Jean-François Bérubé: Shooting Stars

Jean-François Bérubé, portrait specialist, age 41 at the time this column was written in July 2000,has worked as a professional photographer since the mid-80’s. His pictures have graced the covers of more than 40 albums as well as dozens of books, magazines and weeklies. Here are some of his secrets for taking a cover shot that can give album sales a boost.:

How do you prepare for a photo session?
First of all, the artists themselves – singers, songwriters, individuals or groups – have to do their homework. I ask them to think of stuff they might bring to the session, such as any pictures of themselves – their favourite shots or even those they hate – as well as other graphic material they’ve picked up in magazines or on album covers. Then we have a talk about the kinds of shots we should be taking: will it be in studio, on location, etc.

At our first meeting, I watch for any twitches, typical gestures or natural behaviours because these are the spontaneous attitudes I’ll try to catch on film later on.

What do you expect from your subjects?
One thing to remember is that while most musicians may be quite attuned aurally, they may not be as developed visually. So I ask them to listen to their feelings. If they feel any discomfort, I want them to tell me.

With some, it might be the opposite: they listen to themselves – maybe a little too much! Here’s a case in point: Before I shot the album for Dan Bigras’ Le Fou du diable, I asked Dan to bring some T-shirts along with his signature tank tops. He said he couldn’t see why, but brought some anyway. I took pictures of him wearing both kinds of shirts, and he ended up choosing one where he was wearing a tank top. I thought he was wrong. However, he showed up in a T-shirt at the album’s release party, and when we worked together again for the cover of Le Chien, he did wear a white T-shirt. So his image had changed – and for the better, from my point of view.

What do you ask your subject to bring to a session?
Generally, a few changes of clothes. But I must say that many new artists don’t spend much on clothes. You have to make do with what they have, with the help of the stylist or the performer’s agent it there is one.

How important is photography to an artist’s career?
It’s all-important, particularly for a beginner. But this is an area where new artists are often grossly misled. They’ll trust people who’ll force them into images that don’t fit them, and then they’ll try to live up to these on television or in concert. Experienced or seasoned artists are the easiest to work with: they know what they like.

Another challenge is the mature woman. Sometimes it takes a great deal of technical and lighting expertise to produce photos that do justice to a sitter. When a man gets older, people say that he has developed character, but when it’s a woman, they just say she looks old. Diane Dufresne once told me, “When I use someone else, I look 25 years older. With you, I look 25 years younger.”

What kind of budget should be made for photography?
Now that’s a real problem. Usually producers won’t spend enough money on album covers and photography. That’s the least of their worries. For my first album cover, I got $500, cost of materials included. After two weeks of work, I was out of pocket.

When a musician calls me and asks if I would be interested in working on his next album, usually I say sure, but then he passes the phone over to his manager and the two of us get to talk money. This is where things often go wrong. A well-known producer once told me, “I’m in the business of selling rugs, and I want a shot of my rug on the record, period.” You can’t develop a working relationship in a case like that. I certainly don’t see musicians as commodities.

All this to say that a reasonable budget allowance for album cover photography would range between $2,000 and $5,000, exclusive of the designer’s fee. Actually, I really don’t like quoting specific figures because there are so many factors: material costs, prep work, whether we are talking about a studio or location session, follow-up with the album designer, and anything else that might be included in the contract. One this is for sure: under $2,000, a photographer, even a beginner, ends up out of pocket. And you mustn’t forget that when your record is released, your visual impact will be almost as important as your sound.

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