Words of Wisdom: article layout in Digital Photographer magazine

About 6 months ago i got an email from writer/photographer Lisa Perkovic asking if i’d be interested in talking to her about my work for a story in Digital Photographer magazine. I’m always happy to talk photography, so over email i answered some of her questions, and now they’re in print in the current issue of the magazine.

The words are a little hard to read in the print layouts here, so i’ve reproduced the article, along with photos and commentary below.

Daniel Boud shares his secrets on shooting from the soul – on stage and in the studio.

Setting up boudist.com in 2003 was a life-changing move for then web designer Daniel Boud. A passion for photography, a knack for shooting live music gigs and a space for sharing his shots was a winning combination. Named as one of The Music Network’s Top 30 Under 30 in 2010, and currently Time Out Sydney’s chief photographer, Boud is living the dream – but hasn’t let it go to his head.

“A positive reaction to your work is always encouraging,” he says. “It reminds you that you’re on the right path. I’m always so critical of my work and see all of its flaws, so an outside boost can be welcome. But I don’t ever rest on my laurels, I’m always striving to do better.”

The self-taught photographer puts down practice as the key to success. “I bought a digital camera in 2001 and it just set off a switch in my brain where I became obsessed with documenting every little inane thing in my life. It wasn’t consciously a training exercise but the systematic process of shooting tens of thousands of pictures. And striving to get better each time meant I got many hours of experience under my belt.”

Tonight Alive: I’d just shot this band neck deep in Sydney Harbour, so they were all soaking wet. After hopping out of the water, I wanted to get a shot of them shaking off like a dog would, while letting the front woman look more composed in the middle. Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 16-35mm Specs: ISO 100, f/10, 1/200 sec, 32mm

With an instinctual style, Boud draws inspiration from everything around him – other photographers’ work, blogs, magazines, movies, cinematographers. Being creative is an important part of the job, but it’s also important his subjects are willing to be a part of that vision.

“My most recent subject was a musician named Devendra Banhart and he was awesome to work with. I had an idea to have him lie on the ground, surrounded by food and lollies. He was up for it and then amped it up by asking to have hundreds and thousands poured all over his face.

It’s really fun working with people who collaborate and aren’t afraid to experiment with things. I’ve photographed several drag queens and transgender people and that can be quite outrageous. Being in drag is an excuse to exercise parts of your personality you wouldn’t normally reveal, so drag performers can be very uninhibited.”

Amanda Lepore: I shot the famous transexual and muse of David LaChappelle in the lobby of the Sheraton hotel. I brought along my own wall paper to tape to the wall to add a classic vintage feel. Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 85mm 1.8 ISO 100, f11, 1/160sec, 85mm

Boud photographs a diverse range of subjects – everything from Sydney’s best burgers to some of the world’s best performers – but portraits still have a big pull.

“My first love was shooting live music but these days I find more satisfaction shooting portraits. There’s more of me in a staged portrait: I control the lighting, the location and can give the subject direction.”

Here he answers our questions on portraits, performances and post-production:

You do a lot of music photography: what are the issues when shooting musicians performing live?

There are several limitations when shooting live, which I actually find helpful. You only get to photograph three songs, so you have to have your wits about you. There’s little time to make mistakes. You have zero control over the lighting and zero control of your subjects. So it’s simply a matter of best documenting what’s presented in front of you.

Israeli punk band Monotonix performing at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney. They had such a crazy live show, with the singer spending most of his time in the crowd. I held my camera above my head to shoot this above the crowd. Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 16-35mm Settings: ISO 1000, f5, 1/160 sec, 16mm Lit by a Canon 580ex II on camera

How do you get your subjects to relax in front of the camera?

Like a good dentist or doctor, a photographer must have an excellent bedside manner. You have to instill confidence in your subject. If you’re having a tooth pulled, you want your dentist to act as if this is a really normal procedure that he’s done thousands of times before. It’s the same with taking a portrait. Talk to your subject about what’s going to happen, ask them questions about how they’re feeling, explain that this should be a collaborative and enjoyable experience. Use positive reinforcement. Some people are natural in front of the camera, but most people aren’t, so allow them time to warm up and realise that getting their picture taken really isn’t as bad as having a tooth pulled. And if all that fails, get them drunk.

What do you want from subjects?

