Rate The Promo Pic

Rick Blanc · #1 09-17-2003, 09:26 AM

here it is

Bruce Lindfield · #2 09-17-2003, 09:41 AM

It looks a bit "gloomy" - as in about to rain very hard and you, personally, look very fed up in the middle there!!

While it looks like a professional band, it is not very inspiring and has a strange "down" atmosphere.

Sorry if thsi sounds negative - but I'm just trying to be honest and help with feedback.

My view would be to try it again on a Sunny day or try for some studio lighting, to brighten it up...oh and try to catch everybody when they at least look as if they're talking to each other!!

thumbtrap · #3 09-17-2003, 10:09 AM

Is that Elliot Ness on the back row in the middle?

wulf · #4 09-17-2003, 10:30 AM

I don't think you look quite as gloomy as Bruce suggests but you could certainly do with using a graphics package to adjust the brightness, colour and intensity of the image.

It would also be good to think about what the elements in the picture are saying. For example, the car looks pretty smart but the garage in the background and the tarmac look quite run down - are you aiming at run down places. If not, then a new location or some 'digital decorating' may be in order.

Likewise, you're all wearing fairly sober looking clothes - quite respectable - but it's nothing like a uniform. I'm not necessarily advocating monkey suits, but something like 'everyone with jacket and a tie' or 'reddish shirt, dark trousers' might make the group look more coherent.

Finally, were the band members originally in the photo? It may just be the way it appears on my screen but there's something about the lighting and the way they fit on the back ground which looks as if they might have been added later.

I won't give you an X/10 rating, but those are my (critical but hopefully constructive) thoughts.

Wulf

Bruce Lindfield · #5 09-17-2003, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wulf
For example, the car looks pretty smart but the garage in the background and the tarmac look quite run down - are you aiming at run down places. If not, then a new location or some 'digital decorating' may be in order.

I think this was part of my overall 'gloomy' feeling about the picture - so the garage door at the bottopm right, is quite prominent and looks like green 'mildew' - if that's the right expression - damp and dank!

And thr grey, broken tarmac in the foreground, further gives off this run-down feeling.

CS · #6 09-17-2003, 10:41 AM

I personally have a real problem the whole 'holding instruments' deal. Now all six of you levered into that car would look cool.

Avoid holding instruments unless it's a gig pic.

Avoid brick walls.

All IMHO

**rickbass** · #7 09-17-2003, 10:46 AM

Hey! A band that's smart enough not to pose in front of a brick wall!

Rick - I like the fact that your image doesn't pigeon-hole you guys, even though you have that beautiful Imperial in the background. It still doesn't say "rockabilly band."

Also, I didn't know Huey Lewis plays sax in your band!

The only thing I don't think that serves you well are the garage and the beat driveway.

Personally, I like night shots, especially since that's when you play and they add a little "mystery." But, that's just a personal preference and a lot of good photogs won't do `em.

mcdeath · #8 09-17-2003, 02:42 PM

Frankly I think the photo would go better as a sepia toned B&W photo. Something to give the impression of old-aged newsprint. It could even be bordered by fake newsprint to make it look like a photo cut out of a newspaper.

ed

jive1 · #9 09-17-2003, 02:55 PM

The photo is OK. Something to keep in mind: alot of times a great promo pic doesn't translate well to newsprint or photocopy. Take a look and see if this picture will work well for various print media. Sometimes the picture can look blurry, or the contrast between differnt objects in the photo can be lost when going from one media to another.

NJL · #10 09-17-2003, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mcdeath
Frankly I think the photo would go better as a sepia toned B&W photo. Something to give the impression of old-aged newsprint. It could even be bordered by fake newsprint to make it look like a photo cut out of a newspaper.

ed

this made me start to like it. i think the lettering should be on the bottom with a white backgroud (i'm a lil' traditional)

thumbtrap · #11 09-17-2003, 09:57 PM

Kinda like this? (I resisted the very strong urge to replace the saxophone with a Tommy gun) not rocket science, just the power of gimp script-fu.

I happen to like the old garage and the car. I don't think it really says Rockabilly either - and if you listen it sure ain't trying to sound like Buddy Holly or the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Perhaps better than sepia toning it would be to figure out the color mapping to make it look like WWII color photos - they have an interesting color palette.

I also don't think the intstruments really detract. If anything bunch of folks just standing around smiling for the camera is far less imaginative, and it does need to remind folks of music - and a certain kind at that. It's not the Classic Car Restoration 5 after all.

On one level you do want to be creative with the photography. But primarily - you want people to come see your band, not win a photography award. An interesting photo can help that, but it's not the goal.

wulf · #12 09-18-2003, 02:08 AM

That's brilliant, Thumbtrap. The faded border may need to be a bit further out so that the text is more clearly legible but it takes an okay photo and throws a great twist on it.

It could be an old, old band... except for the anachronistic email address at the front

It also means that the state of the doors and tarmac is much less important.

Good one...

Wulf

Bruce Lindfield · #13 09-18-2003, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wulf
That's brilliant, Thumbtrap. The faded border may need to be a bit further out so that the text is more clearly legible but it takes an okay photo and throws a great twist on it.

It could be an old, old band... except for the anachronistic email address at the front

It also means that the state of the doors and tarmac is much less important.

Good one...

Wulf

I agree that makes it a beter photograph - but I don't know whether that's the image the band want to project?

wulf · #14 09-18-2003, 04:26 AM

Judging from what looks like a classic car, a 'well-aged' building and clues like the hollowbody guitar, I imagine it's probably closer to the mark than the undoctored original.

Whaddya think, Rick?

Wulf

mcdeath · #15 09-18-2003, 08:45 AM

This is starting to turn into an episode of "Wierd eye for the music guy".

Yes Thumbtrap that's pretty close to what I was thinking of. The reason I mentioned newsprint was that it would be interesting to make up a fake news story that would border the image. Make a nice funny story, include the band name and the names of the players along with the contact information.

People tend to reflexively read captions to photos. I suppose it comes from school textbooks and newspapers/magazines. It wouldn't necessarily do more than a regular photo, but it could cause people to spend just a few more seconds looking at the photo, which might be very useful for name recognition.

All in all, I think I like the aged B&W look for that original image. But it's up to Rick to determine if something like that works for him.

ed

thumbtrap · #16 09-18-2003, 08:56 AM

ok, here's my attempt at vintage color. It's just the sepia version background with the color version on top with partial transparancy. I didn't mess with the border or the text because hey -I'm just messing around, not working. But the text might look cool with a cut out strips of paper glued on top of the photo look.

Bruce Lindfield · #17 09-18-2003, 09:02 AM

It's looking better!

But can I just say that every time I see this photo, I really want to correct what I perceive as a 'typo' - so, I really want it be "Vaughan" with the second 'a' !!

wulf · #18 09-18-2003, 09:13 AM

I like the vintage colour even better than the sepia... however, the band members still look a little bit cut and pasted onto the background ;-)

Wulf

thumbtrap · #19 09-18-2003, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield I really want it be "Vaughan" with the second 'a' !!

The guitar player is holding the wrong kind of guitar for that. They are pretty good though - if you haven't yet, go listen to the tunes on the website. I've always loved bands with horns.

thumbtrap · #20 09-18-2003, 11:31 AM

OK, this is a stickup err a hijack. Last one I promise.

Since these are bad boys from several generations back (heck, even the movies about them are a generation or two away now) -that's Clyde Barrow on the BAR, and George "Machine Gun" Kelly on the long necked 4 string guitar.