Sean Kennedy

Sean Kennedy is an up and coming Scottish singer-songwriter with whom I did a shoot last summer (you can read about it here). The results of that first session ended up on the cover of his debut EP "Love Don't Live Here" (as seen here) and I was looking forward to working with him again. This time it was an indoors shoot and we used Contrast Studio in Glasgow's city centre. Since the studio we used had plenty of natural light and it was a beautiful, late spring evening (something you don't get in Glasgow that often) we decided to split the shoot into 2 sections - one for shots with available light only and another using studio lighting. Huge thanks to Laurabelle, my light assistant supreme.

Stella Bartram

I've recently found myself being asked to do more and more fitness-oriented photoshoots. It's quite ironic, really, given my close-to-none interest in sport - I used to do yoga and pilates and now swim regularly but that's more to do with me turning 30 some time ago and desperately trying to rip my body from Mr. Gravity's persistent hands rather than any competitiveness or huge desire to be fit. Still, I found photographing athletes very interesting and quite different from the usual portraiture sessions. Apart from the technical aspects (lighting to emphasise the physique, etc) there's definitely more awareness of one's body and posture as well as confidence that come with a lifetime of training and making a living out of being fit. First fitness-oriented shoot I did was for the 2011 Ladies Handball Team Calendar but apart from the subject matter itself I wouldn't say these pictures could necessarily be classified as fitness ones. In terms of light and set up this was really a portraiture session which was meant to capture 13 beautiful girls who happened to be handball players. I wasn't trying to highlight how toned their bodies were or such. Things were different however, when the fantastic Neo Marketing send Stella Bartram my way. We had several meetings to discuss the concept and feel of the images she was looking for and after each of them I'd spend hours scratching my head, reading articles about fitness photography and considering cancellation (not necessarily in that order). Sometimes though, you just have to bite the bullet and that's what I did.

That first session with Stella Bartram happened a couple of years ago, we both enjoyed the experience, the images have been very well received and we have been talking about doing another photoshoot ever since. She's a very busy lady however (what with running her fitness empire, whipping celebrities into shape and promoting healthy lifestyle in general) and it wasn't until this February that both of us found the time to get some pictures taken. Rainbow Room International very kindly agreed to let us use their space as well as take care of Stella's hair for the 2 different looks we envisioned, I had my lighting assistant extraordinaire Laurabelle by my side and off we went.

We are already planning another session, something a bit more gritty perhaps. In the meantime though, I managed to catch Miss Bartram doing what she does best - training. I was asked to take some pictures of Stella's Metabolic Mayhem workout in aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research UK at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow. It was a beautiful albeit rather chilly early spring morning, people turned up in dozens and I got to witness firsthand why the Bartram brand is so successful:

I certainly know where to head once I start losing the battle with Mr. Gravity and some laps in the pool won't be enough to keep my butt from hitting the ground anymore!

2012 Revisited

OK, I realise that it may be a bit late for 2012 summaries but we've already established that I'm constantly behind with this blogging malarkey so there's really no reason to dwell on my shortcomings any further :-). It was a pretty intense year for me both personally and professionally but also a very rewarding one. Here's a collage of some my favourite shots from the past 12 months:

And since next to photography music is another huge passion of mine (and I get to work with quite a few musicians) I thought it would only be fair to compile a list of my favourite albums and songs from 2012. It's something I do every year cause a) I enjoy making lists; b) it's interesting to revisit these choices in a couple of years and see which of these albums/songs stood the test of time. Here is my 2012 selection (in no particular order):

SONGS:

Madonna Love Spent

Jessie Ware Wildest Moments

Frank Ocean Forrest Gump

M.I.A. Bad Girls

Usher Climax

Miguel Adorn

Solange Losing You

Macklemore Thrift Shop

Elle Varner Only Wanna Give It To You (feat. J. Cole)

Big Boi Apple of My Eye

ALBUMS:

