It is always a blast shooting Kevin Burdick (www.pianorockstar.com).  He’s wildly expressive, has no inhibitions and is just an all around great guy.  And I’m not just saying that.  We’ve been friends since high school, made music together then and even some very screwy home movies and music videos.  One of them included a scene that almost resulted in Kevin’s death, but instead, thanks to Kevin’s strong neck muscles, and our quick response, we ended up only with a massive rope burn around his neck.  Come to think of it, I think we continued filming for a while before we realized he was in trouble.  Flailing legs and a red face can either mean great acting, or eminent death…

I’m glad he’s still with us.  He has made some great music since then and he’s always been a great friend.

So, this is a fun little set of images to wet your whistle.  We first shot a few studio shots and Kevin went to town with the facial expressions.  The best way to see them is in connection with each other.  Tomorrow I am posting the fantastic images we got from the on-location portrait session, which include Kevin, various umbrellas, lots of wind and a vast empty landscape.  Until then, enjoy this funny little set of photos and go listen to some of Kevin’s music at www.pianorockstar.com.

My good friend, Kevin Burdick, lives in Los Angeles.  I was out in LA to shoot a baby portrait and stopped in to see him.  Kevin is a musician and lives with a bunch of talented people.  Tim Nichols (another friend from my college days) is a screen writer and Dale Spollett (who I met that day) is a comedian.  So, you can imagine that this group of guys will do anything to ham it up in front of a camera.  I had my camera, so what else would a photographer and three attention grabbing performers do…

Writer - Tim Nichols, Comedian - Dale Spollett and Musician - Kevin Burdick pose for a photo outside the workshop at their Los Angeles estate.

Always looking for textures, lines, frames and interesting settings, this workshop in the Tim’s back yard caught my eye.  Everywhere you look there is something interesting.  Tim is framed nicely in the door, notice a saw blade hanging above his head, just for a little added interest.  I love the white paint that has been tested on the left, but never finished.  And the rakes, ladders and barrels leaning against the wall are very useful in adding angles, leading lines and additional frame edges.  It is also worth noting the way the frame interacts closely, but not too closely to all of these objects in the photograph.  You can make this set up!  Truth is better than fiction…

Kevin Burdick and Dale Spollett in a loose tribute to American Gothic...

Dale Spollett in the moment. Dale is, himself, and interesting set of textures.

I love the way the barn fades as it recesses into the background. Who would think we are in LA?

Photographing a group of creative performers is an a completely different animal all together.  No longer, are you attempting to pull expressions out of your subject, but rather you gear up and hang on for the ride.  They move through ideas, expressions and moments pretty fast.  Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, but you just have to be ready to capture it all.

Dave Spollett waits for his food at the California Chicken Company. It was a crowded place. "They'll find us," he says.