I had the pleasure of not only getting to photograph this portrait of Eric Krasno Band, but I was able to hang and relax back stage while the band warmed up and relaxed (I event got to sing some Grateful Dead songs with them).
To say this group of humans is down to earth is a understatement. They may be the nicest group of people I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Since the phrase “jamband” came into my life, Eric Krasno has been one of the few guitarists that ever inspired me to become a better guitar player myself. From Soulive to Lettuce, to many sit ins at Catskill Chill, Krasno has been one of those guitar players that never gets old to me.
When I heard the first single off his first solo album, I was instantly hooked. I anticipated the album and couldnt wait to see what his band would be made of. Needless to say I was not disappointed. My first show was at The Hamilton in Washington DC a few months back as a patron. I didn’t want to shoot. I wanted to sit, eat, drink, dance, and enjoy every ounce of music they created on that stage. And me and my beautiful girlfriend did just that.
This time around, the opportunity to come to my favorite city (Philadelphia) and experience the band in the raw atmosphere that Ardmore Music Hall allows, was the perfect way to photographic the intensity that they create on stage.
This portrait wasn’t hard but it wasn’t easy either. The band, easy, the environment, not so much. We moved tables, beer bottles, concert posters and so much more to make a scene that wasn’t cliche’ or predictable. But still that wasn’t enough. Before giving the idea myself, they came to me with the concept of making the entire background a solid color. Which I quickly agreed to. 16 hours, 12 layers and a true test to my eduction in photo manipulation later, the portrait was complete. We shot about 23 photos of them on the couch. In a few different positions but the final one was the best. It wasn’t until someone (who I will not name) made a funny joke and made Mary chuckle a bit. Eric picked that one as the best of the batch.
I hope you the photo as much as I do. It’s honest. And shows the true comfort of these people around each other in their musical environment.
— Below on the left is the final edited image, on the right, the original file, straight out of camera —
Photo info:
Canon 5Diii
Canon 24-70 L F2.8 (at 40mm)
F stop: 2.8
Shutter: 1/125
ISO: 1600
(1) Nikon SB800 off to the left faced up bounced off the ceiling
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