Signal the Escape / Album Cover Shoot

[Keith Kiiroja]

Here are some photos from a recent photo shoot I did for a band called Signal the Escape. They wanted to represent the CD being named "All That You Deserve"

The idea is that you give love, to a love that you would die for. Therfore, they wanted a very solf, blown-out, angelic photograph. I feel that the band is happy with the results. Please let me know what you think of this work. I will be posting the final layout and artwork when the designer has finished it.

Band Group Photo to Promote Album Release:

 

[Asher Kelman]

Keith,

Thanks for sharing these sensitive images of the girl with rose petals and clutching the locket. The whole aesthetcis of album covers is so very different from any other type of photography. It seems to be illustrative yet has to be expressive and appeal to some rebellious spirit the audience can identify with. If the photographer does not understand either the music or the audience, there is to my mind, little chance the album cover would work.

Is that true or would any good phortographer achieve reasonably satisfactory results?

Asher

 

[Keith Kiiroja]

it would depend on the photographer and their ability to interpret the message that the band is trying to set forht. not only that it is strongly about image...every band has to keep an image in a certain way and they do that through all areas of marketing. that includes their CD art, band promos, live photos, their t-shirt or clothing designs...and down to what they wear. if they feel a little negativity toward the work at all chances are it will not get used.

 

[René Damkot]

I like the second and last image best.
On the second: I think it would have been better if the (position of) the hands were more symetrical.

I do mind the blown out parts of skin on some images though, and think they are a bit too hard (contrast) overall.

 

[Keith Kiiroja]

the blown out look is what they wanted. i did some softer images...but they wanted harsh lighting. it fits very well with the music and layout of their website.

www.myspace.com/signaltheescape

 

[Asher Kelman]

I like the second and last image best.
On the second: I think it would have been better if the (position of) the hands were more symetrical.

Hi René,

I think you are on to something about the importance the realtive positions of the hands. I did not understand that before you pointed that out. If the hands were made symmetrical, would the feelings and ideas expressed change? What do you think?

Asher

 

[Edward Bussa]

So to aid with blowing out the rest of the scene yet keep the detail / exposure on the rose petals, was there a conscious choice to use a model with light, fair skin and fair hair?

 

[Asher Kelman]

Ed,

I have recently worked on a CD album and was surprised with the aesthetic choices and demands of the singer. I guess they have their own image and ideas of how to project it. This is so tough for photographers who are used to aiming for close to technically perfect images.

I have the same feelings about the girl's skin. Forget the blown-out brights; they even wanted the pimples to remain! However, could it provide some "naturalism" in linking the cover to people's own blown-out snap shots and imperfect lives? This is a girl suddenly illuminated. The blown-out imperfect skin is then the truth of this pretty girls personal moments of reflection! This is harshly beautiful and also in a way, tragic as we would think, look how perfect she could be. Tragedy is indeed the loss of human potential, so the images Keith shows have a patina of the beautiful ordinary that could, given the opportunty, rise above their circumstances, butr are trapped.

People go to Vogue to get away from what they can see in the mirror for free. The audience of this music seems to reach there because it represents their own struggles. That's why there is so much hostility and "in-your-face" lyrics. It is perhaps the voice of a political and economic class that on the one hand resents the false promises of "The American Dream" and then paradoxically prances in weird outfits, on stage antics and twisted pronunciations, almost obscuring meaning to outsiders.

The volume of some CD sales does not allow market testing for optimizing design. But that would be interesting and not hard to do.

Asher

 

[Keith Kiiroja]

her fair skin and hair were the exact reason why she was chosen...someone with darker skin or hair would have taken away from the angelic look they were going for.

 

[René Damkot]

but they wanted harsh lighting.

Ah well, client is king

Hi René,

I think you are on to something about the importance the realtive positions of the hands. I did not understand that before you pointed that out. If the hands were made symmetrical, would the feelings and ideas expressed change? What do you think?

Asher

I think the feeling would remain, but IMO the image would look better...
Then again, maybe I've done too many advertising shoots lately: Images cuddled to death

 

[Asher Kelman]

Ah well, client is king I think the feeling would remain, but IMO the image would look better... Then again, maybe I've done too many advertising shoots lately: Images cuddled to death

René,

I found it tough to work on these CD covers. It's almost a religious experience for the inititated and outsider have to sense as best the intentions and values of the client. I agree with you that such extreme over-exposures may not be the best way of serving the CD cover's purpose.

However, these bands and groups are small and have often limited finances and following. They struggle and must try to maintain and project their particular image brand. They have to succeed on so many fronts: interesting catchy, edgy lyrics with instrumental backing that draw in and convert the club or venue to their fans and identites.

Photographing Fashion, Weddings, Executive Portraits and Architecture are demanding technically but easier for the professionals because one knows the standards one has to meet. Photography for the thousands of singers in groups may seem far easier to do, as the standards are not so defined. For that reason, it's also hard to be succesful.

Likely that "cuddled images" would not do the work of these "caught in the light" of personal moment" fantasy but "natural" style images Keith has shown.

For example, making the arms symmetrical might convert a cutesy staged setup as if for a Vogue shot. The jewelry would perhaps be for sale!

Keiths shot still has the symbolism, but vulnerable beauty in disorder.

Most professional photography is about showing things as better than we could find by looking around us. The sections of society that follows the music groups are about identity and fantasy. The fantasy is not getting to perfection, rather perfect disorder and escape from the chains of the larger society and love-life and need for respect and validation.

So bottom line, as a photographer, I'd follow the wishes of the musicians and manager but push as much technical perfection to achieve it as will not damage their intent.

Even for example, her finger nails bother me, however, if they were perfect, likely, the picture would fail. As Keith said, they demanded what he delivered!

Asher