Unique Band Portrait Shoot With Hero Jr

The goal: create a band portrait using BULB mode

The catch: the session had to be completed in 30 minutes

These are my kind of sessions. Show up. Get to it. Create images. Or as Hero Jr would say: #sometimesyoujustgottagiveitthebusiness

A little back story before we jump into the images. Ken (the guitarist) and I struck up a conversation on the Friday before while they were playing at Short Branch Saloon. We planned to do a shoot the following Saturday in-between their 5pm load in and sound check at Gibson Music Hall in Appleton . With the tight time schedule the session had to be dialed in so that they’d have enough time before their 7 pm show time.

It helped that these guys have totally had my ear since I first saw them at Mile of Music in 2014. Their musical style is straight to the point rock'n'roll music. Great grooves, great guitar and great vocals. They know how they want to sound and they don't mess around about it. Based off of their sound and look I knew the images I wanted to create and the types of looks I was going for. With that said, I had one photo in mind that I was dead set on creating and planned on improvising group and individual portraits after that.

My Photographer’s Supplies List For The Shoot

Like I said, there was no time to muck about if I was going to capture the images I wanted. Here is what I brought and how the break down of the session.

1 50mm lens
1 camera
3 speedlights
30 minutes and 10 seconds
51 exposures
8 selected images

Hero Jr Group Portrait Using BULB Shutter Mode

This is the image that I knew I was going to shoot. It was taken in the front area of Gibson Music Hall. They have a garage door with windows that face College Ave in Downtown Appleton.

The photo was taken one band member at a time. I had the camera set to BULB shutter mode (which means the shutter stays open until I tell it to close). I had Dave (bassist, left) stand in spot and I moved pivoted the camera so he was on the left of the frame. I opened the shutter, popped the flash then covered the lens up with my Brewers hat... Next Ryan stood in place, I spun the camera to shift his position on the frame, removed my hat, popped the flash... repeat for Evan and Ken.

It took 6 attempts of this choreography/photography (as Evan dubbed it during the shoot). The first three shots used a different background, before I decided to just turn to the street and let the street lights fill in the shadows. One image resulted in Ken and Evan merging into one person... named Kevan.

I almost got away without needing to use "PHOTOSHOP"... since Dave is a guy who wears a black shirt and a black jacket, with long dark hair and a big dark beard he was quickly hidden by Ryan's plaid in this shot. He looked like a floating head made only of cheek bones, a nose, eyes and a forehead... so I grabbed a throwaway shot of Dave and gave the guy an essence of a neckline.

Slow Shutter Portraits

Another method I used on this shot is a slow shutter combined with a flash. It allows for motion and travel in an image, but also sharp focus and desired exposure on your subjects.

Classic Rock Band Photos

The alley behind Gibson Music Hall made the perfect setting to finish the session and capture more “traditional” band photos.

The band was great to work with. I really like the photos we got in the quick, condensed, impromptu style shoot.

Using Artistic Photography Techniques for Portraits

I never like to assume, but I’m going to assume that when most of you think “portraits” the types of portraits you just saw don’t spring to mind. For most, myself included, the word portrait typically brings to mind a more straight forward image. Whether for a group or individual portrait, I like to use these advanced photography techniques because the photo comes to life in a much more intimate way. There’s depth, movement, emotion, and a real connection with your subject because you have to see beyond what you’re seeing.

Before I get to philosophical, I’ll leave it there and hopefully give you something to mull over. As always, thanks for stopping by.

You can find out more about my portrait work here.