Creative Halp Plz

[bucky_bacon]

Hey guys

So I’ve been commissioned to provide a photograph for an album cover for a “regional” music artist. He didn’t really specify what he’s looking for, but the title of the album and concept for the photo is “Listen.” The music is kinda moody contemporary rock – like guitar-guy-at-the-party kinda stuff.

I have a few ideas that I want to try, but want to supply him with at least 6-8 photos. So if you creative types have any suggestions that you’d like to provide then I’m, well… listening.

Thanks in advance.

[olavf]

Side profile of a guy with a shave head holding his hand to his ear?

Something like this: http://www.follandfamily.com/TF/farktography/091021.music/guitarist-0930_sm_web.JPG but less cluttered?

As much as I’m afraid to ask, is it possible to link an mp3 of his cover track? That may help.

[CauseISaidSo]

First, that’s really cool! Congrats!

I don’t have any immediate practical ideas, but I’ll throw out the first things that popped into my mind and maybe that’ll spur something else for you. The first thing I thought of was the cover to Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s The Roaring Silence (the album with Blinded By The Light). I seem to remember the original cover being slightly different than that shown on Wikipedia, but I can’t find an image of that version and it’s quite possible my memory isn’t entirely accurate.

The second thing I thought of was Nipper. Maybe some kind of updated but retro version? Does that even still register as an icon to the kids these days?

I know both of those date me pretty badly and neither is practical to shoot, but those were the first two thoughts that popped into my head based on the title. It’s a long shot, but maybe they’ll trigger something more “hip” and practical for you.

[Choc-Ful-A]

You could play with the idea of photographing the opposite of “Listen” as if the idea was “You Should Listen”. Maybe something like a guy in a group of people shouting/tense and having them pretend not to hear. I can see a busy street scene with people rushing to/fro and a guy stopped, trying to get people to listen to him. Just an idea, but inverting the meaning might be interesting.

[Uranus]

street corner & a guy on a soap box…?

[chupathingie]

The second thing I thought of was Nipper. Maybe some kind of updated but retro version? Does that even still register as an icon to the kids these days?

Now that’s funny right there. My first thought was quizicaldog.jpg.

Do you have access to the album tracks? I’d want to listen to the whole thing myself before I started picking up ideas for imagery for a cover. But then I’d not want to do anything with a too-obvious connection to the title, in the hopes that that one guy out there would look at it for the 1000th time and suddenly have the lights come on.

Oh, and congrats! That’s a pretty cool thing to have someone want you to do their album cover for them. 🙂

[bucky_bacon]

As much as I’m afraid to ask, is it possible to link an mp3 of his cover track? That may help.

Unfortunately not. Don’t have anything current to use for reference or inspiration.

The second thing I thought of was Nipper. Maybe some kind of updated but retro version? Does that even still register as an icon to the kids these days?

Ha…. Nipper. Unfortunately NBD did a better job of that already. I did consider dog-with-headphones-on but probably not serious enough. That may trigger something else though. The Manfred Mann may be just a bit too in-your-face.

You could play with the idea of photographing the opposite of “Listen” as if the idea was “You Should Listen”. Maybe something like a guy in a group of people shouting/tense and having them pretend not to hear. I can see a busy street scene with people rushing to/fro and a guy stopped, trying to get people to listen to him. Just an idea, but inverting the meaning might be interesting.

street corner & a guy on a soap box…?

Hmmm… ok maybe a combination of these two. Guy elevated somehow on a busy corner, shoot it long exposure – gotta get a ND filter – guy standing still yelling with all the other people walking by, blurred, ignoring the guy. I like that a lot. Might take some work though.

My current “best” idea is something similar to this –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/somethingmonumental/2090501420/in/photostream/
– but saying “listen” instead. Maybe w/ or w/o model but using a layer of 78s as the background.

Work in progress I suppose. Thanks for the help guys!

[chupathingie]

ooooohhhh….. that last idea with the long exposure is great! +1

[Elsinore]

What about something minimalist? Do you have access to an old reel-to-reel tape machine? Or record player? Or even those huge old headphones (actually, you can still get huge headphones..like they use when they’re mixing music). One of those items on a white field…off set them in one corner, maybe lower right with “Listen” in the upper left?

[bucky_bacon]

I considered something similar, Els. I have several record players, but all “modern.” I would love a clean, eye level shot of a retro stylus sitting on a record, even if it’s not what they’re going for necessarily. I’m going to try to hit up goodwill and see what kind of gear I can find. Either that or set headphones in the corner and have the cord wrap around to frame the border. Hmm… still brainstorming. Really want to try the street corner one.

[orionid]

an old school phonograph.

[Pope_Larry_II]

an old school phonograph.

Like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21883298@N08/5073910378/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21883298@N08/5073910666/in/photostream/

The best part is that it works!

[Curious]

that’s really cool Pope_Larry_II. i shot some photos of my stylus resting on a 33 1/3 album for a contest but it didn’t do to well.

[orionid]

Like this: http://chicagoist.com/2007/04/23/reviewed_andrew_bird_at_the_riviera_theatre.php

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