Being a photographer

19th March 2020

I often feel like being a photographer is more about moving furniture and making decisions. From research and development to marketing and admin…taking the actual picture is such a small element. It is though, one of utter joy that everything else builds up to. Like a footballer scoring a goal.

When Matthew assigned me to take his portrait he talked a lot about how to capture him as more than a piano player. Yes he played, but often it was about the struggle with the notes, the battle with the music, the reflecting and composing of his mood.
We talked about location and after attempting a music hall I suggested shooting on my roof with a backdrop. Pigeon decided to run wild for four hours with eyes like saucers as we navigated the colorama in the ferocious wind.
Due to it being a second shoot I had planned meticulously each idea for the frames, which outfit would suit which backdrop and how the exposures would marry together.
It’s always a struggle to teleport an idea from my head to someone else but after revealing the images I think Matthew understood what I was attempting.
The images aim to suggest the complication of playing and the varied states of his passion. I tried to build shapes through movement and tone.
I love these commissions as they allow true creative freedom, collaboration and a challenge. oao x