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John Lennon and Yoko Ono, September 1980. Photograph by Kishin Shinoyama Photographer Steve Birnbaum has been recreating music historical past by photographing pictures of musicians and bands within the precise location the place they have been initially photographed. The undertaking began in 2010, and since then, he has coated 500 to 600 places capturing from 100 to 150 days in a 12 months. Birnbaum begins with an current photograph of musicians. Subsequent, he tracks down the precise location the place it was shot, positions the photograph in his hand in order that the location within the image and the background line as much as make one seamless composition, after which captures one other photograph. “I began the undertaking again in 2010, working from household images with the identical idea of matching them up with the places they have been taken,” Birnbaum tells PetaPixel. “I used to be impressed by a photographer who was photo-blending warfare pictures with the precise places of as we speak [that he found in a British tabloid].” Led Zeppelin cowl for his or her Bodily Graffiti album. Designed by Peter Corriston. Photograph by Elliot Erwitt Birnbaum tries to keep away from going surfing and seeing the place the spot is as it could take the enjoyable out of it. He likes to problem himself to scour by interviews, researching the photographers, the timeline of the musicians throughout sure durations, and different strategies. However, at occasions, he can even comb by Google Maps going road to road, on the lookout for the situation and attempting to match it up. Steve Birnbaum photographing close to Central Park, New York Metropolis Generally there’s a collection of images of the identical musician in the identical location, however sometimes every location is exclusive to the {photograph}.
“I personally discover inspiration from being in the identical location that they as soon as stood,” Birnbaum says. Birnbaum’s favourite images are from artists who’ve impressed him essentially the most: Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Creating the Composite Picture Utterly in Digital camera “More often than not, I print out the photograph myself [at Staples] from on-line sources,” explains Birnbaum. “I at all times print them out earlier than I am going to the situation. Sometimes, I’ll use an precise album cowl, like Simon and Garfunkel’s Biggest Hits, as a substitute of printing out {a photograph}. “They fluctuate in measurement, every little thing from 5×7 to eight×10, and I at all times search for the very best high quality picture earlier than I print them. If the one picture out there is low-res or has a watermark throughout it that impedes the {photograph}, I gained’t use it.” Steve Birnbaum photographing in NYC Birnbaum prints out the photograph on heavy card inventory that’s not too thick. He likes having the flexibleness to bend and place the {photograph} a bit if wanted to match it up higher with the situation. That is particularly essential if the location has modified fairly a bit and has new landmarks and objects that he could have to work round. “There are numerous issues that play into that [whether he holds the photo from the sides or the bottom center],” says Birnbaum as he explains his positioning method. “Primarily attempting to get one of the best grip to carry the photograph regular whereas lining up the digicam and attempting to not get hit by a automotive.
Bruce Springsteen 1978 in Haddonfield NJ. Photograph by Frank Stefanko Elvis Presley with followers exterior CBS TV Studio 50 stage door on March seventeenth 1956. Photograph by Alfred Wertheimer “I believe my photos are best whenever you see me holding the unique pictures within the spots the place they have been taken, then you definately take a look at the clean body of what the situation appears to be like like now. “I’ve began doing that extra not too long ago and it actually has an impact on individuals. Particularly the photographs of people who find themselves now not with us. There’s one thing fantastically eerie about it. The precise emotion I hope comes throughout when my photos.” Kurt Cobain at his Los Angeles dwelling in 1992. Photograph by Guzman Though the ultimate picture is a composite of an image in an image, every little thing should be created within the digicam and never in publish. There isn’t a digitally shifting the photograph in a while to make it align higher. Birnbaum could make small changes to images inside Instagram, however that’s it — Photoshop or another modifying program is an enormous no-no to him.
A lot of the shoots are accomplished on Sundays as there are few parked vehicles that Birnbaum has to combat with within the composition. The Ramones, 1977 for the quilt of their album Rocket to Russia. Photograph by Danny Fields. Ramones on the Sundown Marquis Lodge in 1977. Photograph by Danny Fields. David Bowie, January tenth 1997 exterior of Tea and Sympathy NYC. This picture was taken after his fiftieth Birthday gig at MSG. Photograph by Kevin Cummins. Avril Lavigne for the quilt of her 2002 album Let Go. NYC. Photograph by John Arsenault Even when the unique photograph is shot at night time, Birnbaum prefers to shoot it throughout the day. “It gives higher readability of the unique {photograph},” says Birnbaum. “And there’s a pleasant juxtaposition for the viewer to see what the situation appears to be like like now vs. what it appeared like when the {photograph} was initially taken, and daytime is one of the simplest ways to do this, I discover.”
