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Brand

With the The New Royalty at Salt Studios

Working with The New Royalty was lots of fun and it gave us all a chance to shoot in a new space down in Asbury Park, New Jersey called Salt Studios. The studio itself is incredible because it has a makeup station, dressing room, kitchenette and a bunch of places to eat nearby. You really can’t beat working in an environment like that. Bands have a special place in my artistic heart. Making music, no matter the genre, comes from persistence and experimentation. Practicing your craft. All of the same elements that go into creating a perfect picture. The artist in both cases creates the work and looks to the next thing in their career. Fulfillment comes executing the idea and awaiting the time when the switch flicks on again.

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This isn’t even packed to capacity. My average shoot leaves room to spare for items like trail mix.

Once again I got all my lenses, bodies, speedlites, transmitter and a BeFree tripod in my tri-backpack. I routinely run out of my house in a hurry and having a “go bag” with everything I need to produce deliverable images is fantastic. I’m no longer lugging around separate bags for every little thing. Two Canon 6D bodies, Sigma 50mm Art, Canon 70-200mm and a Canon 28mm are the usual suspects and I can easily store 3 speedlites, gaffer tape, memory cards in the top zipper compartment. There is room to spare. Something I appreciate as a taller guy is the pack runs the entire length of my back. That helps keep my posture in check and evenly distributes the weight. Additionally, I have been bringing a Wacom tablet with me to several on site retouching gigs. That fits perfectly within the laptop pouch. Thinner books are also an item that easily fits within the pouch.

We did headshots, group shots and a sequence that will be used to create a composite that will be revealed at a later date. The majority of the lighting in this series was done with a ringflash and softbox attachment. The studio has a dark brick wall that is an excellent backdrop. Not needing to setup a backdrop was a huge bonus and let me work at a faster pace. Working with a cohesive group of people, such as a band, involves giving each person their due attention. Bands are a sum of their parts and showcasing each member’s personality is key for me. I make it a point to get one-on-one with each person. Especially drummers since they’re all the way in the back most of the time!

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Headshots of each band member in The New Royalty.

Back to the lighting setup. Since the softbox is fairly large, I keep talking as the shutter snaps so they know I’m liking what I see. No matter how many times a person is in front of the camera, they should be made comfortable and told that things are rocking and rolling. If things are not rocking and rolling, then it’s your job as the photographer to remedy the situation. One technique I use for headshots is saying something like “Each time the flash pops, change your expression.” That gives me the most out of the few minutes with each subject. A smirk, slight eyebrow raise, confident lifting of the chin…all those little cues start to surface.

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Black and white. Always a favorite.

You will see the band in this article, but make sure you listen to them as well: www.thenewroyaltymusic.com

Thank you to Brittany, Nick, Kyle, Billy and Eric for lending your wonderful mugs to this project. And a huge thank you to the one, the only, LEW MONTY for assisting as always.

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That’s a wrap. Time to go home.
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