During their second visit to Guadalajara, I had the honor and pleasure of documenting La Bogota Orquesta Afrobeat (La BOA) during their concert at Festival Internacional de Música (FIM). This opportunity was made possible by childhood connections that extended beyond geographical borders, allowing me to witness musical talents that resonate globally.
In the pursuit of creative exploration, I confronted the challenges of apathy and the irrational fear of trying something new by bringing hardly any equipment. Armed with only a small flash, a light tripod, and my reliable Westcott Softbox 28", I embarked on a mission to visually photograph the vibrancy of their performance with the bare essentials.
A second challenge emerged in mustering the courage to request a moment of their time for a post-show portrait. Not all artists are willing to participate in such activities - often preferring to rest and unwind after a stellar performance. Yet, it is within this moment as everyone is radiating a joyous high when magic unfolds. I hoped to capture this raw essence of the artists.
I recognized it had been a while since I indulged in what I truly love about the process. Style, as I often convey to my students, is an evolving entity. It is sought, refined over time and experience, and ultimately, with my process, is discovered in a unique manner.
It may surprise everyone that for something as abstract as style, my process involves something structured and systematic. It resembles a quiz, or a questionnaire - a compilation of countless aesthetic questions that about what you like. Whether it's the interplay of light and darkness, an open or closed frame, the decision to crop heads or not, the choice between saturated or desaturated hues, and the eternal debate of black and white versus color—these answers reflect personal experiences and influences, shaping one's distinctive style.
Sometimes this awareness is conscious; in others, you don't realize it until someone else has to explicitly point it out. Style emerges organically, constantly evolving in tandem with the ever-changing answers to these aesthetic questions, much like the evolving aesthetic stages in every artist's life.
Some styles are embraced, while others are not. Some gain recognition only after the artist has passed. The key lies in overcoming fear and expressing your unique authenticity.
So, for the style of these portraits, I opted for a closed frame with vibrant color tones, slightly desaturated for nuanced depth, and introduced a hint of contrast. Employing the softbox positioned very close to get a quick light fall-off, and using my Nikon 60mm ƒ2.8 in very close proximity resulted in a well-limited depth of field.
If you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing La BOA beats, I highly recommend embarking on a musical journey with them. Discover a visual and auditory symphony that transcends boundaries and offers a unique perspective on the fusion of art and culture.
https://laboa.bandcamp.com/album/la-bestia
https://www.instagram.com/laboaofficial/