I want them to relax and feel that they’re in a safe place where they can be creative, to think about what we could do together that would best represent them. I often tell people to not be afraid to act like an idiot. The worst that could happen is that the photo doesn’t work, but no-one ever need see that. They’ll only see the best shots, and to get them, you have to get some bad ones first.

Andrew WK: I shot Andrew backstage at the Sydney Big Day Out music festival. He’s got such a manic stage presence and I wanted to capture that on camera. I asked him to do a series of dramatic poses and only after the seeing the shots on my computer did I think to combine them into a shot with three of him. Lit by a profoto ring flash. Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 16-35mm Specs: ISO 160, f/6.3, 1/125 sec, 31mm

How do you pull energy from subjects and convey that in your work?

It can be a challenge if you don’t have much time or your subject is very uncomfortable. But simple directions, asking people to move or do something different, can be useful. You could ask your subject to jump on the spot, walk towards the camera, tell a joke, yell down the lens. They’re all things that allow your subject to be in the moment, rather than think about having their picture taken.

How much control do you get over what the shoot will look like?

Usually a lot. Sometimes a picture editor or magazine art director will be really specific with what they’re after if it’s for a cover, but otherwise I’m usually left up to my own devices.

Do you work with stylists on your shoots?

For the bigger music shoots with a decent budget I have. It can be a real help for people to have options for clothes and accessories to wear, but some people don’t like it because it feels inauthentic

Adriano Zumbo: I shot Adriano at my home studio. We bought along some of his famous macaroons to use as a prop. I challenged him by asking how many macaroons he could fit in his mouth at once. He was such a good sport and had no problems goofing around. Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200mm ISO 100, f9, 1/125sec, 200mm

The Grates: Patience the singer has a lot of manic energy and I wanted to capture that so I asked her to scream at me. This is actually a composite shot, I did shoot them together but the art director liked two different shots for each of them so combined these for the cover. Lit from the front by a beauty dish. Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm Specs: ISO 100, f/9, 1/125 sec, 50mm

How long does a shoot typically take?

It really depends. I’ve done shoots with stars in hotel rooms where I’ve had one minute to nail a portrait… but then I’ve also had all-day shoots with several different locations and many different set-ups.

Do you tether the camera to the computer to see the images as you’re working?

I have shot tethered but it’s not something I normally do.

Paul Dempsey: I was shooting some pictures of Paul for his record company to use as publicity, documenting his album recording process. He was recording in a country house, and sleeping in the same room as the studio. So this was a little unguarded moment as he strummed away, shot in natural light. Equipment: Canon 5D, Tamron 17-35mm Specs: ISO 800, f3.5, 23mm, 1/50 sec, 23mm

When you’re shooting on location, do you use available light?

Yes, but I will also often use lighting in addition to the natural light to give a bit more control.

What sort of lighting set-ups do you use at shoots?

All sorts. I’ve got no standard set-up, each time is different. I’ve also got a studio with all sorts of gear. If I’m going on location and the budget is amenable I’ll hire Profoto lights and modifiers.

When you’re shooting an event or a live performance, are you part of the crowd or apart from it?

Both. I shoot events best when I’ve got an emotional attachment to them, whether it’s a band I love or an event surrounded by friends.

What do you think about “party” and “gig” photographers?

It’s a real skill to capture those sorts of events well. It takes a mixture of really knowing your gear well and working in unpredictable environments, plus having the personality to be bold and interact with people to get the best possible pictures.

Are you a “get in right in-camera” or ‘fix it later on the computer” photographer?

Definitely an in-camera guy. If someone comes to me with a concept that requires a lot of retouching, I’ll usually look for ways to get a similar result in-camera. Otherwise I’ll suggest another photographer because I really don’t enjoy the post-production process.

Can you give us an insight into your post-processing techniques?

It’s pretty straightforward. Import the shots into Lightroom; do a first pass look to pick all the decent shots; then do a second pass with a more critical eye to be left with only the very best shots. I then only do minor adjustments in Lightroom. I very rarely touch Photoshop anymore. I may adjust the white balance, straighten the shot if it’s a little crooked, bring out a small bit of shadow detail, remove any sensor dust and make sure the exposure is bang on. That’s about it.

Who’s on your photography wish list?

Taking someone’s picture is often just a great excuse to meet interesting people. So if I was to aim for the stars I’d say someone like Barack Obama, David Bowie, Bono or Jack White.

