The Band

Got a big week ahead.  Actually, it's already started.  Today I got to shoot for a CD inner with one of my favourite Dunedin bands, The Chaps.  They kind of defy description musically, but think four guys able to play just about any stringed instrument between them, and a few others that involve squeezing, slapping or blowing.  The instruments that is, I can't speak for what goes on backstage, but I know Hyram owns a goat. There's a smattering of material in the flavour of John Hiatt and Taj Mahal in their repertoire, as well as a whole buch of other stuff, music with a glint in its eye that you want listen to as well as get a little groove on.  They call it "Calypso Swing".  You might recognise Marcus Turner in the left foreground from the solo shoot with him I posted here.



If you're here regularly, you'll know I don't often go in for grainy black and white looks, but this picture just screamed out for it.  We'd found this nice little shed on Hyram Ballard's property (Hyram's the handsome devil on the right) and I thought the window light in there had this nice quality to it, not to mention the fixtures on the walls.  It was still pretty dark in there though, so I had my ISO cranked all the way up; some of the grain here is genuine sensor noise, but it was a little exercise in turning a constraint into a tool.  Of course I got my flashes out to light The Chaps as well, and we got a bunch of looks around the property but for now, this is one of my favourites.

Plenty more to look at and process, but like I said, I've got a busy week ahead and might not get around to a lot of post production:  I've a meeting about working on a calendar project, a meeting with a regular client about some promo shooting, a regional promo shoot and an annual report shoot which involves a road trip for a new corporate client.  Happy times.