mood, watch her pitch video and consider helping her bring it to life. Continue reading
I had the distinct pleasure of photographing Adele on the eve of the US release of her second album 21, which if you haven’t already, you should run out and buy right now
The sister duo, The Pierces charmed a packed house at Mercury lounge with their sassy lyrics and smooth folk melodies. I’d heard there was something special about Allison and Catherine Pierce and from where I was standing, all of the rumors were true – The Pierces have an effortless and endearing stage presence and a rare mix of beauty and talent. Continue reading
I caught up with the UK’s Pint Shot Riot mid-way through their 4-day/3-gig musical assault on New York City. These portraits were taken in The Studio at Webster Hall just a few minutes before the band went on. They look good big so click to see them larger.
The lead shot was taken with the Nikon D3 and the 50mm f/1.8 using ambient light only. The room was lit by an overhead fixture and a single tungsten floor lamp that provided a nice edge light on Rob, the band’s lead guitarist. I would have loved another lamp for an even edge light on the right side of the image, but when you’ve only got a few minutes, you make due with what’s at hand. More photos and notes after the break. Continue reading
I caught up with August Burns Red at the NYC stop on the 2010 AP Tour. I’d photographed the band’s double-header at the same venue in April, and even though it had only been a few months, it was amazing to see the guys soar to new heights in terms of their stage presence and sheer mob scene of fans they’re drawing.
The band put on an absolutely bone-crushing set for a sold-out crowd that was, at times, completely out of hand. I took more than a few licks in the pit during this one, but I’ve got some serious love for these guys so I’m happy to post this extended photo set. Continue reading
Here’s a quick one from my shoot with the legendary Doobie Brothers earlier in the week. It’s hard to believe that Tom, John and Pat have been rocking it for 120 years combined and they’re still absolutely killing it on stage. I was simply astounded by their performance and delighted to work with such truly nice guys.
Lighting diagram after the jump with the full set and shooting notes to follow.
Duffy photographed in New York City, November 2010. (photo by Chris Owyoung)
My short portrait session with the lovely Duffy was originally scheduled for 4:45pm which, during November in NYC, is the perfect time for flattering golden hour sunlight. The only problem is that the shoot didn’t take place until 6:00pm – well after sundown. With no time to change locations or set up lights, I was forced to take a shot in the dark (literally).
The exposure for this photo was a setting I usually reserve for concert shooting – ISO1600 and 1/100 using Nikon’s new 85mm wide open at f/1.4. Duffy is lit by ambient light only with a New York City street lamp serving as the key light. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, I’m pleased with how the shot turned out.
More portraits and favorites from soundcheck and the concert shoot after the jump.
Linkin Park photographed backstage at Best Buy Theater in Times Square (photo © chris owyoung)
So I happened to be wearing a Linkin Park t-shirt from the band’s 2008 Projekt Revolution tour when the request to photograph the release concert for the band’s fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns, hit my inbox. And while I refrained from, as my editor suggested “wearing the shirt to the assignment to have it autographed,” I was definitely psyched to have the chance to work closely with a band whose music I’ve been following for over a decade.
I photographed the guys both back stage and during the concert with special effort put towards executing a portrait that involved abstract digital art projected over the band.
The following are some of my favorite shots from the assignment along with the shooting notes. Continue reading
Bon Jovi photographed in Tribeca, New York City, 2010 (photo by Chris Owyoung)
I caught up with Bon Jovi for a quick shoot before one of their New York gigs in September. I shot on-set stills during the band’s video interview, portraits and the concert (of course).
I had less than 10 minutes for the portrait shoot – which may not sound like a lot – but as I’ve experienced time and time again, luck favors the prepared. I spent roughly three minutes on a few standard guys-against-a-wall shots before moving into the main event in the back of the band’s touring trailer.
If you’re not familiar with trailers it’s important to note that most of them don’t have two beautiful rows of skylights built into them. Luckily for me, this was Bon Jovi’s trailer and the skylights turned what would otherwise be a dirty cave into the perfect place to spend my remaining minutes. Continue reading
