A newcomer onto the music photographer list is Antony Balsko, he has often worked for major corporations such as Nike, Powerade and Jordan Brand therefore having the photography experience. Balsko recently completed a shoot for J Cole and American rapper, producing an excellent example of an album cover. The soft toning and colours combine well and using the classic low angle which has been used many times in the past as it make the artist look bigger.
Ian Dickson was a popular choice for photography commission work, working with many rock and roll band and individuals such as The Jam, Rod Stuart and David Bowie. After taking a design course in the Newcastle Collage of Art he bought a second-hand camera and caught the photography buzz. He soon moved to London with Roxie Music, where he accomplished many of his most famous work. He has managed to capture different perspectives of the artists, wether at home or performing on stage.
Famous for his simple designs and use of common shapes Mark Farrow has been enlisted by bands such as the Pet Shop Boys and Spiritualized. Farrow’s designs are amazingly simple however extremely simple. Top right is a photograph of an extremely limited release, however the design features 12, 3inch CDs and is packaged in the style of a regular pills packed, plastic mould with a sealed foil overlay. Farrow is great at working with the regular and producing something different and exciting.
Peter Saville was born in England in 1955, he became an art director designing record sleeves for Factory Records. The most prominent of Saville’s designs where for Joy Division and New Order. Peter Saville’s work often consisted of geometric shapes and patterns. I first heard of Peter Saville once I discovered Kanye West’s album covers where largely inspired by Saville’s former work.
Storm Elvin Thorgerson was an English graphic designer, he is renowned for his work with various rock artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Nik Kershaw. Thorgerson’s designs are known for being out of the ordinary therefore being regarded as one of the bestsellers albs designers in the world. The album cover for Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon was widely acknowledged as one of the bestsellers album covers ever. In my opinion Thorgerson has worked with some of the biggest names in music therefore he has been one of the leading pioneers.
Andy Warhol was an American artist one of the pioneers in the art movement known as pop art. Among his work with Marilyn Monroe and Coca Cola, Warhol also produced numerous amounts of work for the music industry. Creating pieces of work with the John Lennon, The Rolling Stones and Billy Squier which are some of the all time greats in the music industry. Warhol combined vibrant colours and famous fonts to create some of the best album covers ever produced. In many of the record sleeves Warhol uses the artist face which also seems a vey common pattern with other record sleeves produced.
Warhol’s work explores the relationships between artistic expression, celebrity culture, and advertising that flourished by the 1960s.
Jon Hoeg has been on tour with Australian rock band 5 Seconds of Summer and also documented New Politics touring venues. Hoeg is especially good at taking pre and post performance blended photos. Hoeg is renowned for his experimental use with double exposure photography, this is a photographical technique that combines multiple images into one. Double exposure photography can be used to great effect when trying to show movement within a still photograph, therefore working well within the music industry. Hoeg has also completed some studio based work, this is often no the first choice for contemporary photographers however the use of gels in front of a flash can create different tensions within a photo.
One of the leading Photographers for bands All Time Low and Mayday Parade is Thomas Falcone. Producing not necessarily the obvious cover art but capturing emotions and adrenaline when the bands are performing live. Falcone is great at capturing the in-between moments when the musicians are catching their breath or alternatively in the middle of a guitar solo. This adds up to create a powerful and skilled photographer and also the reason why he is considered one of the top 50 greatest music photographers right now. He has been chosen to go on tour with Mayday Parade which is a privilege in its own. My evaluation is he’s a very tainted photographer who uses wide angle shots to get as close to the action as possible however also combines that with some traditional band shots and portrait work.
Casey McPerry is a contemporary photographer who has completed lots of commission work for Machine Gun Kelly, including album covers and music videos. McPerry also travelled as Machine Gun Kelly’s tour Photographer, therefore getting to know the rapper enabling a more personal touch to the photographs he has produced. Although only being 24 years of age Casey McPerry has had plenty of experience within the photography side of the music industry. My personal opinion is that being so young it has enabled McPerry to relate to the young musicians and making them more comfortable. This is key if you are to produce successful images which no one has seen. This is because you are able to reveal a more relaxed side of the artist that is uncommon due to all the stress which is a consequence of the fame.
TomWellsPhotos 