Why black & white? For music photographer Drew Gurian, it’s rather simple:
“It's the most raw, simplistic form of this medium and certain jobs are meant to be shot in this way. Color can be a distraction, and take away from the root of the story the photographer is trying to tell. Black and white photos draw the viewer in more quickly, and can tell a more compelling story.”
We caught up with Drew and asked him to take us through some of his black and white shots from the music scene…
This was one of those lucky moments we sometimes encounter in the field. I was shooting the CD release show for a singer in Dubai named Fatiniza. Before the show, I walked by the backstage green room while one of her aerial dancers was warming up and shot maybe 3-4 frames of her stretching.
I've done a bunch of work with Brian Fallon, the lead singer of The Gaslight Anthem over the past year. This frame was shot at Red Bull Studios in New York City, as Brian was laying down lead vocals for one of his side projects called Molly & The Zombies.
This is the only photo of this series that is produced in any way, or even lit with flash (which I do quite a bit of as well). I was asked to shoot Luke Bryan, one of the biggest names in American country music for Rolling Stone Magazine earlier this year. This is one of those candid in-between moments that maintains a feeling of authenticity I always strive for in my work.
Another found moment backstage with teen pop star JoJo and her backup singers as she was being introduced at a concert for VH1.
Backstage with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band at The 2014 Coachella Music Festival, just before they made a surprise appearance on-stage with The Arcade Fire.
On-stage with The Vintage Trouble, as they were tuning up before their performance at The 2014 Wakarusa Music Festival.
Want more?
