A few weeks ago the guys over at Quint Magazine contacted me about featuring my work in their next issue which would be known as their music issue. I flipped through a few copies of the magazine and really liked what they were doing so I agreed and today the magazine hit the shelves. Currently the magazine is only available in Dubai (stocked in all Virgin Megastores) but is also available to read for free online.
I answered a few questions about what it is like working as a music photographer here in London and you can read all about it from page 56 of issue 12. Read it for free here. The rest of the magazine is very cool too so give it a full read. I feel really grateful for this so “thanks guys”.
My friends from Zebra and Giraffe are endorsed by Fender and have just become a featured artist on their site. They used a bunch of my photos of the guys and it looks really cool so check it out here.
At the end of last year I had a photo shoot with the boys of Zebra and Giraffe while I was out in South Africa and it was really good working with them and hearing stories of their progress.
They have just had 5 of their tracks remixed by Cenzo Townshend which they are currently releasing as an EP in the USA and the UK. Check these guys out, they are one of the most exciting bands I know because they are so dedicated and I’ve heard a few of the demo’s they are working on for their next album and its going to be a killer one.
They used a few photos for the EP and the marketing of it.
I had a photo shoot with Zebra and Giraffe at the end of November last year and it’s been a really crazy busy time since then but their guitarist, Alan Shenton filmed and edited a short video of our time together on his iPhone 3GS.
I had a really good photo shoot with the band Zebra and Giraffe during December in South Africa and as always it was a pleasure working with them. We shot at a dam during mid day so the sun was as strong as it could be so thank goodness for sun glasses and Profoto-7b kits to fill in.
I was assisted by my buddy Ravi Panchia who’s work is definitely worth checking out and my dad came and joined in to take some behind the scene shots (“Thanks dad”) so I thought I would get a few of these up as well as a photo or two from the shoot. You can see more of these on my music photography blog.
The boys from the amazing Zebra and Giraffe just did an online interview and one of my portraits for Greg was used. I really love this photograph so I have decided to post it on here. I shot this at the end of last year (2008) just before I moved to the UK. We were shooting their music video for Oxymoron and during scene changes I shot a few portraits of the guys through my Yashica. Basically I set up my Yashica Mat-124G Camera on a tripod and focused it as I normally would and then I took my nikon D3 with my 60mm Micro lens attached and photographed the viewfinder of the Yashica. So essentially this is a photo of what was I could see through the set up old amazing medium format camera.
Anyway, this is a grab of the interview but you can see the actual one on here so check it out. The boys are on their way to Kenya this weekend for the MTV Africa Music Awards so I am holding thumbs that they take over there.
Currently listening to : Alexisonfire – Born and Raised.
A few weeks ago, the editor from Bluntmag regarding my photograph and the work that I am doing in the music industry here in London. I always feel weird with stuff like this because I don’t ever want to come across arrogant or anything like that because I don’t think I am “cool” for doing what I do, I just love it so much.
Anyway, you can read the interview (please do) online for free at http://www.bluntmag.co.za/people/features/?article_id=2317. I think it came out pretty cool and it contains some information about how I started out. It was fun thinking back to those days.
Below is the front page of the article as well as some of the band photographs that feature in the article (including Bloc Party, Papa Roach, Rise Against, Swivelfoot, Zebra and Giraffe, Taking Back Sunday, Nofx, Juliette Lewis and The Gaslight Anthem). I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think.
My friends Byron contacted me today to tell me that some of my Zebra and Giraffe photographs are available as desktop downloads on the Coke Fest website and I thought that I would post them on here. They are 1280 x 1024 pixels so click on the thumbnail to open up the larger size and then save as you please.
I just saw that Zebra and Giraffe have used one of my photographs, of Andrew Maskell, on a super cool poster for an up and coming show and I thought I would post it on here. I really like it and miss working with those guys.
If you are in Cape Town during the time, make sure to make a plan to see them.
I just arrived back from the Kruger National Park (photographs up shortly) and I had the best time ever with my misses.
We have received some amazing feedback for the Zebra and Giraffe – Oxymoron music video that we created and I thought that I would post the video up for you have a look at. The quality is really not that good on this version so if you have DSL, please follow THIS LINK and then click to see the high quality version (bottom right of video).
Today is a super exciting day for myself as the music video for Zebra and Giraffes 3rd single, Oxymoron, is released. The video was created by myself, Alan Shenton and Greg (band creator and frontman).
Basically the video was photographed by myself at 5 and 10 frames per second using the Nikon D3 DSLR and then the 39 000+ photographs were narrowed down and about 15 000 of them were individually graded and then edited at Melon Videos resulting in a FULL HD music video with a “jolty” feel to match the song (which I have to admit has grown on me more and more even though I was already a fan).
The press release as well as the music video itself is available to view on the Zebra and Giraffe website so PLEASE do yourself a favour and check it out and let us know what you think.
