If you’ve ever heard me give a presentation or speak at an event, then you’ve heard me talk about building a connection with your subjects during a photo shoot.
Music plays a big part in helping to build that connection, so we put a lot of time and effort into making sure the right music is played on set for every shoot. When I photographed Trisha Yearwood, the music was based around country music artist, but when we photographed Queen Latifah recently, we had a DJ on set.
When I received the assignment to photograph five different music artist, from different sectors of the music industry, we had to work a bit harder. During this shoot with Common, Kelly Rowland, Smokey Robinson, Ciara and Yolanda Adams, we made a music mix that included each of their songs. It was fun watching them appreciate the others music, and it helped make an amazing photo session. They were all having so much fun during the photo shoot that it felt like a party at one point. I gave direction to keep the energy contained for sake of the shoot, but I loved how they each interacted with each other.
When the right music is played everyone in the room can feel it, but if your client hates your music selection you could be in for a difficult photo session. Remember you can't play just the music you like, because your clients may hate the music you love. Be aware of what they like, and if you don’t know, don’t be afraid to ask. People won’t always tell you if they don’t like something, but when they love it, you will see it on their face.
Always Dream Bi