Christmas Themed Trumpet Photographs

As a Commercial and Industrial Photographer, I am always looking at different ways to photograph products and create something that is a little different.  Leading up to Christmas this year, I have had the pleasure of working with Andrew Jones of Music For You and we spent a couple of hours in my studio taking photographs of his trumpets.  The trumpet is a beautiful instrument and the three that Andrew brought along for the shoot were so different in colour and even shape.  We wanted to do something for Christmas and so after rummaging around in the loft I managed to find some Christmas decorations and the fun then began.

We aimed for simplicity and producing clean, sharp and uncluttered images that he could use leading up to Christmas.  The trumpet remained the focal point in every photograph, but I think we created something that is just a little different.

The Christmas set of photographs are on my website and you can also see some posted on Andrew’s Music For You Facebook site.

SLaM Rehearsing at the Green Rooms

The cracked cymbal of the Heavy Metal band SLaM

Armed with ear plugs and my camera, I was invited by SLaM to get some photographs of them rehearsing in The Green Rooms studios in Treforest, South Wales.  Riff Clitchard had told me that they were a heavy metal band, which wasn’t my usual musical preference, but I do like a little rock.  The studio was quite compact, with awful lighting that wasn’t conducive to the best photography, but you have to work with what you’ve got.  I didn’t want to use a flash as I wanted to be as inconspicuous as I could be.  Well, as a photographer can ever be pointing a lens at people.

Rif and his two fellow bands mates, Mave Dustaine and Whorley Chatts were great.  They’ve got experience in the music industry and have a plan.  I hope to help them with that plan.

After a little warmup, SLaM slammed into some heavy guitar riffs with the drums thrashing out the rhythm.  It was awesome.  The energy is the room was buzzing and you could tell that Riff, Mave and Whorley just loved playing.  I clicked away with my Canon 5D, changing the lens to a fisheye at one stage to get some ‘different’ shots and hopefully captured some of the character of the band.  Several times I had to force myself to stop tapping my foot to the music.  For someone who was brought up on Ska and Mod music, I was enjoying this far too much.  But, then again, this was good stuff.

A great way to spend a Saturday evening and I can’t wait to work with the band again.  Despite the earplugs, my ears are still ringing!

Click here to see more photographs of the session.