DMTNT

DMTNT 2011

Aaaand we're back. I love the new site for so many reasons. It's bold, it's beautiful, and does a great job of showing off the work without too many bells and whistles. Unfortunately, it's just wasn't a good fit for the blog, so RedTown has returned to its happy home and I have to say, it feels really good.


And to kick off our return, I'm happy to post some photos from a recent shoot I did for a good friend's band DMTNT This duo turn out some pretty intense electronic metal which sounds pretty amazing.  I totally dig their adventurous soundscapes that are both technical and challenging while just skirting the edge of aural overload. You really should check out their tracks but to get the full effect you really have to see them perform live.


I instantly knew going into this shoot was that I wanted to pay homage another electro/guitar shredding duo whom I'm really big into: RATATAT.

Ratatat

I often reference other photos I love in the work I do. Not only am I inspired by great photography (as I think all good photographers are) but I often find that when I see a photo I love, I want one of my own in my portfolio. While I consider these two photos to be very different from each other, I think it goes without saying that the inspiration is clear. This isn't to say that I'm always trying to make my own facsimile of someone else's photography when I work. And I'm certainly not trying to make any claims that mine is an improvement over the original. In fact, one of the key things I love about Ratatat's photo is it's retro snapshot quality, which is clearly absent from mine (I think it's fascinating how I'm drawn to photographs whose style IS so different from my own). But I do argue that being open to other photographers' work and acknowledging how the images you respond to the most affect your own vision is a good thing.

Normally I like to go into any shoot having already worked out any technical unknowns. It looks bad when you show up for a shoot and don't have the slightest idea how you're going to get the image. But when you're working with friends, sometimes you just want to try things without worrying about how unprofessional it might look. If ever there is a time to make mistakes and try to learn a new process, this is the time to do it right?


This shoot was challenging in that I'd never shot a photo where the main source of light was from a projector. There were some instant unknowns like just how much light does a projector put out? Will I have to shoot super wide open and still only be able to hope for 1/4 sec shutter speed? Then there were conceptual issues to work out.  I knew from the beginning that I wanted to project a barcode, but somewhere between first concept of the photo to execution, I had complicated the idea by wanting to project weird color charts, or old Magnum press b&w photos. Once I tested out all these alternate ideas and found them all to suck and returned the original concept, it all just clicked. Not only was the graphic quality of the black and white lines eye catching, but it was a far more symbolically appropriate image that fit better than any of the other images that night.

early reject

The key to this shoot was to approach it with a firm idea, but be flexible to change my vision when challenges presented themselves. Frankly, the final product is miles away from what I originally imagined, (the original concept included a fog machine and more lights) but because I knew where I ultimately wanted to take this photo, and was able to learn as I went along, I was able to create something that surprised and excited me while staying close to my original concept - an important skill when working for any client.

After nailing the money shot, I had 2 more portraits I wanted to do for the fellas:

And that's it! It was a fun night full of learning and making some killer photos. A big thanks to DMTNT for being super chill and hugely patient while working out the technical details of the shoot on the spot and for being able to hang for hours until we got it in the can. Check out DMTNT's music and be sure to check back here on the blog as I have much to catch up on and plan to be posting more in the coming days/weeks.

It feels good to be back!