The Working Relationship between a Graphic Designer and a Photographer
I am interested in the working relationship between a graphic designer and a photographer and how they work together, overcome problems and find compromise to produce imagery and combine typography to create something that feels ‘right’.
1. Can you describe the power and visual impact that a photograph can have and how you use this for your designs?
I make photographs I don’t shoot with the intention of them being part of any design. IF they get licensed then of course the context can change.
2. Equally, if you add typography to an already powerful image, can you explain how can this change the photograph’s original impact and why?
I don’t work with typography I leave this to designer and typographers.
3. Who were/are the most influential and inspirational photographers, artists, etc to you and are there any new up-and-coming photographers/designers you like and why?
I don’t really look at any these days I just shoot my own work. I have plenty of good friends within the photography world but I don’t look to them for influence in the way I work.
4. Do you think that the role of the photographer has similarities to that of a graphic designer? Why?
No I don’t we operate in different worlds – I make work to sell as a print in a gallery or to satisfy my own needs. Sometimes the images get licensed.
5. Do you think it is important for a photographer, who does work for album covers for example, to have some basic knowledge of graphic design? And how does it affect you when a graphic designer works with you on the photo-shoot?
Well I have worked with many designers of course knowing where some type might fall on a book cover helps me edit what I will send the designer sometimes I ask for the dimensions it depends if I am shooting work specifically for that job or they are licensing an existing image.
6. Can you describe in detail the process of when the art directors/graphic designers hire you, to the conception and production of the final images?
7. If at all, how often are you involved with the decisions about the typography and other graphical decisions that are added to your imagery?
No.
8. You have long-term and very successful working relationships with certain designers such as Vaughan Oliver. Is this a special working relationship and why?
We are very good friends, we have a very deep mutual respect and we have very similar interests. A very rare find base don my 25 years experience. He lets me do as I want.
9. Working with Vaughan Oliver and taking the self-titled LP Heidi Berry (featuring a Venus flytrap, 1993) can you describe the process from conception to completion? Or is there another specific album cover you would like to talk about?
Vaughan licensed existing images.
10. Do you usually share equally the creative control with the other creative’s involved in a project?
Don’t understand the context of the question.
11. Can you describe the most expensive and elaborate photo-shoot you have been apart of and how much did this affect your own working methods and decision-making?
Probably Minotaur I shot the entire project then showed Vaughan I had 100% freedom.
12. What was the worst experience you have ever had with a graphic designer and/or photo-shoot session and why?
Modest Mouse. Dreadful cover. Huge payment. Never again.
13. Have you always been able to choose the clients you work for or have you sometimes had to work against your usual methods and style?
14. Have you ever used found photography? If so, how do you appropriate a found image for what it is to be used for?
What are your thoughts on using and changing the original meaning of a found photograph by introducing graphical elements to use, for example, on an album cover?
Don’t understand the context of the question.
15. Have you ever used a photograph purely because it was aesthetically pleasing rather than it having more of a connection to the subject matter?
Not sure what you mean by “used a photograph” ? everything I shoot has to have some kind of aesthetic appeal to me otherwise I wouldn’t shoot it.
16. Does the imagery you produce for an album cover expand upon the music of the band?
I can’t honestly answer this its more a question for fans of the bands.
17. With smaller jobs are you able to take on multiple roles and have greater creative control?
Not sure of the context of this question. Smaller jobs usually means less budget and often more work!
18. When working with Vaughan Oliver, did you ever work with Chris Bigg and his calligraphic-style typography?
Yes I did the Heidi Berry project was evidence of this. I love his calligraphy.
19. Do you have a particular favourite piece of work by yourself that successfully combines photography & typography and why?
20. Are you aware of the work of graphic designer Peter Saville, photographer Peter Key and their work for Factory Records for bands such as New Order, Suede, etc and do you have any favourites and why?
Yes I know their work. I don’t have any favourites as I live outside of the graphics world. I don’t really follow what others do. I just work on my own projects now.
21. You have strong connections to the music industry with your photography. Do your working methods differ greatly when you do work for other clients not related to the music industry?
Depends entirely on the nature of the commission.
22. Do you think photographers and designers have much more freedom creatively when working for the music industry and why?
I think it depends who you work with and what the specific nature of the project is and the relationship between you and the designer and the designer and the client.
23. I was told once that your early work with the music industry, the dark imagery, gave birth to the image of what we now call ‘emo’ music. What do you think about this?
I have never heard of this before! I guess I have been around long enough for people to draw their own conclusions!
24. Much of your work uses a limited colour palate: black & white, sepia, one dominant colour, etc like the Pixie’s album Doolittle (1989). But for the Pixie’s LP Bossanova (1990), you made the decision to use bright colours. Why was this?
Management of the band required it. Personally I hated this work that’s why you don’t see it posted by me online anywhere…….
25. Words to describe your images are: decay, death, religion, texture. Do you think you could visually represent these themes typographically from your experience from working with graphic designers?
As I have said I don’t work with type (but having stated this recent work has included some Asian typographic elements shot in situ but there are for a specific project and have nothing to do with the world of graphic design!)
26. Much of your photography has something organic combined with manmade elements. Does typography play a part in this contrast?
Don’t understand the context of the question as I have said I always shoot without thinking about the typography as its not my area of expertise.
27. Do you think the colours used in imagery and accompanying typography are of high importance and how do you approach the use of colour when drawing up ideas and solutions for a brief?
I don’t work like this. I just shoot the image and present to the designer/client.
28. For the self-titled LP by Heidi Berry (1993, featuring the Venus Flytrap) I read a description that read it ‘reeks of meat’ *. Do you think all photographers consider touch, taste and smell?
I don’t understand this question.
29. Some of the photographic images used in your work are reminiscent of some of the images I have seen in early David Cronenberg movies that deal with body terror and transformation. Have any film directors influenced you in your work?
David Lynch perhaps, and certainly Andrei Tarkovsky. I like plenty of others.
30. With the imagery you helped create you have influenced film directors like David Fincher with the visual style of his films Alien3 and Se7en. What do you think about this?
I’m happy if my imagery has influenced these films I certainly enjoyed watching them but again it’s not something I can really comment on.
31. You have used photography in your work for many years. Are you interested in working more with the moving image? Have you ever or ever wanted to direct a music video or television advert for example?
Yes I have but no one has ever approached me and I do not see in a moving sense although I do recognise my work could be seen in this way as many have said this to me.
32. Have you ever produced a photograph for a brief that you actually thought didn’t require and typography or any other graphical elements adding to it? Why?
This question makes no sense to me.
33. Yourself and Vaughan Oliver produced the Pixies box set Minotaur in 2008/9. For both of you, was the final product representative of where you are currently up to with your style and creativity or is it a return to/continuation of what you had originally created with the Pixies with Come on Pilgrim?
Minotaur is an entirely new approach and much of this has been documented in the press. You might want to see press section links on my website to draw further conclusions: http://www.simon-larbalestier.co.uk/press.html
Here’s a youtube link that might be of interest for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgis2dMWGYs&feature=related
34. Have you embraced the digital era? Do you still use traditional, more time-consuming methods when using photography?
Yes I have Minotaur and the 15 book covers for Charles Dickens produced by Vintage Classics moved me to work in digital as the budget and time constraints for working in film and analogue just didn’t make financial sense ! Minotaur also pushed me to consider digital colour for the first time and has influenced my latest work.
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