Solange True EP

Miguel Kaleidoscope Dream

Madonna MDNA

Jessie Ware Devotion

Frank Ocean Channel ORANGE

The Weeknd Trilogy

Kindess World, You Need a Change of Mind

Bobby Womack The Bravest Man in the Universe

Horse

Ugh... It's been way too long since I've written anything but trust me, it's not for the lack of trying. It's March already and I don't even know what happened to February, let alone January. 2013 started off with a bang and it just keeps going. OK, I admit I have no clue what that's supposed to mean but it's late, I'm tired and my brain is fried so bear with me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've been extremely busy and thus neither had the time nor the energy to write anything. Some people blog all the time and make it seem effortless. Well, I'm not one of those people. There are quite a few different projects I would like to let you know about but this time I'm just going to mention a very special live event I was asked to photograph. Horse McDonald played the legendary Barrowlands in Glasgow last night accompanied by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (conducted by Sally Herbert). The gig was flawless, electric and it was an absolute honour to have the opportunity to work alongside such talented people:

As it happens, it wasn't the first time I worked with Horse. Last year we went with her band to Strachur to take some promotional images for the new album Home. It was a horrible day, most of the shoot was outdoors and it was raining but I somehow remember it very fondly and, more importantly, we managed to get some decent shots in the end:

One of the main reasons the Strachur shoot is remembered so fondly by all involved is the hospitality with which we were received. The very talented Jacqueline Orr (whose paining is used on the cover of Horse's new album) was our host for the day and not only did she hold an umbrella over us when needed but also treated everyone to the most speculator feast - leg of lamb, champagne, wine, dessert, cheese, the works! This should be the rider for my photoshoots from now on: it's either lamb or I keep the lens cap on - blame Jacqueline! ;-)

So that's that, first post of the year. Don't know if I should feel celebratory or embarrassed that it took me so long but here we are. Happy 2013 to all of you.

Miss Jackson and The Getaway Driver

Had an extremely productive Sunday for a change - finally managed to sort out that mountain of paperwork I've been moaning about for months! Kind of had to be done, really, as I'm moving flat soon and wasn't prepared to take that burden with me to the new place... Anyways, I thought I'd do a bit of a flashback post this time around and write about a project I was involved in earlier on this year, before I started this blog. I mentioned Jill Jackson a couple of times here (for those unfamiliar with Jill, she's the hot ex-frontwoman for Speedway), I've photographed her on numerous occasions over the past few years and I always enjoy working with her and her team but there was something particularly special about the "Getaway Driver" album project.

We started with a small promo shoot in January. It took place in an abandoned warehouse situated above a fishmongers so not only it was freezing cold but it stank of fish as well. We had a 90s R&B playlist to keep us going however and Jill soldiered on:

Later that month I went into the recording studio with Jill and her band (Lisa Tring, Fraser John Lindsay, Lorna Thomas and Johnny MacKinnon) to document the process of making the album. I love music as much as I love photography so I'm like a kid in a candy store whenever I get a chance to be involved in such ventures. Norman Blake (of Teenage Fanclub fame) can also be seen in a few shots here:

When all that was done it was time to shoot the album and single cover. We used a vintage Mercedes sitting in an Arnold Clark warehouse in Glasgow (previously on display at the Transport Museum apparently). Apart from it being ridiculously cold (recurring theme it seems) the shoot itself was pretty uncomplicated - all natural/available light, a reflector and one very cool lady:

Jill Jackson, "Getaway Driver" Single Cover

Jill Jackson, "Getaway Driver" Album Cover

The cover artwork was designed by The Print Box in Glasgow and the album was eventually released in May. It's probably one of my favourite records of 2012 - I may be biased, I admit, but I'll stick by it! In fact, my friends and I loved one of the tracks so much we decided to shoot our own music video to it. Heavily influenced by ABBA and late 70s kitsch in general, it involved a lot of wigs, cut out disco balls, sequined accessories, dancing and, inevitably, fizzy! The fact that MTV Video Music Awards ignored it in this year's selection is beyond me: Drag On The Line

Right, is this a long post or what? I think the subject matter was worthy though! Next time I promise something brand spanking new. Cheerio till then! PS. For my other work with Jill Jackson feel free to have a look in this gallery.

The artist & the photographer