I had the chance to photograph a Dallas-area band called Chameleon Chamber group for the cover of Quick. They do this classical meets outer space sort of thing. Kind of like the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey performed by The Flaming Lips. It’s really interesting!
The group dresses up and performs in these wild outfits, including Mozart-era powdered wigs. I was pleased with the shoot, and I’ve received some pretty good feedback from viewers/readers that have seen the current issue.
I love photographing bands. There is so much room to just go crazy with the images. If there’s a hint of punk rock in the band’s performance, I try to exploit that energy. If there is a bit of goofiness, I crank it up to insanity.
You can really take a band and “turn it up to eleven” so to speak. Any sort of characteristic they display can be boosted and amplified in the photos. That sort of “push it over the edge” mentality is what makes the band photos work. I think if you don’t go all out with musicians and artists, they run the risk of looking very normal. I think rock stars need to be idolized a bit, so normal should be the LAST thing you capture.