| Chr!s Sm!th’s Pop Explosion Photo Exhibit @ Lord Nelson | |
Chris has about 20 of his photos on display now at the Lord Nelson in their mezzanine directly above the front desk [if you’re going to pick up your pass you can’t avoid them - so take a few minutes and have a look].
If you’re looking for a photographer for your band, you will be hard pressed to find better. Chris is the kind of guy that will not allow sub-par work to represent himself, he has high standards and when you’re paying someone to do work for you that’s the kind of person you want to be paying. He also really, really likes music. And his pictures are pretty awesome, as you will see for yourself.
The following is an article from today’s Daily News I’ve copied in full as I’m not sure how long their content stays on the their site [Original Link]
Photo exhibit aims to capture musicians’ essence
Photographer, CD designer takes cues from albumsDEAN LISK
When Chris Smith photographs an artist or group, he wants to capture more than just their faces - he wants to capture the spirit of their music.
“Ultimately, it’s about truly capturing the band,” he said. “I sit down and listen to the album over and over - probably more than the band ever will - until something clicks with me.”
An award-winning photographer and designer, Smith - he spells his name CHR!S SM!TH - has been behind the promotional artwork, CD design and performance shots of some of Atlantic Canada’s - and North America’s - most well-known musicians.
A selection of his work, including images of Joel Plaskett, The Novaks and Matt Mays, is on display at the Lord Nelson as part of the Halifax Pop Explosion.
“Sometimes it’s a lyric that clicks with me, and I get an image in my head, and I know what I want to do,” Smith said. “I really try to craft something specific to each band. I don’t make up ideas randomly.”
When it came time to work with ECMA nominee Ross Neilsen, the Newfoundland-born photographer pulled on the title of the musician’s new CD, Early Grave.
“We didn’t want it to be overly morbid,” said Smith, 33. “The album is about the death of loved ones, breakups and there is a New Orleans theme to the music.”
The CD front features a voodoo doll - representing revenge - while the back cover includes an image of Neilsen lying on a morticians table in the same position as the doll.
“It’s a storybook in a way. One side is the beginning and the other is the bad ending,” Smith said. “The art is about the stuff that can lead a young man to an early grave.”
Other images in the show include smooth R&B artist Jamie Sparks being shaved by a woman, and alt-country The Divorcees looking ready to hang the pop-country genre.
Live shots are also included in the show’s images - half of which were part of an exhibit Smith had at the ViewPoint Gallery during last year’s Pop Explosion. They include a Joel Plaskett concert, where the lighting cast a huge shadow over the Dartmouth singer on the stage; and a slightly blurry shot of Motley Crue’s Nikky Sixx, taken when the band played the Halifax Metro Centre.
“Shooting live is about getting that image where everything comes together,” Smith said. “I don’t control the light, so when there is no stage light, I can’t capture it. It’s like listening to something on mute.”
dlisk@hfxnews.ca
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