Dealing with being camera shy

[Dankology]

1 hour ago, BassTractor said:

Disappointed. Was expecting fire, water and a naked lady. 😁
Great performance though, and you made me check you guys out immediately and consequently buy Waddup and Tiny Mind.
Luvverly stuff!

One comment though, if that's not too presumptuous of me: I think the singer should train on intonating slightly higher. Singers tend to do this wrong unless trained by a professional, and they can get away with it to some degree, but the right tone is stronger than a low tone. 

Why, thank you. Although the Waddup track is by someone else who inexplicably shares our name.

I'm not sure how well vocal tips via the non-singing bassist will go but I'll look out for an appropriate opportunity...

[BassTractor]

6 hours ago, Dankology said:

Although the Waddup track is by someone else who inexplicably shares our name.

Wha'? Didn't even notice that. Saw the difference between "alternative" and "electronica" and between "Joan The Wad" and "Joan the Wad", but assumed this was just about style diversity and the person typing.
Will listen more carefully.
Hm. Maybe I only like the competition! 😂 

Do you guys have a site?

 

6 hours ago, Dankology said:

I'm not sure how well vocal tips via the non-singing bassist will go but I'll look out for an appropriate opportunity...

Yeah. You be the judge of that.
To me this is about raising the band's level, including singers - something you presumably work at all the time. Once singers know about  this phenomenon they can easily adapt, and It really is a matter of awareness more than anything else.
But of course, you be the judge.

best,
bert

[dmccombe7]

14 hours ago, FinnDave said:

The best pics Ive seen of myself on stage have been taken when I am completely unaware of the camera. If I see someone pointing a camera at me, I usually look straight at them, which sometimes works but usually makes me look like  a psychopath. 

Like this: 

That's a great pic Dave.

I just try to imagine i'm playing at a huge venue and looking at the audience, even when its a small close up gig or even at rehearsals i try to imagine i'm on a huge stage playing to a crowd that wants to hear this band.

I am quite self-conscious when i see a camera point directly at me but just try to ignore it. Sometimes i've looked a bit odd when its become obvious i've just seen the camera and don't know where to look and so i've tried to get round that with the huge stage image in my wee tiny head. 

Dave

[dmccombe7]

I guess another way is to use the cameras and have a bit of daftness with them altho that requires you to be reasonably relaxed around them. 

Play to the camera as if it was a fanatical fan in the front row of the audience who is only there to see you in the band. Worth a try. 

Dave

[FinnDave]

8 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

That's a great pic Dave.

I just try to imagine i'm playing at a huge venue and looking at the audience, even when its a small close up gig or even at rehearsals i try to imagine i'm on a huge stage playing to a crowd that wants to hear this band.

I am quite self-conscious when i see a camera point directly at me but just try to ignore it. Sometimes i've looked a bit odd when its become obvious i've just seen the camera and don't know where to look and so i've tried to get round that with the huge stage image in my wee tiny head. 

Dave

Thanks, Dave. That was at a festival a couple of years ago playing with my old band. My daughter took the pics, so there was a bit more rapport between stage and photographer for that one. 

I still prefer the candid shots, though, like this one from the same event:

 

 

[dmccombe7]

Again that just seems to capture the relaxed feel of the band. That's a more natural looking pose. I prefer that type of pic where you don't know its being taken.

 

Edited August 27, 2019 by dmccombe7

[scalpy]

I totally agree with stewblack. The quickest way to look like a plonker is to try not to look like a plonker. The best photos or videos show something interesting so do something interesting. For ages i didn't know what that meant but a photographer friend gave me a tip- just make sure there's a diagonal somewhere. What does that mean? Look at a photo of any great performer, Jimi Hendrix or Freddie Mercury- the body position, or gesture, or instrument will be creating a diagonal line across the image. The London Calling cover is great example, the leg position- 2 diagonals, the bass itself creates another. It doesn't have to be that dramatic, you can just drop a shoulder or move your arm away from the bass, or lift a heel and you'll look ten times better.  

Edited August 27, 2019 by scalpy
Missing word

[6feet7]

Whenever I 'have' to be photographed in a band situation I put on my blue tinted 'John Lennon' glasses a flat cap and look moody. It's the only way I'll have a photo taken (and if the photographer can change it to black and white too, even better)..

[scalpy]

14 minutes ago, 6feet7 said:

Whenever I 'have' to be photographed in a band situation I put on my blue tinted 'John Lennon' glasses a flat cap and look moody. It's the only way I'll have a photo taken (and if the photographer can change it to black and white too, even better)..

2 diagonals- head position, bass neck.

[dmccombe7]

5 minutes ago, scalpy said:

2 diagonals- head position, bass neck.

Can you show some more examples of the diagonal thing.

[scalpy]

4 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Can you show some more examples of the diagonal thing.

It's pretty easy when you have a bass! The instrument in all of these creates an angle- but there's extra ones as well. Macca's hand position, Flea's body position and Mike's arm all create that line which helps give the image some interest and character.

[dmccombe7]

That's pretty cool. So the more diagonals away from the vertical and horizontal then the pic should be more interesting. ?

Its amazing what you can learn on BC. 👍

Thanks for sharing

Dave 

[Geek99]

wear sunglasses?  

[scalpy]

8 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

That's pretty cool. So the more diagonals away from the vertical and horizontal then the pic should be more interesting. ?

Its amazing what you can learn on BC. 👍

Thanks for sharing

Dave 

It's pretty embarrassing to admit but it was my Mum who pointed it out. She's a pretty accomplished wildlife photographer. Once I got my head round it I couldn't stop seeing it. Especially Freddie Mercury. He must have been a gift to cameramen. Every pose is a gift, stance, mic stand, gesturing arm- (teeth!) really energetic.

[dmccombe7]

1 minute ago, scalpy said:

It's pretty embarrassing to admit but it was my Mum who pointed it out. She's a pretty accomplished wildlife photographer. Once I got my head round it I couldn't stop seeing it. Especially Freddie Mercury. He must have been a gift to cameramen. Every pose is a gift, stance, mic stand, gesturing arm- (teeth!) really energetic.

Now that you mention Freddie i get it even more. He was a non stop poser. All his famous poses are flooding back now mainly from Live Aid. He was a class act on that gig and without all the costumes. Just jeans and vest top yet he stole the show.

Dave

[nige1968]

Diagonals and sunglasses. This thread has changed my life, I tell you. 

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, nige1968 said:

Diagonals and sunglasses. This thread has changed my life, I tell you. 

Gotta try that bass riff on your feedback link.

How did you get your feedback link to be so short. Mine is a big box with comments.

 

[nige1968]

3 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Gotta try that bass riff on your feedback link.

How did you get your feedback link to be so short. Mine is a big box with comments.

 

Would love to hear that!

I think the ‘big excerpt’ thing came in a recent site update? You could try making the link again. Then when it converts it to the preview format, hopefully there should be a pop-up thing in the edit window that lets you undo the conversion.