I had arranged with Ralph to arrive at the practice later than last time, aiming to arrive in the break at 9pm. As I approached I could slowly hear the swell of music increase with each footstep. I stopped outside the door not wanting to interrupt. I admired the surroundings of the village as the music spilled out, making my entrance at the most appropriate oppertunity. The band were a little bigger this time and so some faces weren’t familiar with me being there. I don’t think the people who knew who I was were particularly happy with me returning either.
Before arriving I had taken some notes on things I needed to try and do; shoot people face on, get more female shots, get more arranged photos, use the curtains for framing and colour, try group shots, take names and overexpose. The same problems occurred as last time however. The gaps available for me to stand in are very limited but I tried my best to stick to the rules I had written.
Once they had stopped playing I managed to get into conversation with Emma, one of the cornet players on the front row. She told me about the layout of the band, which players played where and some insight into their instruments. I felt as thought this broke some ground and I managed to get talking about the idea of making a photo book, mentioning some Hoxton Mini Press books. After this I asked if her and another cornet player Emma would pose for some stand alone photos holding their instruments. I don’t feel particularly confident on these images in hindsight, as there was little room to compose an interesting shot. However I’m glad I began to give direction, as now I feel I can create similar situations with the other players. I managed to get into a similar conversation with Andrew, who played baritone. I am more confident in the images I managed to get of him but I definitely needed more female shots.
In all, I think my grandiose ideas have shrunken somewhat, probably because of the small percentage of the band I have covered with almost two rolls of film. Although, in some ways this is a positive thing. It will not be a quick job that needs no time or attention. If I want a certain quality of photographs I will have to work for them and communicating with the band and asking question is the main way I can earn the trust and represent them as best I can.
The lack of images I have taken at the second sessions has also led me to take a second look at the first roll of film. I may put more effort into some of the images I wouldn’t have initially brought forward and see if I can edit them closer to the aesthetic I have established. I need to remember that the images can be raw and not always polished. I am capturing what happens in the room in every shot regardless and maybe sometimes that is not best represented by a perfectly framed or exposed image but by character and information.
A J Carlton 