Although they cater to different senses, photography and music share much in common. In both these arts, timing, rhythm, and mood are key. It's been a while since we've mixed photography and music on the show, so we're particularly excited about today's chat with two photographers who share a passion for documenting musicians and their fans—in particular, devotes of punk and indie rock.
From early memories of being truly moved by music to practical tips about photo access, image rights and restrictions, plus the complexities of organizing your work for a book, the conversation doesn't miss a beat.
So, turn up the volume as Bootsy Holler reminisces about dropping into the Seattle music scene in the early 1990's to capture the raw energy of her favorite bands, now compiled in the book Making It: An Intimate Documentary about the Seattle Indie, Rock and Punk Scene. And Chris Ortiz describes how the house parties he captured at a punk commune in Kansas served as the foundation for his skills as a music photographer with a keen eye for differentiating himself in the photo pit.
As Chris points out when it comes to preparing for a show. "It goes back to knowing that music and knowing the band, and being able to sit back and say, Yes, I am a fan of the band, but I also am professional, so this is what I'm going to look for when the band comes out."
Guests: Bootsy Holler & Chris Ortiz
Episode Timeline:
- 3:20: Bootsy Holler recalls her early days dropping into the Seattle music scene, photographing garage bands and dive bars.
- 9:41: Chris Ortiz talks about his start in photography, and his time photographing house parties at a punk rock commune in Lawrence, Kansas.
- 12:01: The difference between documenting live music and making portraits of musicians, where you need to develop a rapport with your subjects.
- 17:32: A tip of the hat to Chris as a longtime podcast superfan, plus what he's learned from listening to our 10-year archive of shows.
- 20:20: Bootsy's early stylistic influences and its effect on her art and music photography.
- 25:54: The earliest memory of being truly moved by music and the songs Bootsy and Chris were listening to when they truly got it.
- 31:56: Applying the inner feels of music to photographing a concert and connecting with the rhythm to grab key moments.
- 39:00: Negotiating access, shooting from the photo pit vs the side of the stage, plus differentiating your pictures from other photographers' work.
