Studio Blog, August 20, 2007

Studio Blog

Tuesday, August 20, 2007

Every day just seems to be one step closer. The good news is that the end is in sight. It may still be down the road a ways but it is most definitely in sight.

So on the road to completion of the CD project I knew that I was going to need a CD cover shot. I’d had a couple photo shoots done last year and while the photographer did a really good job I just didn’t see a shot that jumped out and said “COVER SHOT”. I really needed a shot that brought the album to life. I’ve had a concept idea but just couldn’t get it to come to life.

So about a month or so ago I was at Jim Regan’s (bass player). Jim showed me some pictures that a good friend of his (and mine) John Garrett had taken during a weekend getaway to Chicago. Many of the shots were done in black and white. The finished product that I saw was nothing less than art.

Now, I know John from just getting together and jamming. John plays and sings in a local band and has also sat in on guitar and vocals with Dave, Jim, and I as Grey Logic, so I was pretty comfortable asking him.

So John and I started trading e-mails about doing a photo shoot for me. John sounded eager to do it so there was a mutual excitement about it. Besides that, John and I are both of Scandinavian descent so there’s the whole brotherhood of Vikings going on that we just can’t ignore. “Pillage and Plunder!!”

So we finally got settled on a weekend that we’d do it which was this past weekend. John said Friday or Saturday was good with him and I shot one back saying, let’s do Saturday.

So Friday, my wife Patty, calls me and says, “So you’re doing the photo shoot tonight?” I had no idea what she was talking about until she said that John had called and wanted to do it tonight (Friday, which was fine by me). I called him back and he said so nonchalantly, “F*#k it, let’s just do it tonight.” It’s been hotter than Hades here in mid Michigan for the past I don’t know how long. Friday night however was comfortably cool. There was a gorgeous sky with just enough clouds to paint the horizon beautifully.

My concept was to have a shot taken from atop a building that overlooked downtown Lansing. I really wanted to get the shot as the sun was setting. Not dark, not dusk, but just as the light was beginning to set in the west. But finding a building that we could actually get a photo session on the roof of proved to be harder than I thought. Then John came up with an utterly brilliant idea of shooting it from on top of the Sparrow Hospital parking ramp facing downtown. Sheer genius.

So Friday it was. My daughter Sam and I met John at Jim’s house and we all drove downtown, through the construction, and to the top of the parking ramp of Sparrow Hospital. I gotta say I was a bit nervous as I didn’t know how many people would be up there or if security would kick us out or what. As it turns out it went off without a hitch. I strapped on my guitar, climbed on top of John’s truck and listened to John’s camera shutter firing like a machine gun. The sun setting in the sky was nothing short of gorgeous. It could not have been any more perfect. In the distance was the Capital, the tower of Michigan National Bank and the entire downtown area. We could see the lights from Lugnut stadium and could hear the roar of the crowd. Sam kept me in check and reminded me whenever she thought I was getting too close to the edge and stated more than once, “Dad, you know you’re making your guitar face in every shot, right?” John worked the camera and would spit out an occasional, “That was a nice one.” He climbed up and down off a ladder to get different angles and perspectives.

A half hour or so later we quickly packed up and headed back to Jim’s house to check them out. I cannot believe how well they turned out. There are so many good shots. The color of the sky and the whisps of clouds scattered across the horizon as well as the slowly setting sun was beautiful. And I actually thought that I didn’t look like a complete idiot in most of them. (I’m a bit critical of myself when it comes to pictures)

I said that night as well as today, the cover shot is without a doubt in there. The only question is which one do I choose? There are so many good ones to choose from that it’s going to be a tough decision. Thank you, John. Had you not called and wanted to shoot that night instead of the next night as planned and arranging it so the we got it just as the sun was setting… everything was perfect!

I know I say this all the time but I’ll post them soon. I’ve actually got a ton of new pictures to put up. Time is such a luxury. Did I mention I have 5 children??

See you soon!

Traceman