The Behind-The-Scenes I’d Sell An Organ To Shoot*
*Okay, this might be a bit of an exaggeration but I’d probably consider it 😉
It's time for a bit of self-indulgence in this month's blog post. I recently had an injured hand, which left me unable to pick up my camera for a while. So, I delved into my archives (aka my photo albums, both physical and digital) to reflect on just how long I’ve been obsessed with behind-the-scenes photography.
The Favourite shooting at Knole House, Sevenoaks
#1. Cinema
This is where it all started for me.
If you’ve already read my about me page, you’ll know I am a Star Wars fan and I would devour the ‘making of’ specials and annuals that came out with each new movie. Learning how sets were built and effects created was such an integral part of the experience of the films for me. The recent Disney+ series, Light & Magic, was a goldmine of behind-the-scenes intel. If you’ve not heard of it, it’s a documentary that charts the origins and development of Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), the Lucasfilm special effects team that built an empire (both literally and figuratively) out of a unit on a Californian airport.
Jabba The Hutt’s eyes - all that remains of the original model from 1983’s Return of the Jedi
Looking at the archive photographs and footage of the team painting models or working on creature design not only illustrates the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the processes that brought these things to life, but serves as a time capsule and record for those people captured as they tell their stories. And these are the kind of moments I am passionate about capturing with my camera.
#2. Music
As a teenager, I discovered pop music and there is nothing exceptional about that in the slightest.
The only records I owned up to that point were film-related; classical scores that transported me back to the cinema or sing-along soundtracks like Grease and Ghostbusters. So I was a bit late to the pop party, but when I fell, I fell hard for Duran Duran (because they did a Bond theme and the video was cool 😉).
One of the joys of discovering a band a good four years after the rest of the world is all the collectables you get to collect. The 12 inches, the special editions, and the books. Ah, the books. I would order almost out-of-print books from WHSmith’s in Hastings with my birthday money and pore over the images of the band on tour; unguarded, off-duty and having the time of their lives. (Or so it seemed at the time, numerous autobiographies have since dispelled some of those myths).
I still own those books and have widened my musical horizons, but I personally find the backstage, documentary style of music photography utterly compelling. I want to capture the time before and after the gig: the nerves (or excitement) before the time call, the parents and the friends hanging out backstage before the show, and the unsung heroes getting all the gear on stage and off again. Moments in the spotlight can be fleeting so they are worth capturing.
The aftermath of a Hundred Reasons show at Hammersmith Apollo
3: F1
Formula One is a bit of a marmite sport: you either love it or you don't get it at all.
The sport has seen a massive change in recent years with new ownership and the Netflix effect, bringing a whole new legion of fans to the sport and completely rewriting the rulebook in terms of what a race weekend should look like. But access to the pit and the paddock has always been a closed shop for which you need connections, deep pockets or media accreditation to get access.
Course marshall (and Damon Hill)
Spanish Grand Prix, 1999
I took these photographs at the 1999 Spanish Grand Prix (last century! 😱) on 35mm film, when I was just a spectator. I have a couple of photographs of cars on the track - that’s Damon Hill in the yellow Jordan - but clearly, even then I was scouting for the more interesting stories going on around the Circuit de Catalunya. My favourite is definitely the Marlborough grid girls (remember them?) taking a break in their outrageously tight red trousers while the bored marshal looks out over the track.
Grid girls take a break
Spanish Grand Prix, 1999
I’ve been to F1 races in the UK, Malaysia and the US, but photographic fun can be had much closer to home at the annual Goodwood events, the Festival of Speed and the Revival. I had a ball at the Revival this year (a tiny portion of my day can be found here) and I’d happily return. You’ll find me in the pits, capturing the mechanics working to keep the amazing vintage race cars on the track.
Goodwood Revival 2023
If you've read this far, thank you! I hope this post sheds some light on why behind-the-scenes photography is so important to me. It's all about capturing the details of what goes into your product, event, team, or production. Even though it may seem like just another day at the time, the value of behind-the-scenes photography often becomes apparent later when you want to reflect and reminisce about the amazing experiences.
If you’d like to talk about working with me (and I promise that I won’t bang on about this stuff - unless you want me to) drop me a line at hello@backlotphotography.co.uk or fill in the contact form.
And drop a note in the comments about your favourite BTS images and anyone’s work I should check out!