Craigslist

I absolutely love craigslist (except when they delete my ads for TFCD gigs almost as soon as I post them). You can find just about anything there. I've found three fantastic hair stylists, an amazing wardrobe stylist, and some pretty cool gigs. I thought the gig for today would be just as cool. So did two other photographers and a videographer, apparently...

My understanding was that I would have 30 minutes to shoot the band leader with four girls in devil/angel theme. Whatever I wanted to do creatively was up to me. When I got there, the manager who had contacted me told me to talk to the lead singer. He was too busy. And because I had worn a white tank top, I blended in with the dozens of other girls there that night wearing white. Four models and one photographer had obviously turned into, "Tell everyone yes just in case someone doesn't show."

Before I left the house, I decided to take my ring flash with me. Unfortunately, I completely forgot that the power cord was not in the case. I packed an extension cord but no power cord... Luckily, I still had three things no other photographer there had: LV and two fast lenses.

After so many freelance gigs that require so little art direction, LV the director was unleashed on that rehearsal space. He told the lead singer to stand more at profile to my camera. The lead singer did. He told the lead singer how to pose with his back up singers, and they did it. I said I wanted all the girls on the couch. LV put them all on the couch. (This is the lighting test with the manager and the craigslist "models.") He told other photographers to get out of my way. He told the band how to stand for their group photo. They did everything he said. At one point, two other guys tried to get in there and direct the models on how to stand. LV ended up fixing the arrangement for them.

I had come into the event thinking that I would be popping and dragging, but the ceilings were so low and the room wasn't dark enough. I just turned the flash off for most of the shoot. This was turning out to be nothing like I had thought I was getting into.

The lead singer was really crazy about LV, though, so hopefully something good will come of all the time I spent on photographing them. I was there for much longer than the 30 minutes I'd been told and ended up with no credits on MySpace. I have to add that to my to-do list...