Im guilty of it. You are probably guilty of it too. Let's all just take this moment to say that we are guilty of it: booking a shoot with a band, standing them in a line in front of a wall and taking the picture. The worst!
Thinking of musician photoshoot ideas is tough because you are not just focussed or worrying about posing one person- you have to pose four or five people all at once! That is four or five times the worry. Most of the time, it is more difficult posing band members too because they are not experienced models with the confidence to pose in front of the camera.
So with musician photographs there are many things to overcome in order to get a great shot. But that doesn't mean we have to just stick with these simple shots- we can do so much better! That's why I have devised this blog; I aim to give you some inspiration and exciting ideas for you to take to your next musician photoshoot.
Find A New Angle In Your Band Picture!
The first of the musician photoshoot ideas, is to find a new angle. Instead of shooting at eye level, up against a brick wall, try arranging your subjects in different shapes and then shooting from high or low. In these images above, you can see the subjects are arranged in a circle and diamond formations.
This is the ideal tip to use if you are working with a band who do actually simplistic shots where they stand up against a wall. By implementing different angles and formations, you are taking their simple idea and creating a more visually interesting version which they will definitely prefer when you show them the final edits!
Find a new angle doesn't just have to be literal. Discover new ways of thinking too. What props could you incorporate? What different editing techniques could you use? It is these simple tricks which are sure to elevate your photographs to a whole new level and I can guarantee that the band will be thanking you for it afterwards.
Add Levels and Layers Into Your Pictures of Bands
Similar to my first tip, why not experiment with different levels and layers like the above images I have selected?
Using a variety of layers and levels adds different dimensions and moods to the images. It creates visual interest that standing in a straight line doesn't. By adding different layers, some of the members will be in focus and others not- this is a great thing for those who may not be very comfortable in front of the camera.
In addition, place each member at different levels. This will not only add more visual interest but will, again, create different shape formations. You also have the ability to tell a story with these levels by incorporating different posing and expressions for those members who are confident in front of the camera. Experiment with it and see what new ideas you can conjure up! I promise that this tip will take your music shots to a whole new level... see what I did there?
Injecting Personality Makes Cool Music Photos
The last of my musician photography ideas is to incorporate the musicians' personality. It is likely that this personality is what makes them unique and draws their audience to them, so utilise it!
You may not know the musicians personally before the shoot, so it is a good idea to pose this suggestion to them beforehand and ask them how they would like to highlight their personality in their shots. This idea isn't for everyone, especially those bands who want to take themselves very seriously, but for some it will be a brilliant idea.
If you are working with a band who are fun-loving and enjoy to joke, why not incorporate funny props or instead capture candid images of them enjoying one another's company? Sometimes it is these candid shots which are the best. Alternatively, if you're really up for some fun, brainstorm particular shoots or themes that they would like to parody. Taking inspiration from other shoots and media forms in this way is a brilliant way to create stand out content for the musicians!
Create A Theme In Your Artist Photoshoot
The last tip I have to share is to create a theme. This a simple tip but one that could make a brilliant difference. Instead of asking your band to arrive in their normal clothes, why not plan them ahead? Tell them all to wear the same colour. Or recommend that they all wear the same variation of an outfit. These simple things in their outfit will create a feeling of consistency in the images and will help them to appear more stylised.