I cannot wait for this to hit television. For now, I have added a few photographs below from the videos itself. I will be enjoying shooting photographs in the bush so I apologize if I am quiet during this week.
Wow, I love this photograph. It is one of the 39000+ still photographs that I shot for the Zebra and GiraffeOxymoron music video. I don’t want to give anything of it away but I love this photo so much. This is of Darren Leader and he is the drummer for the band. He has such a cool style when he plays and is genuinely a super nice humble guy.
Yesterday I worked as the DOP (Director of Photography) for the new Zebra and Giraffe music video for their song Oxymoron. I think the stuff we did really is amazing and think that it will look incredible when it’s finished but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to get it done.
Anyway, I shot some still portraits of each of the band members during scene change and think that they came out really awesome. They are super different and dirty but that is how I wanted them to be.
Hope you well and all having a good week. I am feeling sick with flu so I am going to sleep now.
I shot this the other day when the boys from Zebra and Giraffe playing live in Hatfield. The lighting was not so good from a photo point of view and it was starting to rain so I never shot that many but I do like this one because you can see a bit of the crowd.
Ok, so my friends from Zebra and Giraffe played on Saturday night too and that is the main reason why I went to Tempos. I have shot with these guys so much before and witnessed many of the hours they have worked on their project and it’s crazy that I haven’t been able to get to one of their shows until now (but that is what work does).
Anyway, the show was really cool and I have to admit that I think I am going to become a Zebra and Giraffegroupie, not only cause they are friends but because they really are good at what they do. I think the album is good but I think their live show kills that album and makes it looks small. It just puts things into perspective for me and makes me want to listen to the album more and more so that I can sing along at their next show.
I really had fun shooting photographs by moving the smoke machine and getting in everyone’s face and just actually taking over the stage. The pics came out really good I think so that’s always exciting for me. These are just a few of them. Please let me know what you think.
Do yourself a favour and go watch them. I know you will enjoy it.
It’s been long since I really blogged properly but I have been super busy with work catching up after a super holiday in Europe with my dad. I played “happy snapper” on holiday and only used my little Lumix camera to shoot photographs which was really strange but fun and relaxing for once.
Anyway, I shot some photographs with the guys from Zebra and Giraffe last night. They are just about to launch their live act as a band and it’s starting to get exciting. I had an idea while on the plane back from the UK of a photo that I wanted to shoot and the guys agreed to let me give it a try. The only problem was that it was SUPER dark and SUPER cold last night so it was a LOT harder to shoot than I had thought. I couldn’t see what I had in my frame and I couldn’t see if the flash units were set at the right setting and so on. I got a few really cool shots though so I guess it was a success. Next time I won’t care about the people sleeping nearby and rather take my generator along to give us some light.
My buddie Greg, from Zebra and Giraffe, mailed me last night to show me the article that is being run in One Small Seed. I shot the photographs that are being run in the article and they really came out super. One Small Seed is an amazing magazine and totally worth getting. This is the second article I have contributed to and I really excited to do more for them.
Also, make sure to check out Zebra and Giraffe. I have been popping into their practice sessions and cannot wait to see them play live soon.
I shot a bunch of photographs at Zebra and Giraffe’s band practice last week but its been really busy here and I am sick again so I haven’t had time to sort through them. I really like this one a lot so it is the only one I have resized quick so that I can post on it. Alan Shenton is my partner in Melon Videos and probably my favourite guitarist purely because I don’t think anyone else could have his passion and experimental drive. Here he is rocking a John Mayer signature Fender Strat.
The boys from Zebra and Giraffe are busy practicing together so that they can have a super live show ready soon. Its going to so good I tell you. I interrupted their practice last night and they really are working hard. The album has just started hitting shelves so be sure to get yourself a copy. Check out their video blog on YouTube by clicking here.
On set of the music video that I shot at yesterday for Zebra and Giraffe, I shot some photographs of an actor playing as a mad scientist. I love this portrait and everything about it. The “scientist” is standing in a lab set behind broken glass. The creator of the lab was Martin. I am so bummed that I don’t know what his surname is because he deserves props for one of the craziest things I have ever seen in my life. SO much detail. Amazing. Please send me Martin’s surname if you know it.
Zebra and Giraffe is ready to go and again I am going to push them because I think the album is awesome and going to do super well. Greg Carlin is the brains behind this project and this was my second shoot with him. I really like his ideas and am super excited to be working with him. He was filming a music video yesterday for his first single and these are some of the shots I got in between takes.
The debut album for Zebra and Giraffe is going to be hitting shelves super soon and you really need to look out for it because it is amazing and definitely going to take off in a huge way. Greg Carlin is the mastermind behind the album and I shot some photographs with him on saturday for use with press articles about the album. These are just 4 of the bunch that I shot with him and they are honestly a bunch of my favourites. Remember Zebra and Giraffe or you will miss out.
