Thursday 29 July 2010

News Update; July 2010...


Lissie © Michael Robert Williams


I went to see the new American singer Lissie play in London last night. I photographed Lissie recently and her album is one of my favourites at the moment, so I was looking forward to the gig, and I really enjoyed it. It was in the ICA, a great place for a gig as it has an intimate feel. Lissie seemed to enjoy it too and was very relaxed while performing. A highlight for me was 'In Sleep', I love this one on the album, its a little reminiscent of 1970's era Fleetwood Mac - which I have a soft spot for I must admit. We even got a guest during the encore, Ellie Goulding came on to perform a song with Lissie.
It was a really good, relaxing evening after what has been a really busy period. There have been a lot of shoots recently but I'm going to be taking a break for some of August, I'll be away seeing family and friends for a week or so, and I'll be going sailing for a week too.

Its good to stop for a moment now though, I need a break - and its also an opportunity to kinda assess the first half of the year - its been really interesting this year and I've really enjoyed the work. There has been a lot of music shoots, with Kate Nash twice for US & UK magazines, Eliza Doolittle, Biffy Clyro, The Drums, also Lissie of course, and others.
Most recent was photographing La Roux for a cover story for a US magazine as she embarks on her US tour and American promo for her album. That was a really good shoot, I'm really happy with the results. Maybe my best work this year, setting things up nicely for when I return from my breaks away. I guess like many photographers I'm very hard on myself in terms of assessing my own work, but sometimes you know when its gone well and that shoot seemed like the culmination of a few ideas and things I'd been working on this year coming together. I'll post some of the La Roux portraits here or on my portfolio site next week.


Kate Nash © Michael Robert Williams

Mx

Thursday 22 July 2010

Me Profiled In 'Digital SLR User Magazine'.



More shameless
self-promotion in this post I'm afraid...
The new issue of 'Digital SLR User M
agazine' (UK, Cover date August 2010) is out, and has an eight-page profile on my photography. I'm interviewed about my background and my approach to my work, my love of music, and the feature includes a selection of my portraits. The picture above shows the opening spread showing my portrait of Kasabian.

Mx

Monday 12 July 2010

'A Documentation Of The Encounter.'


'
Portraiture in the past has been regarded as a documentation of a person but for me it is a documentation of the encounter between myself and the subject. It is not meant to reveal them, nor is it meant to subject them to an X-ray; it is a departure from that.'
- Steven Klein.