 

Marieke Hardy and Anthony Hayes: Marieke wanted to recreate a photo of Derryn Hinch from the 70’s in a similar pose with a playboy model. We reversed the gender roles and modernised it with papers and magazines from that day. We shot it quickly in her hotel room. Lit by a bare strobe on camera left bouncing off a white wall. Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm 1.4 Specs: ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/125 sec

A portrait of Wolfmother singer Andrew Stockdale. I arranged to shoot Andrew in a guitar store which I knew had some cool amps and guitars around. Lit by a single soft box Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Tamron 17-35mm Specs: ISO 100, f10, 1/160 sec, 26mm

Dan Sultan: This was shot in the same space as the Wolfmother photo, but decorated differently. I can't remember exactly what prompted Dan to give me the two finger salute. Canon 5d Mark II, Canon 16-35mm ISO 125, f5.6, 1/20 sec, 16mm Lit by a profoto ring flash

Top Boudist tips for Portrait photography

1. Be prepared.
   Have everything ready before your subject arrives so you jump straight into it and don’t have to adjust any lighting.
2. Have a conversation.
   Talk to your subject. Make the process collaborative.
3. Direct your subject.
   Don’t be afraid to tell someone how to stand, where to put their hands, what direction to look in or give them some motivation for their expression.
4. Have confidence.
   Your subject is looking to you for reassurance. It can be intimidating having your picture taken, so your subject needs to know you’re going to make them look amazing.
5. Positive reinforcement.
   Let your subject know how awesome they look. The ego boost will make them look better in pictures and enjoy the process more.

Devendra Banhart: Backstage at Splendour in the Grass, last shot of the day and I had all these sweets left over and wanted to find a way to use them in one shot. So I asked Devendra if he minded laying down surrounded by all the lollies. He was totally into it and was the one to suggest pouring hundreds and thousands on his face. Equipment: Canon 5DMkII, Canon 17-35mm Specs: ISO 200, f/9, 1/125sec, 25mm

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Rick Springfield, photographed by David Porter, 1971

Here’s a little interview i did with photographer David Porter (aka Jacques L’Affrique) that appears in this weeks Brag magazine. It was difficult to prepare for because i’d never heard of him before and couldn’t find much information about him apart from a brief period in the 1970′s which is documented in his show Unreal Rock at Carriageworks.  It turned out there was a reason he dropped off the photography scene.

—

David Porter, working under the pseudonym Jacques L’Affrique, lived and photographed Melbourne’s booze and weed fueled rock’n’roll scene in the early 70’s.

From the thousands of negatives in his archives a collection of about 100 black and white photographs has been assembled and is exhibiting now at Carriageworks.

Speaking from his Blue Mountains home, David muses on the carefree 1970′s, reveals his distaste for rock music, and the regret he holds for walking away from photography.

I spot Billy Thorpe and Molly Meldrum in this photo, not sure of the rest.

What can we expect to see in the show?

There’ll be photographs of iconic rock people from the 70′s; Billy Thorpe, Daddy Cool, Chicago, Elton John, Molly Meldrum, Germaine Greer, Manfred Mann…  And just a general assortment of what was happening at the time. A lot of photos of people just being themselves and taking part in the action.

In the 70′s it was very easygoing, you could light up a joint and no one gave a stuff. People would have great big seven paper joints, VB was almost the currency, and the wonderful Gough Whitlam was in power.

Do you think the photos present a romanticised version of the 70′s?

I think pictures tell the truth. They’re black and white. And i believe the ultimate photographic image is still black and white. Because it relies and shadow, detail, contrast, not on colours. And i print them all myself.

Did you get into photography because of the music?

It wasn’t the music. I don’t even like rock music! I’ve always liked jazz more. I just went there to take the photographs. Rock’s never really got me. I guess The Beatles are okay, and Neil Young. But i never really liked rock albums.

Tell me about Jacques L’Affrique. Why the nom de plume?

There was a bit of a conflict of interest because i was shooting for one paper then selling it to another paper, so someone suggested i use another name – Jack Africa. And to make it more ‘continental’ we decided on Jacques L’Affrique.

David Porter self portrait, circa 1975

Do you still practice photography today?

No. I did a really dumb thing. I suddenly went bizarre, crazy and idiotic and went and lived in the country and did a Diploma of Education. I don’t know what it was. I wanted to get out of Melbourne i suppose.  I was drinking too much actually. Photography at the time was a very alcohol intense profession. We used to drink a hell of a lot. And i was smoking too much dope. So i got out of it a bit.

