During London Jazz Festival 2012 I arranged for a personal sitting with the musical giant Sonny Rollins. I had one type of shot in mind that deliberately didn't feature his saxophone, as I wanted to capture his considerable presence without distraction. Sonny agreed and although now increasingly fragile, he was generous and instantly open to my direction.
For viewers who have not discovered Sonny's off-world talent, it's a tad tricky to recommend a starting point. His career now spans 6 decades, crosses many musical genres and gathers numerous influences, however I have to agreed with my friend Danny Fisher; Softly As In A Morning Sunrise sounds a damn sweet place to begin the discovery.
For viewers interested in the lighting set-up: a sparse, bare bulb affair with 2 Profoto Acute D4s positioned left and right (just outside) of the frame. The lights were set at 45º to Sonny and very slightly higher than him but aimed directly at his cheeks, this was ensure a natural and even dual shadow placement. I wanted a strong 'sparkly' contrast to the frame and removing all modifiers and reflectors achieves this effortlessly.
I personally wish you all a supadupa 2013!
