Music Photography Research - Jill Furmanovsky

Jill Furmanovsky is a professional photographer that that is best known for her photographs of famous rock bands such as Oasis and Pink Floyd, to Reggae artist Bob Marley. She has been a professional photographer since 1972 and set up Rockarchive.com to showcase and sell photo prints of professional photographers in 1998.

This photograph of Carlos Santana is quite unlike other shots of him playing live. The usual shots you get are of Santana playing his guitar, maybe mid solo, pulling faces to make ‘Dramatic Pictures’. However Furmanovsky went a different way with the way she wanted to capture this artist, she decided to take a picture of Santana tuning his guitar mid song to add a touch of ‘Elegance’ to the shot.

The photograph works really well in its simplicity and shows a different side to this fast playing guitar god, instead of a dramatic shot you have him at peace with his guitar, as if he and the instrument are one being, working together to make his music.

Quotations from:-

-http://www.rockarchive.com/carlos-santana_photo_print_cs001jf.html

This photograph of Pink Floyd shows a behind the scenes look at the band, with everyone relaxed and sitting around, maybe pre-gig. Furmanovsky was still only a first year college student when she had the chance to take this picture of the band showing a less experienced shot that some of her later work. However the photograph is a ‘rare shot from that period’ which is why she chose to include it in her 30 year celebration collection.

I think this shot works really well, as unlike the majority of music photography it isn’t of the band playing; it is a behind the scenes look at how the band is when they are not on stage. It could just be a simple photograph of a group of friends for anyone who was unfamiliar with the band which is something that I think really brings this photo to life.

Quotations from:-

http://www.rockarchive.com/pink-floyd_photo_print_pf004jf.html