And i never went back fully. But i’ve still got all the negatives. But it’s a pity, it’s a very big mistake of my life. I still regret it incredibly. I was getting some good work with agencies.

So the photography was too tied up with the drinking and drugs to continue?

I went through a strange patch, I was married and i just walked out on my wife which was really bad. I moved to the country and started teaching.

Elton John leaves the stage at Kooyong Tennis Centre 1971

Did you befriend the artists you were photographing?

Yes, i knew all those people. You used to go backstage and it was a very relaxing time. You’d go backstage and have a drink with the guys, which is when you’d get the best photographs.

It was much easier back then. I remember at the Elton John concert i actually got up on stage and took a photograph of Elton John’s shoes underneath the piano. No one stopped me. There was no press privileges. You just got up on stage and took the photograph.

Unreal Rock: The photographs of Jacques L’Affrique is on show now at Carriageworks foyer. 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW.
10am – 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am – 1pm Saturday (closed Sunday). Until 26th June.

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One of Jill Greenberg's monkey portraits on the cover or The New Republic

Ahead of her appearance at Semi-Permanent creative conference in Sydney this Saturday, i spoke to photographer Jill Greenberg over the phone for an article in The Brag.

It had to be edited down for print, so here’s the full transcript.

–

Jill Greenberg is a photographer from Los Angeles who straddles the fields of commercial, editorial and art photography. Practicing for 20 years she’s become known for her striking portraits of people and animals – from the Hollywood A-list, to a controversial series on crying children, to two books of portraits of monkeys and bears.

Her work is highly staged, perfectly lit, and unashamedly retouched to perfection.

Photographers are often told that they need to develop a personal style to set them apart. What would you say sets you apart?

I’m very interested in graphic design and a lot of different art mediums. It all combines in it’s own unique way. I’ve been working as a photographer for 20 years but i’ve been making pictures my whole life. Over time i’ve developed my own unique way of looking at things.

I like things that are funny and make you feel something. It all reflects some of my personality.

Often when i photograph people i like to have them make the same expression as me. I’ll say ‘Look at me like a cocky asshole’, just because it’s a funny expression to make.

From Jill Greenberg's series on bears, Ursine.

You work with a lot of animals, and you can’t really give them direction, but you seem to get great emotion from them. How do you do that?

It’s a lot of sitting and waiting. Waiting for them to make a face. Taking tons of shots, whether it’s film or digital, and picking one that looks like they’re saying something funny. There’s not really a way to get them to do anything that you want, it’s just luck.

You’ve done two books, one on bears and another on monkeys – what next?

I may be doing a book on other animals but it’s early on. I have a million things i’m trying to do at the same time, which isn’t realistic.

I just finished building a house that took 4 years so that was eating up a lot of my creative energy. I have all these ideas that i want to do. One of them is a series of underwater swimmers. I’ve ended up with some shots i really like, and just this week i met up with someone in Los Angeles who does synchronised swimming and has a group of synchronised swimmers and we talked of organising a shoot for that.

And just yesterday i finally did a shoot that sort of follows up my crying children pictures, which is something i’ve wanted to do for about four years.

I wasn’t sure of a way to do it that wasn’t exploitative, but i finally figured out a way to do it. And i tested that out last night.

I’ll get the film back from that on Monday.

A crying child from Jill Greenberg's 'End Times' series

How is it different from the first series of crying children?

It’s similar format, it’s young children, the cropping is similar, the lighting is similar, but they’re covered in food – food that’s all made out of corn and chemicals. I want the series to be called ‘Corn Fed’.

Originally i thought i had to use fat children, but i couldn’t reconcile hiring fat children because that could be bad for them when they’re older and that’s just mean, but i realised i don’t need to photograph fat children.

So i shot my son and some friends kids with ketchup and sugar cereal. The thing in America is that there’s all these corn subsidies so everything’s made out of corn, which means everything’s made with high fructose corn syrup.

The pictures look sort of disgusting, in an interesting way. I’ll probably have something to show in a couple of weeks.

So you shot this project on film? I presumed it would all be digital these days. What result do get from film that you don’t from digital?

I still feel like film is better. I use digital for all my jobs. Yesterday i was doing a shoot for a magazine and they didn’t have much money. I could’ve just used my Canon 5D, but i’m so used to using my really high end digital back that i feel like i’d be missing out on something if i only used the Canon for the job. In case i ended up with some amazing picture i might regret it later that i’d only shot it on the Canon. So i actually shot Canon and medium format film for the job.

