2 weeks ago, I had an amazing drummer photoshoot in Berlin with Konrad, a talented drummer. Despite the limitations of shooting in a rehearsal room, I was really satisfied with the results, which I’ll share in this post along with some backstory.
As a photographer, I’ve always dreamt of capturing a drummer’s raw energy in a dramatic outdoor setting. Picture a drummer standing in front of majestic mountains or rocky cliffs – it would be truly epic! However, with a limited budget of around €100 and only a few spare hours per week, I can’t afford to travel far from Berlin for a photoshoot. But I’m determined to make it happen someday, even if I have to pay for it myself.
Returning to the photoshoot with Konrad, despite some technical difficulties with my flashes triggering only every third shot, I was able to experiment with different lighting setups to achieve strikingly dramatic and moody shots. Using artificial lights is always intriguing, as they can easily overpower the ambient light in a room and create a unique atmosphere.
Throughout the shoot, I focused on capturing both lifestyle and dramatic shots, and played around with different lighting angles and setups. Although we had only two hours to shoot, I’m still happy with the results, especially the shot above that perfectly captures the frenzied tirade of drums and the rhythmic intensity that I was aiming for.
In the end, I have a variety of shots that range from aggressive and dramatic to quiet and abstract, each one capturing a unique aspect of Konrad’s personality and talent as a drummer. I particularly enjoy the interior of the rehearsal room, with its cosy lights and atmospheric carpet, but had to work around distracting elements like the heater and wall lights.
Overall, it was an inspiring and challenging experience, and I’m excited to continue exploring the world of drummer photoshoots in Berlin and beyond.
Drummer photoshoot in Berlin: Location
I still loved it and it was a good training. My flashes worked terribly and it was very irritating. They triggered only every 3-rd time I shot. When I shoot in different rooms and studios I shoot with my own lights since the light in the rehearsal rooms looks like this:
This light may be good for playing music and spending time there but not for photography/videography at all.
Using flashes is particularly intriguing as they can easily overpower the ambient light in a room. What’s even more interesting is that, with all the lights on, I can still capture strikingly dramatic and moody shots that I will share with you below.
Here I can also reflect on the importance of understanding light. I keep talking a lot about that but here is a really good example. When you use artificial lights you have to adjust their power in relation to the surrounding light and expose for these main lights that you have. And always when exposing the photos you think of the light in relation to the shadows, other patches of light, and differently lit areas. It’s interesting how much power you get when paying attention to the light deliberately and thoughtfully, taking into account the relativity of the values on your shots.
Drummer Photoshoot In Berlin: The Photos
Initially, I began with taking some casual lifestyle shots, but soon after, I transitioned to something with a more intense and somber atmosphere. Although I am aware that the lighting I utilized was not perfect and that I could have accentuated Konrad’s face more, unfortunately, we only had a limited amount of time, just two hours to be exact. Consequently, I wasn’t able to take additional shots and make further adjustments to the lighting setup. As a result, in the shot above, it would have been preferable to illuminate Konrad more from the front to bring out his facial features.
When doing this drummer photoshoot in Berlin I decided to go with the flow and see what results what I will get. While I could prepare even better I still love the pictures I got here.
The shot on the top I like quite a lot. Although I used only one light for this photo, I enjoy the results. I still used a reflector on the opposite side and, you can see that on Konrad’s face, the shadow is very subtly highlighted.
Then I did a few more shots from the top and I have a few well-lit portraits with 2–3 lights setups, but they look more boring.
While experimenting, I got this quite aggressive shot (below).
I also decided to take this more quiet shot from the back.
And more abstract shots like the one above.
The shot above truly captures and represents the mood of the moment with exceptional precision. It almost feels like a frenzied tirade of drums, relentlessly pounding away and dominating the entire photograph. The rhythmic intensity emanating from the image is what I wanted to achieve.
I actually enjoy a lot the interior of the room, especially the carpet. The lights on the walls, unfortunately, took too much attention in some of the shots and the most annoying part of the interior was that ugly heater which ruined the atmosphere when was present in the frame. Aside from that the room was quite atmospheric and cool. If you look back at the first picture the lights there are cosy, they are just not as good for the photos.
These were all the shots from this drummer photoshoot in Berlin I wanted to share, da-dum-da-dum!
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