How I shot a Blues-master in London: Joe Bonamassa

After all these years of shooting rock stars, it never surprises me when I get a few flutters of pre-shoot nerves. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t get star struck or flap, but it’s nice to know the excitement is there no matter who I photograph.

This was the case with Joe Bonamassa. As you may or may not know, Joe is a very talented blues guitarist, hailed as the new King of Blues - his mind-blowing guitar wizardry and electrifying stage presence has helped sell to out his tour and the recent gig at The Albert Hall.

It’s good to know when I’m booked for a job, the client trusts me to do a great job and get the right shots. So without exception, before every shoot I always check my gear, charge up the batteries, and clean my lenses. Sounds obvious - but important, nonetheless. Another important point is to plan the journey and to factor in the time. Even with a sat nav, London traffic is a challenge.

Technical challenges aside, Time is always the biggest issue. How long do you need for a shoot…well, how long have you got? This is one of my first questions. Sometimes, I only have a few minutes to do the shoot: adrenaline and years of experience kick in, helping to create the right mood, set the lights and get the images in the bag. I have to get the shot as they will leave, whether I’ve met the Brief or not.

I love working for Guitarist Magazine, they’re great bunch and know their stuff. For this issue Guitarist is running a meet-and-greet for some lucky readers with the guitarist Joe Bonamassa. Why not check it out – the shoot was fantastic.
Issue 328 on sale 13th April

Things you should know when organising a photo shoot…

If organising a photo shoot is something new to you, or if you are a seasoned pro, preparation is key.

I’ve worked in many areas over the years, and this principle is applicable to all genre’s. So, if you are organising a shoot with a rock star or a fashion designer, follow my basic rules/principles and you will be fine…

People often ask me, where do you start? The only answer is at the beginning, or in my case, at the end and work backwards towards the start…

Things I often ask my clients to establish a brief are:

1. Most importantly, when is your deadline?
2. How long do we have for the shoot?
3. Are you using a location or a studio, if so will we need to do a recce?
4. Where are these shots going, magazine, web, billboard?
5. Who’s the target audience?
6. Do I need to accommodate a template layout?
7. How many pages do you need?
8. Are we using models, if so we will need to do a casting?
9. Will we need a make-up artist/stylist/hairdresser? This obviously depends on the brief and isn’t applicable to everyone.
10. What’s the budget? If they budget is tight then some of the above will not be able to happen. Be realistic as to what can be achieved on the day and in preparation.

Other things to consider too…

• If the shoot is going to be a long day, then refreshments and catering will need to be on hand. A crew and models can’t perform if they are tired and hungry. Your reputation is at stake and you need to bring the best out of everyone for the shoot to happen, so make sure you look after your team!

Blueprint Studios – I can see why it is Elbow’s favourite jamming space

Future Music Magazine booked me a few days ago to photograph Blueprint Studios in Manchester, and it was a great Rock N Roll experience.

I have worked with the magazine for many years, and built up a good working relationship. It’s also really nice when a client says “go do your thing” as they implicitly trust what I do for them and the countless bands they work with. I have really enjoyed also working with many of these bands on Future Music magazine’s behalf over the years.

Blueprint Studios really is a fab place to hang out, record music, or just jam and rehearse. The building used to be a missionary and was redesigned by a nightclub interior designer, giving it a chic, eclectic and retro look that has the ‘wow’ factor - everywhere!

I had the pleasure of meeting Guy Garvey, lead singer of Elbow last year, and having gone to Blueprint, I could see why he loves this place and why they’re recording their latest album there at the moment: the people are easy-going but professional in their attention to detail. Elbow use the space to rehearse regularly, and have recorded there before.

The job entailed shots of the main recording studio (which was amazing), the live rooms and the big room, my personal favourite, which is an incredibly beautiful space – not to mention the beautiful acoustic quality produced there.

The shoot at Blueprint Studios reminded me of something – co-owner Tim said that they pride themselves on giving the same service level to every band, whether they are starting out or internationally-acclaimed pros like Elbow, and this resonated with me.

Whether I’m working with superstars such as U2 or Slash from Guns N Roses recently, they get the same service as smaller bands I’ve done professional shoots for, such as Seagull Strange.

I don’t get star-struck, and I think the big stars – in particular – appreciate this focus in music photography.

After all, we all have a job to do – and we’re all professionals.

Merry Christmas Everyone

I think everyone will agree that 2009 has been an interesting year for business! There were times we all wondered, where can this go next?

Here at Amango towers, we've been reinforcing our satisfaction guarantee and it has proved successful with our clients. So, as we move towards a new year, I'd like to thank all my clients and the people I've worked with, for supporting Amango in 2009.

Here's to a prosperous 2010 and I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Amanda

Bristol Media Photographer Amango flies to Texas to photograph Muse and U2

Here's the latest press release about my trip to Houston, Texas...

Bristol Media member Amanda Thomas from Amango Photography has just jumped on a place to Houston to shoot Muse and U2 on their current world tours. The commission came very last minute from both Total Guitar Magazine and Rhythm Magazine. Both publications enjoy national and international coverage and are the top sellers in their field. The commission was given at a days notice, with the words ’Can you fly to Texas tomorrow and shoot U2 and Muse for us please?. All the stops were pulled and three intense hours of minute planning ensued in order to make sure it could happen.

Amanda has been a photographer for over ten years and last minute changes are all part of the business, whether sourcing a location for a shoot, making changes to the brief or finding a flight to Texas at short notice. “Working in a creative industry you have to be flexible with your thinking and practice, because the work is like a piece of elastic: moving, flexing and ever-changing and you have to go with the flow.” Amanda says. “I’m really please to be involved with this job and have worked for these magazines for many years. It’s very reassuring when the client says ‘I trust you, now go and take some great shots’. I’m really looking forward to the shoot!”

Don't you just love it when a shot comes together..?

When time permits, I shoot my own work which allows me freedom to push the boundaries and be creative. It's a bit of a luxury and quite frankly essential, to expand one's skills, which can then be passed onto the client.
Here's one shot from a set of four, exploring movement. I often travel with work so why not with my own work...this was shot in a hire studio in London. Sometimes it's not easy for the client to come to me, so to make life easy, I travel to the client.

Wish 143 - A short film by Tom Bidwell

It's not very often you get to see behind the scenes of a film, but I had this opportunity to shoot some stills for the production company. The above shot is for the poster, the DVD cover and for
the film promotion.

The film crew and I were on top of a hill in the freezing wind. During film takes and still shots, you could watch the rain coming up the valley. When the rain hit everything was covered up in plastic, people too. Who says the life of a photographer is glamorous!

Wish 143 is a film written by Tom Bidwell, it's a slightly autobiographical account of his life when he was younger. Jim Carter plays the priest who befriends Tom and the story takes on some interesting twists and turns.

The film launches at The Encounters Film Festival in Bristol this Autumn.