soft focus

Musician Portraits for Scott Foster’s New CD

Scott Foster is coming out with a new CD, and we created some awesome images for his project.  We started in the studio and then moved to one of my favorite outdoor locations.

This first image is very captivating.  The expression is great and the selective focus is real, created in camera and not in post-production.  There’s something so great about true, organic, soft-focus and selective focus.  This image is reminiscent to me of a Rolling Stone interview portrait.

Everything we created in the portrait studio was done with the mindset of being different and unique.  A CD has to stand out and almost ask to be picked up, and the images have to do that.  I used a very edgy fashion lighting style on these to create a different look, mixed with a unique stance and fun background.

We then switched it up to Scott playing his electric guitar, again with selective focus before moving outside.

We then went on location to one of my favorite places because it’s so far from anywhere.  As far as you look on the horizon, you won’t see civilization.  We are really in the middle of nowhere, and the colors and textures are so great!  I really like the lines in this particular image, and how they all work with the guitar’s neck.

And here’s the same image in a multi-toned black and white version, because it just looks so cool!  The textures really pop this way.

I love working outside and using the clouds and terrain in Utah.  They add so much drama to an outdoor image if you know how to light it.  Shooting in the desert with exposed sun is very difficult to do well — which is why I love it so much.  Few people can create images like this in direct sunlight.  There is a trend amongst new photographers to call themselves “Natural Light” photographers, because they don’t know lighting and can’t work inside and can’t work outside unless it is in shade or the sky is overcast.  There is no control and their images all look flat and dull.

Contrast that look with these images.  They have depth, they have real highlights and shadows, the colors are real and dynamic, and the sky and scene has drama, and all the lines and colors all work together.  There is no “plastic” looking photoshop effects.  Everything is real and because of that, you feel like you can step into these images.

We ended the shoot with Scott walking away, feeling that this could perhaps be the back of the CD or a foldout page inside.  It gives room for text and design work.

 

And here is the same image, but in my special multi-toned black and white.  Both are so cool!  Which one do you like?

Well, I can’t wait to see the final CD design and hear all the new recordings that Scott has been working on.  He is a great musician and a real artist and it was fun to be able to create this images for him.

If you’d like to check out his music and get his new CD, his website is TheRealScottFoster.com.

Well thanks for looking and if you need some new portraits for your project, business, or family, give me a call.  801-728-3317.  And browse my main website, BryCox.com and my blog at BryCox.com/blog.