Find out more about The Undaunted here
Introducing
one of my most favourite sets of photographs with a few paragraphs to
share a little insight around my thinking while making them (for those
that like to know these things). I'm particularly pleased with this
collection because, alongside my Hammerdown
2022 set, I feel it is very well aligned with my personal
non-music photography work, using the same one camera / one lens
approach... and goes some way to expanding my profile in music circles
as a photographer who works solely in the medium of black and white.
I was invited to bring my camera along to the filming of a music video
by a band I have worked closely with before, a superb DnB/Dubstep/Punk/Metal
crossover band called
The Undaunted, for their song R.I.P. at an amazing location that
is home to thousands of mannequins in the Lincolnshire countryside,
called Mannakin.
The video was to be made by Shaun Hodson of Loki
Films, a film maker whose work has always greatly impressed me.
My only restriction was to keep myself out of camera shot, but otherwise
I could roam freely around and photograph as I wanted.
All the images in the collection are documentary in nature, as I photographed
what I saw when it happened, undirected by me. Despite having no control
over the lighting and location set-up, I nevertheless tried to put my
own artistic mark on the images.
More and more I enjoy the challenge of working without the need to have
everything set up to my own specific requirements to make the kind of
images I want to make. In fact it can feel quite liberating when creative
choices come down to the simple fundamentals... composition, exposure
settings, and when to open the shutter.
More and more I find my purpose as a photographer is in balancing artfulness
with the documentorial, something my photography idols of yesteryear
were so brilliant at achieving, and something I feel I am more consistently
achieving myself.
The full collection of fifty photographs can be seen here.
Please do spend some time with each image if you can, despite the small
resolution I post at on these pages. If time is limited I have included
a few thoughts about some of my favourites below...
The smoke and backlight set-up created silhouettes and shadows that
were fun to play with compositionally. Rain had created puddles and
a sheen to the ground that reflected the light and added to the atmosphere.
I tried to use these elements to add what I hope is a timeless intrigue
and mystery to the images, particularly in those from a behind the scenes
viewpoint such as this one above.
As is often the case, much of the video filming was of the band performing,
and naturally this is reflected in the amount of performance photographs
I made for the collection. Although of course the band features in these
images, my thinking is that it is as important to include the environment
the band are performing in, too.
This is especially so when the performance space is unusual. I loved
the surreality of the surroundings at this location and I think the
inherent honesty of the documentary photography style enhances that
surreality in the images somewhat. I believe it helps to cause a conflict
that exercises the mind... as it tries to make sense of the fantastical
while having to accept the reality and truth of a scene actually occurring.
Energy is an important aspect to represent with a band like The Undaunted
and timing is key to rendering this. With jump shots, and with on stage
action in generaI, I find I capture more dynamic images more often when
I'm locked in to the music and open the shutter "between the beats".
With drummers, their arms tend to be upwards in these moments, and I
find other musicians tend to time their actions to fall on the beat.
I think the
split second before impact is often the most exciting.
When I could do so without hindering proceedings, I took the opportunity
to photograph from within the set, rather than from the sidelines, to
show something of the interactions between film-maker and band when
the cameras weren't rolling, and also as a way to record how the set
was developing throughout the filming process... the mannequins were
gradually moving towards the band with each scene recorded.
For the band, much of the time between takes is spent waiting... and
I'm always interested in capturing those slightly unguarded moments
of contemplation. I wonder what goes through the mind, especially when
surrounded by such a surreal situation, whether one is able to really
appreciate how utterly crazy life can seem sometimes.
I positioned myself to create side light and composed to fill the frame
with limbs, while waiting for a moment that felt meaningful and worthy
of pressing the shutter.
Another of my favourites was this photograph made during a break in
filming while the next take was being set up. Waiting under the open
hatchback of a car, I loved the smoke from the cigarette, the slight
glow from its tip. I felt that, like many of these photographs, if it
was seen out of context then it held a particular intrigue.
As mentioned previously I wanted to show elements of the location and
environment that the filming was made in. Although it is obvious the
filming was done during the night, I felt that alone did not quite say
enough about the conditions... it was not so obvious that there was
sporadic rain, and a torrential downpour that halted the proceedings
for a while. I wanted to include something of those moments in the collection,
too, if only as a reminder for the sake of posterity.
As if the location wasn't surreal enough, I was constantly mindful for
opportunities to photograph the unusual, in the hope it may make an
eye catching image. This image shows film maker Shaun Hodson bending
over his camera to line up a shot of mannequins in the performance area.
I liked that although he is rendered quite anonymously the hint of a
beard hanging down offers a clue to his identity, and the chord from
the rain coat draws the eye towards the mannequin and background.
I liked the lines and symmetry of the single point perspective, feeling
the central silhouette and low angle created an image with immediate
impact. I think that helps to encourage the viewer to explore the image
further.
Although the opportunities for portraits were limited, I tried to keep
alert for any possible moments, especially when something odd was occuring
in the background. Images like these help to say something of the general
vibe on set.
I'm proud of all the photographs in the full collection. There are fifty
images in total so choosing just a few of them to show as an introduction
was not easy, and if I was to put this page together again I may well
find myself picking different photographs. However, I hope these give
an idea of the set-up and conditions I was working with during the shoot,
and of my thinking when dealing with that to make the kind of images
I like to make. Ultimately, I made conscious decisions to create images
that I hope would be impactful, artistic, and intriguing, without ever
twisting reality to do so.
View
the full R.I.P. videoshoot photoset
For those who would like to find out more about the band The
Undaunted, probably the best way is to actually watch
the music video!
Please do also check out more of Shaun Hodson's fantastic work at lokifilms.co.uk.
And finally, I will soon be making a blog post about Mannakin,
on my non-music
photography website. I was able to make photographs of the site
before the video shoot began and also the next day, too. There's lots
for me to show from this incredible location, so much that I feel those
images deserve their own space, too.
(Published 06/09/2023)