Prince for the quilt of his album Purple Rain, 1984. Taken on the backlot of Warner Bros Studios. Photograph by Rob Slenzak Birnbaum additionally prefers B&W to paint. “B&W images work effectively for what I do,” he explains. “It provides a extra historic really feel to these pictures, having usually been shot a long time in the past. As a private desire, I like black and white images anyway.” John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 1973 in NYC. Photograph by Bob Gruen Connecting with Photographers and Musicians Birnbaum tags the unique photographer when he posts the picture to his account @thebandwashere. This has resulted in lots of memorable relationships with photographers. Nonetheless, he by no means contacts them beforehand to ask the place the images have been shot. Foo Fighters in 1997. Los Angeles CA. photograph by Dan Winters
Infamous B.I.G, Summer time 94 Brooklyn NY. Photograph by David McIntyre Will Smith, nonetheless from the opening credit of Recent Prince of Bel Air “Justin [Bieber] mentioned he actually preferred what I used to be doing and to stick with it and was wanting ahead to seeing extra posts,” mentions Birnbaum proudly. Christopher Stein, the co-founder, guitarist of the new wave band Blondie and an completed photographer, has been “tremendous sort” about what Birnbaum is doing. Bob Dylan for the quilt picture of his 1965 album Freeway 61 Revisited. Photograph by Daniel Kramer The Doorways, 1969 in Los Angeles CA. Photograph by Henry Diltz. Henry Diltz is a music photographer who has shot greater than 250 album covers and 1000’s of publicity pictures within the ’60s and ’70s, together with the enduring Morrison Lodge cowl for The Doorways.
“It’s been wonderful to have a reference to him [Diltz] by social media and the photographs of his I’ve used,” says Birnbaum. “He’s been so gracious to advertise the pictures I’ve shot and what I do and share them on his web page. Nirvana’s In Utero liner Art work. Photograph taken in 1992 by Kurt Cobain. Ice Dice, 1991 movie nonetheless or on set photograph from the Boyz N The Hood Film. Directed by John Singleton Jay Z, nonetheless for his music video for 99 Issues. Directed by Mark Romanek “It’s good when photographers I look as much as reply positively like Henry.” Different photographers Birnbaum has bonded with are Chris Floyd, Justin Borucki, Sam Erickson, Guido Harari, Tom Sheehan, Dan Winters, and Danny Clinch. Birnbaum has by no means obtained a grievance from any of the photographers he has featured in his undertaking, and plenty of have inspired him to maintain it going.
The Grateful Useless, Might fifth 1968 on the bandshell in Central Park. Photograph by Joe Sia Michael Jackson on the Griffith Observatory in 1979. Photograph by Michael Salisbury Madonna, 1983 NYC. Photograph by Richard Corman Professional Digital camera Versus Smartphone “I began utilizing a Canon 5D Mark IV however discovered it too cumbersome to carry the photograph in my hand and the [large and heavy] digicam within the different,” says the music photographer. “So, I switched to an iPhone 11 with a Manfrotto 18mm lens attachment and have used that going ahead. “Utilizing the iPhone additionally helps me offload the photograph faster and make it extra ‘prompt’ and accessible to the social platform. Sure, I add straight from my iPhone to Instagram, however I don’t at all times publish the photograph I shot immediately after I’m nonetheless within the location. “Once I exit to shoot, I are inclined to shoot a batch of images over the course of a day [never a quick grab shot], and I publish a few occasions of the week… I don’t wish to bombard individuals with too many posts every week. Additionally, if I do know an anniversary, delivery, demise, album launch, or a historic occasion associated to the {photograph} is developing, I’ll maintain the publish till then.” Woody Guthrie, 1943 at McSorley’s Previous Ale Home for LIFE Journal. Photograph by Eric Schaal
Sheryl Crow, 1997. Nonetheless from her music video for “A Change Will Do You Good”. Directed by Lance Accord and Sheryl Crow Miles Davis 1969 in NYC. Photograph by Glen Craig Many individuals have requested a couple of potential guide, and that’s one thing Birnbaum would like to do sooner or later, however he isn’t certain if or when it’s going to occur and what the method can be at this level. Birnbaum is an expert filmmaker (documentaries, commercials, and music movies) working exterior of Philadelphia and New York Metropolis. He has additionally accomplished nonetheless pictures, notably the Harley Davidson social and print marketing campaign for his or her electrical bike and Hellmann’s Actual Mayonnaise. Tupac, 1994 in Los Angeles. Photograph by Mike Miller Jim Morrison and his canine Stone, 1968, exterior the Ennis Home situated at 2607 Glendover Ave Los Angeles. Photograph by Paul Ferrara Bob Dylan and Suze Rotolo, February 1963 on Jones Road and West 4th NYC. Photograph by Don Hunstein
Radiohead, 1996 in NYC. Photograph by Roy Tee “A part of my ardour for this undertaking is to share with individuals a variety of music, some they is probably not aware of till they see my publish,” says Birnbaum. “I hope to share my wide selection of musical tastes as effectively. “The opposite essential factor to me is to focus on these wonderful photographers who’ve impressed me in my profession. Hopefully, it’s going to open their work to a brand new viewers and can assist cement their wonderful images as essential to music and cultural historical past.” “The response has been actually optimistic. It’s a solution to keep artistic whereas engaged on larger tasks in my profession that take longer, and I’ve an inventory of locations I’d like to journey to exterior of NYC and LA [Washington DC recently, with hope for Japan and England in the future] the place most of my images have been shot. So, I plan to stick with it so long as all these align.” In regards to the writer: Phil Mistry is a photographer and trainer primarily based in Atlanta, GA. He began one of many first digital digicam courses in New York Metropolis at The Worldwide Middle of Images within the 90s. He was the director and trainer for Sony/Well-liked Images journal’s Digital Days Workshops. You’ll be able to attain him right here. Picture credit: All images by Steve Birnbaum
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