And seeing as we had all these lights already rented for the job i wanted to get some shots for myself [the 'Corn Fed' photos].

All the crying children and animals are all shot on film. I’ve gotten commissions for say, the Virigin Megastore in Paris and they want a child photographed in the same way as the crying children. And i shot it digitally but i feel like it’s somehow missing something.

Because i retouch my own images i feel like there’s more information to retouch in film, even compared to a digital that’s 180 megabytes. But when i scan my own work i’ll scan it at about 350 megabytes.

I just like film better.

So you do the retouching yourself? Do you get help?

I do have help, but i could do the picture from start to finish by myself if i wanted to but if it’s for a job and it’s compositing 6 people into a picture, that’s not really that fun. So i’ll have someone that helps me do that kind of stuff. I could do it if i wanted, but i already spend too much time in front of the computer.

I enjoy the retouching and playing with new techniques i make up myself.

Do you have a regular team that help you?

I have a full time digital assistant and archivist and a full time studio manager, and then regular photo assistants.

You cross art photography, commercial and editorial – is there one you enjoy most?

I enjoy most of the things i do. In an ideal world, in a fantasy world i would love to just be an artist. That said, it’s fun to shoot stuff for billboards or movie posters.

It’s fun to see your work on a magazine cover and meet all the different people you meet on an editorial job.

It’s hard because budgets keep getting squished and people want all this stuff but they don’t have any money to do it. It just gets hard to try and make things happen when there’s not enough money.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, photographed by Jill Greenberg for GQ

You shoot a lot of celebrity portraits, with their tightly controlled images, is it hard to get them to do something interesting?

It is hard, more and more publicists are the new art director, so between the publicist and the budget you end up shooting in the studio on seamless. Which is nice, i like doing simple graphic portraits of people which are pared down, but it’s also fun to do something with an elaborate set with a concept and people getting messy with a weird prop or animal – anything.

Is there anyone recently who you’ve photographed that’s particularly impressed or surprised you?

I recently shot James Cameron, he was really nice. Sometimes i’ll remember to bring my big photo portfolio to a shoot in Los Angeles. If i actually bring it it’s nice to show people my work and he really liked it and was asking about it. It’s nice to get someone at a super crazy high level actually interested in your work.

There was some controversy after you published some portraits of John McCain which cast him in a negative light. Did that have any long term effect on your career?

That was just crazy, it was just one person who put that on their blog. I don’t think it’s damaged my career.

Maybe there’s certain people that don’t want to hire me, but then there’s people that do.

That person said i was never going to work again.

I think it’s interesting how someone who has a photo website, and the guy who has that website is a friend of a friend…

Which website?

A Photo Editor. He’s the one who said i was never going to work again. And there was PDN online who was just talking nonsense. But he [A Photo Editor] was the one who specifically said i’d given up all my clients or whatever.

So i asked him, what was the point of all that? And he said ‘well i was camping with my kids over the weekend and i came back and all these people had been commenting so i just felt like i had to weigh in’.

And i was like, great, awesome for you that you needed some random editorial comment that didn’t sound that well thought out so you could weigh in. You realise i have two children to support? You’re just being an asshole.

Maybe people should think before announcing that i’m retiring or whatever. It was just totally irresponsible.

Glenn Beck crying

How did it feel shooting Fox TV’s pundit Glenn Beck crying? It must have felt good to reference your old work (crying children) and still get employed to shoot a Republican.

It was really great. When i got assigned to shoot him for GQ i was like, ‘Really?! He’s going to allow me to shoot him?’.

I kept waiting for them to call me and tell me he’d cancelled, but they never did.

Was it agreed beforehand that he’d cry for you?

We were going to do the two faces of comedy and drama – laughing maniacally and then crying.

The magazine had some different ideas, but i said wouldn’t it be awesome to shoot him crying, because he’s actually famous for crying on his show.

So we did it and Time Magazine picked it up for their cover which was pretty awesome.

And people figured out that he’d been talking nasty about me in the past. It was good though.

I get the impression that you’re quite politically minded. Not related to photography, but what’s the mood in America right now? Americans seem to have become quite disillusioned by Obama. What’s your take?

