Back in November I flew out to LA to shoot two of the members of Muse. One of the members wasn’t able to attend the shoot, so a week later I met up with him in London where I set up a makeshift studio in a lobby. While I was shooting at the studio in LA I had to be cognizant of the fact that the space I would be shooting in a week later would have to be recreated on a 4-foot wide seamless in a hallway. Thankfully I had the Lindsay Adler X Westcott Optical Spot, which allowed me to control and sculpt light in a small space (historically I would’ve used a projector or flags, which requires working in a dark or large space)…
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Creating Dappled Light with a DIY Reflector
What if I told you that i only used one light to create this image. It’s true. I used one of my favorite lighting modifiers— a DIY reflector…
Read MoreEvanescence: The Bitter Truth Photo Shoot
Back in November I drove down to Nashville to photograph @amylee for her upcoming @evanescenceofficial album, The Bitter Truth. I set up a makeshift studio in her dining room and knocked out a broad range of images for the album art, various magazine spreads, and images for streaming platforms…
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From the Archives: Underoath, Erase Me Photoshoot (Behind the Scenes)
In January of 2018 I met up with the fellas from Underoath in Los Angeles to shoot photos for their yet-to-be-released album, Erase Me. My friends at Tension Division were designing the album and merch and basically every facet of the upcoming album cycle. Not only did I need to shoot individual photos of each member using several different in-camera techniques such as multiple exposure, shutter drag, and projector for the album art, but I also needed to shoot promo photos for Spotify and images for an upcoming issue of Alternative Press. The shot list was aggressive for a one-day shoot but I had the added challenge of shooting all this in the living room of an Airbnb while Brandon, the creative director, was remotely directing everything from their home in Ohio. It was a tall order but I was up for it…
Read MoreBehind the Scenes Photo Shoot with Ronnie Radke of Falling in Reverse
Last month I photographed Ronnie Radke of Falling in Reverse at his home in LA. I set up a makeshift studio in his dining room and we knocked out six scenarios in just under three hours…
Read MoreMy Travel Gear Kit
This is my travel kit. I’ve whittled down my gear over the years to get the leanest and meanest kit possible. With this two camera, two lens, two light setup I can easily travel and solo shoot, creating a broad range of indoor and outdoor scenarios.
Read MoreMy Photography Studio: From Basement to Loft
This is my studio. Not even 5 years ago my studio was in my basement. The ceiling was just under 7ft and the foundation leaked every time it rained. My lighting kit was little more than a couple battery-powered flashes and a desk lamp. Though I only had a tiny space and limited gear, it was my space. I learned to use every inch of that studio and gear…
Read MoreDiscovery with Marissa Nadler
A couple weeks ago I drove down to Nashville to photograph @marissa_nadler. I’d been a fan of her music for almost 15 years so I was super excited to work with her. I didn’t have any visual plans for the shoot— no mood board or pre-conceived ideas. In recent years I’ve really embraced improvisation when it comes to shoots. I bring a few key pieces of equipment with me— enough to cover a broad range of techniques— and then I allow the space, the subject, and the moment to dictate what happens within the session. Sometimes it backfires and I come away with nothing. Other times magic happens. Either way, it’s my favorite element of a shoot…
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Chelsea Wolfe: American Darkness Tour
I’ve been a fan of Chelsea Wolfe’s music since I first heard “Moses” off of her first album, nearly a decade ago. I first began collaborating with her in 2013 on her Unknown Rooms acoustic tour, and we’ve since shot together eight times. Whenever she heads out on a tour I make it a point to not only catch her show but also squeeze in a quick shoot. This past month I drove up to Detroit to catch her American Darkness tour at Smalls for some conversation, music, and of course photos…
Read MorePhoto District News: Equipment Guide 2019
This was a fun surprise. One of my portraits of Sydney Lafaire made the cover of the new Photo District News equipment guide. I’ve been reading this magazine since I started out as a professional photographer, so this is certainly an “achievement unlocked” kinda moment…
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His and Hers
This was a fun one. Chyna and I have fallen into a nice rhythm with our shoots, as we have been collaborating every 2-3 months. It goes like this: she shows up with several outfits that she cobbled together from her closet or the thrift store; I look over what she brought and quickly brainstorm how to best light/shoot the looks; we play…
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Creative Portraiture Workshop Tour
I am excited to announce that I am doing a 3-city tour of my Creative Portraiture workshop in January! These are two-day, hands-on workshops that focus on creating experimental and innovative imagery. Students will work with a range of models to create both “studio” and environmental portraits. There is currently an early bird discount running until the end of November. For more information go to https://www.nickfancher.com/workshops. I’m excited to make art with you!
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Mini-Session with Aleksa Palladino
Last month I was in Los Angeles for an editorial shoot with a high profile band. As is the case with high profile clients, delays are expected. The shoot ended up being pushed to the next day, which meant I had to figure out how to make use of my now-empty day. I decided to reach out to my friend Aleksa to see if she was available for a quick photo shoot…
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Merrill Lynch Atlanta for Barron's / Wall Street Journal
I can think of no better element in a photo shoot than creative freedom and trust. I had precisely that in my shoot for Barron’s last week in Atlanta. Annie Chia, the photo director, sent me a handful of photos of music groups such as Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, and the Velvet Underground as direction for my session with the three investments consultants. The shoot was already off to a great start.
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Re-Visiting Older Work
I shot the above portrait of model/photographer Helena Martin in 2014. At the time, I was so proud of the mood that I had created with my lighting and post processing that I included the scenario in my book, Studio Anywhere. When I look at that shoot today however, all I see are information-less shadow areas and matte blacks, and I cringe.
Read MoreImages from GPP Photo Week 2019
This was my third time teaching at Gulf Photo Plus and my second Photo Week (since February 2018!). It’s always a whirlwind of a week, teaching five workshops in seven days, but super rewarding. Here are a few images that I took throughout the week. I can’t wait until next time.
