Featured Collection Member of the Month – March 2010

: 30th Mar 2010
: 0 comments

Taylor Swift live in Manchester, 2009

This month we are introducing a new feature to our Newsletter dedicated to our World Photography Collection Members, the Featured Collection Member of the Month. The World Photography Collection is one of the most sophisticated global marketing tools for photographers and has been created to help photographers from around the world market themselves internationally and have their work promoted to galleries, collectors and creative professionals worldwide. This month we have chosen to feature music photographer Christie Goodwin, who works with some of the most famous artists in the world. We asked Christie some questions about life as a music photographer, and we got some very insightful responses...

Tell us about your work as a music photographer... What does it involve?

I believe the most important tool for photography before anything else is “passion”. You need to have a passion for your subject, whatever it is you are shooting. I’m a photographer and I specialise in music. Live music, studio, garage, stadium, whatever! That’s what I love. To me, capturing moments during music is both challenging and rewarding. I’ve been into music all my life. I’m not very good at music, but I’m very passionate about it – singing, playing, listening to, watching, all of those aspects combined into an experience rather than just a song playing on your radio. I’ve always had a love for capturing images since I got my first SLR at the age of 12. I was always taking pictures either in my head, on film or now using digital cameras. Then I went on and studied art photography because I dreamt of becoming an artist. You know the one who lives in an arty loft and starts drinking wine at lunch time outside on the terrace in the sun to soak up inspiration and then got on to create some mind blowing art. Reality caught up on me, and I realized soon that that was no way to make a living. So I had two passions in life, one being photography and the other music, so I combined those two passions and made it my job. When I say “job” what I actually mean is hobby. That’s why it has taken me some time to accept that I’m a “real” music photographer, and not a pretend one. It’s a weird feeling when you finally get to do those things you really love, and they even pay you to do it. Music photography to me is not just documenting a performance or capturing an artist in the best light for his promotional use. My aim is to capture the artist’s passion, emotions, the whole artistic vibe of the person. Musicians are vulnerable souls who strive for approval, approval from the audience and their fans mostly. They are fascinating creatures to explore, and I love to dig deep under the façade that everyone gets to see and capture what lies beneath. 30% of my work is editorial work for photo agencies such as Getty, Redferns, LFI and Dalle. 70% of my work is commissioned work for the artists themselves. My work gets used for their CD or DVD covers, tour programmes, and merchandise, and sometimes I make a slideshow on music of their choice which they use as bonus material on their DVD’s.

What has been the highlight of your career in photography so far?

I have had quite some highlights in my career so far. It’s always very rewarding to see the artistic way your work has been put to use by the client. Also the relationships you built with these artists and when you get to become almost like a family member of their tour company is certainly one of the nice things of this job, especially when it’s an artist you admire. Touring with Taylor Swift was one of my recent highlights. I’ve been very impressed by the professionalism and craftsmanship of this young woman. She is a perfectionist and a gifted entertainer, and it was a real honour for me to witness that from close by.

You are a Member of the World Photography Collection. Why did you join and how do you think it will benefit you?

I haven’t joined any organisations so far because usually they are limited to one specific field of photography or are bound to a specific country. I felt the World Photography Collection offered a global platform to connect with photographers around the world. I hope my field of work can be an interesting addition to the wide pallet of photography that WPC represents. Because of my art education I feel I am not just a photographer but an artist as well, and that’s why I am hoping to diversify my work, so it is not limited to just commercial work, but over time I can have my work appreciated as art as well.

Melanie Philippe (Manager, World Photography Collection) tells me you are organising a workshop in May. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

When I still lived in Belgium I gave master classes on a regular basis at the art school I graduated from. I feel it is important to share your knowledge and experiences with photographers who are starting out. Recently I’ve had requests from young photographers who were interested in me teaching them a bit more about what I do. That’s why I have decided to give master classes again. There are many music lovers who would love to pick up concert photography. You get to see all the concerts you like, you are up, close and personal with your idols, and it looks all part of a glam jet set life style. But what they don’t realize is that live concert photography is one of the toughest disciplines of photography to master. I have now set up a one-day program where in the morning I will hold a master class on music photography, both live concert photography as well as studio work. The afternoon is a workshop where the participants can try out what they have learned for real. I have invited a rock band who will be the subject of a studio shoot and each participant gets the chance to shoot the rock band with the mission to create a cover shot. Each participant can enter 1 picture into the Master Class competition of which the best one will be selected. The winner will receive a copy of “Three Songs, No Flash!: Your Ultimate Guide to Concert Photography” (Hardcover) by Loe Beerens.

I am delighted to offer my World Photography Collection colleagues the exclusive discount of 15% off the cost of the upcoming master class in London. Please mention WPC when you book. For more information on the Master Class, please contact Patrick@christiegoodwin.com

Do you have any upcoming projects that you would like our community to know about?

I am looking at a very busy summer. I’ve been commissioned to shoot several festivals this summer, and I will also cover a couple of live tours and concerts. I’m also negotiating the possibility of book deal about Heavy Metal. But what I am really looking forward to is working on and off stage with Rage Against The Machine in London. When Rage Against the Machine secured 2009’s Christmas number 1 over Joe McElderry, Rage Against The Machine committed themselves to play a free gig in appreciation to everyone in the UK who supported the RAGE. I’ve been commissioned by their management to cover this exciting experience.

What are your hopes for your future in the photography industry?

I’m actually not happy with the current face of music photography. Today musicians too often get portrayed as movie stars, and the images we get to see have lost all sense of identity. I don’t like that sense of globalisation. My work often gets described as being different because I don’t do these clean cut editorial shoots but aim to capture the true identity of the musician. I hope I can pursue to capture iconic images and hope in time to transform the current face of music photography. I’m a woman with a mission and I hope I will succeed in my mission.

Melanie Philippe, Manager of the World Photography Collection says: "We are very excited to have Christie as a Collection Member. She is a well established photographer who pro-actively creates fantastic opportunities not only for herself but for other photographers through delivering workshops that draw on her knowledge and experience."

For more information on Christie Goodwin, please visit www.christiegoodwin.com

Featured Collection Member of the Month - March 2010 - 1