Yeah – people are disillusioned. I definitely wanted Obama to win the election over McCain, but i didn’t think that he was going to be our saviour. That he was going to bring a new regime of happiness. That said i’m pretty disappointed in him. I’m just frustrated with the way America and the world is just so corrupt. The news doesn’t actually talk about the news, it’s all paid lobbyists talking about the news.

My husband gets The Nation magazine which riles me up. My husband’s more political than i am.

It’s just really sad, i don’t know what to do about it.

Is there a nice antidote in shooting the animals? Them being completely oblivious to the worries of the world and still innocent.

They are, but a lot of them, tigers, polar bears… they’re still threatened by what’s going on.

I love shooting animals but i just like shooting pictures that have emotion and feeling, a personal connection.

I don’t think of the animals as much different to people. They’re just much harder to communicate with!

–

Jill Greenberg speaks at Semi-Permanent this Saturday at 3pm.

See a lot more of her work on her work on her website Manipulator.

All photos in this post copyright Jill Greenberg.

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An interview i did with music photographer veteran Tony Mott has just been published on Mess and Noise.

We spoke for about half an hour over Skype, me in Sydney, Tony in his temporary home in Melbourne.

Tony’s someone i’ve always admired in the photography business. He’s gotten where he has through sheer passion for his work and by being a gentleman. It’s a good reminder that sometimes nice guys finish first.

Here’s a few choice quotes from the conversation.

On photo contracts:

“I ignore them. They’re illegal anyway. My only advice is, don’t argue because then you don’t get your access. Just sign it, date it and time it. Almost instantaneously it becomes null and void.”

On Getty Images:

“Getty are obviously quite evil in their strategy and do want to rule the world.”

On competitive photographers:

“Some other photographers always seem to feel like they’re competing with other photographers, i think i’m competing with myself. I always want to be better than i am.”

On switching to digital:

“I hate digital. I still shoot film, but digital’s that much easier and cheaper. People say digital is better, but it’s not better, it’s easier.”

“The good news is that digital is easy to do, the bad news is that it’s harder to sell. Everyone’s doing it.”

On photographing Coldplay at the 2001 Big Day Out:

“We did a session in Auckland and it was really fucking rubbish.”

On why he keeps shooting:

“The beauty of photography is that you’re never the best you’ll ever be. You’ve always got new ideas. I just genuinely enjoy photography.”

Read the whole thing.

You can see Tony talk about his 25 year career if you’re in Melbourne tomorrow night at the Thornbury Theatre.

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I’ve had a few nice bits of press lately.

Above is a clipping from The Brag this week – it’s a little interview i did with Jake. It’s illustrated with an iPhone snap of me and the cat.

Cybele and I are profiled in the latest issue of Kluster.

And in January i actually made it on to TV on a gadget show called Cybershack.

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One of the best parts of my job is meeting fascinating people who do amazing things. One such person is Dutch photographer and director Anton Corbijn who i met a couple of weeks ago during a Time Out Sydney interview.

Anton Corbijn is one of the world’s best known music photographers and director of the Joy Division biopic Control. He’s also a personal hero of mine, whose work i wonder at and career i’m inspired by.

Time Out Sydney scored 30 minute interview with him while he was in town promoting Control. I was due to take his portrait at the same time, but a few days prior we learned that all photos were off. That was dissapointing, but our film writer Ruth Hessey was kind enough to let me escort her to the interview and ask a few questions of my own.

I’d love to pick his brain for hours, but even the half hour or so we had at his hotel gave a fascinating insight into the way he works.

He’s not interested in photographing gigs. He likes to shoot individual portraits, not bands. He doesn’t use a tripod. He doesn’t like big photoshoots. He still doesn’t feel like he’s good with lighting, although he recognises good light when he sees it. He wasn’t happy with the artwork on the last U2 album and in June this year he started taking pictures of the band in Morocco in preparation for their new album due next year.

Most of the interview was about Control, but i’ve edited it down to provide this recording where he primarily talks about his photography. It touches on his disinterest in live music photography, his process, his experience doing the artwork for The Killers last record and his work with U2.

Hear Anton Corbijn speak about his photography (mp3 | 5:36secs | 4MB)

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A little bit of self promotion in “The List” liftout in the Sydney Morning Herald today.

I was glad to get a plug for rival publication Time Out Sydney in there.

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As an official sponsor of 3 Songs. No Flash, The Brag magazine gave us some plum coverage before the show, with a cover inlay photo and a full page feature interview with Matt, Nic and I.

