Synesthesia: a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway (definition via Wiki).
Sometimes you want to convey a certain aura or mood for your photoshoot and it can be pretty difficult. There’s a possible way for you to enhance your photography experience, and your photoshoots (without drugs). By using synesthesia, there’s a chance you may be able to experiment with the aesthetic you want in your work. These are my personal recordings and in no way reflect the exact happenings within each individual. You may have a completely different experience, but the point is to HAVE an experience.
Like many others, music is what inspires me artistically when I come up with ideas, shoot, and edit. I tend to listen to music (and watch movies) to help me create a visual dynamic in my mind. In this post (and others), I will be introducing you to a variety of music that inspires me (and that will hopefully inspire you too!). These posts are meant for you to inspire yourself before, during, and after a photoshoot. Listening to songs while editing may have a profound effect on how your photos turn out. Even if you don’t “see colors” when you listen to music, it’s still worth a shot.
I’m going to kick this off with my all-time favorite band, fellow Sacramento-natives, Deftones. As most of you know I’m a metalhead, so of course metal inspires me (Deftones especially). Most of the time you can’t get everything you want to convey in one song, so you’ll likely need a playlist. Just think of it as “if my photoshoot had a soundtrack, what would it sound like?”. You can create a playlist to help illustrate your aesthetic. If you want it to be edgy but still have a soft, feminine feel, mix it with the music with those same tones. I tend to mix Deftones with other bands such as: Team Sleep, Raised By Swans, Banks, FKA Twigs, A$AP Rocky, and PARTYNEXTDOOR.
The shoot had the concept of a “POV slave” spending time with a Domme in “Her domain”. It was sexual, dark, impulsive, and edgy; I needed some music that reflected those same qualities. Deftones was an easy choice; they exemplified everything that I wanted to radiate in post. With Deftones being my favorite band, I have a variety of moods to choose from. However, I tend to go for their more dark and moody music to create that sexual, violent, and gritty feeling. When I use this music while editing, I tend to make my shadows darker, and more dramatic. The melancholy songs tend to give off an eerie vibe (which makes me choose pictures with an odd angle). I had a lot of my photos in black and white for an edgy feel. To soften up the edginess, I mix my playlist with some Raised By Swans.
My top songs for Deftones include:
“Change (in the house of flies)”
“Deathblow”
“Passenger”
“Digital Bath”
“Rivere”
“U,U,D,D,L,R,L,A,B, SELECT, START”
“Battle Axe”
“Sinatra”
“Knife Party”
“Mascara”
“If Only Tonight We Could Sleep”
“Simple Man”
“RX Queen”
“Pink Maggot”
“Feiticeira”
“Bloody Cape”
Other similarly inspiring artists include:
Team Sleep
Tomahawk
The Weeknd (Trilogy album only)
Partynextdoor
Make your own playlist with these songs and whatever else inspires you and see what happens. If you come back with interesting results you can contact me and let me know what happened! If you want more advice on what music to listen to, look for more of these posts!