The email interviews with The Brag editor Kirsty Brown were edited down to fit in the magazine, so i thought it might be nice to post the full contents of each interview – plus an intro from me.

• Interview with Nic Bezzina
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• Interview with Daniel Boud

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• Interview with Daniel Boud
• 3 Songs. No Flash – opening night photos
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• Interview with Nic Bezzina
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Selfish C*nt by Daniel Boud.

If you told me a year ago i’d be holding an exhibiton of my concert photos i’d ask what you’d been smoking. Exhibitions were for professionals and artists.

Inspiration came about 6 months ago when i went to a photo show that was put on by some local amateur photographers from Flickr. It was great work and lots of people turned up. I realised that to put a show together wasn’t impossible and something normal people like me could do. Simply book a space, promote the show, print out and hang your work. You don’t need someone to ask you to do it, just do it yourself.

So i emailed Matt and raised the idea, he said he’d been considering something like that too, we got in touch with Nic and the ball started rolling.

I spent a lot more of my time on organising and promoting the show rather than on the photos. In the end the photos were all hastily collated and only delivered the day before the show opened. But it all seemed to work out in the end – hundreds of people came, a bunch of prints sold, our egos were stroked.

Here’s my interview with The Brag editor Kirsty Brown:

BRAG: Tell us a little about yourself. Who do you work for, what is your style of photography, do you have a day job?

DANIEL: I work freelance photography, so that means my photos end up all over the place, from The Brag to Drum Media to Hot Press to Triple J to Spin. Whoever wants my shots.

I also work as a web producer, so that helps me in publishing my work online.

I like to capture people when they’re doing something bold or wild. A split second in time when emotions are highest.

How did you get into the photography business?

I started a blog and used to post the odd picture that I’d taken at gigs and parties to it. After a while I began contributing stuff to street press. I just kept doing it and more mags started to run my photos. It started as all live stuff and events, but I’ve since done press shots in the studio for a number of bands too.

Memorable moments.

Shooting the Big Day Out was a dream come true, with Iggy Pop probably being the highlight. The man is a legend and photographs amazingly.

Not so memorable moments.

Having a wet sponge flung from the crowd at me at the Big Day Out. It landed on my camera and freaked me out for a bit – but it was all ok in the end.

If you could photograph anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

I would have loved to photograph U2 in their early days, playing the clubs of Dublin, and the first tours of America. I’d still love to photograph the band.

Who has been the most exciting person to shoot and who has been the most difficult?

There’s a UK band called Selfish Cunt who I photographed a couple of times – once in London, and once in Austin. The singer is a modern day Johnny Rotten, completely mental, flinging himself into the crowd, getting into fights, getting naked. You never know what’s going to come next. That’s exciting to shoot.

It’s always tough to shoot acts in low-light. Like Matt, I found The Mars Volta pretty much impossible to shoot seeing as they played in darkness.

Is there a memorable image that you have taken that has become your favourite?

There’s a shot I took of The Scare at Homebake where the singer is screaming his lungs out, looking directly down the lens. Straight after the shot he lunged at me and we both fell to the ground. That was rather memorable.

What is 3 Songs, No Flash about? How did it come around and what do you hope it achieves?

I’ve never really considered myself a proper artist type that exhibits his work in a gallery. But i decided to bite the bullet and risk appearing like a wanky art student and get a show together. I have a lot of admiration for Matt and Nic’s work, so i know even if i wasn’t involved it’d be the sort of thing i’d be keen to check out.

I hope people in the music, concert promotion and publishing industry see our work and realise we’re talented people who they want to work with.

I want people to see there’s a new generation of music photographers around – that you don’t always have to hire Tony Mott to get great results.

Oh – and i want a nomination in the Jack Awards. Hint hint.

What advice would you give to budding photographers out there?

Practice, practice, practice. Shoot heaps before you start shopping your work around to magazines. Seek feedback from friends and other photographers. Put your work online on a site like Flickr. Sign up as a contributer to sites like Fasterlouder.com.au and thedwarf.com.au.

See Also:

• Interview with Nic Bezzina
• Interview with Matt Booy

Related Posts

• 3 Songs. No Flash interviews in The Brag
• 3 Songs. No Flash – opening night photos
• 3 Songs. No Flash – the media mentions
• Interview with Nic Bezzina
• Interview with Matt Booy