Alternative culture through a lens : guardian.co.uk Gallery

There are a couple of portrait shots I really want to share with you, but I have to be patient as the client may be using these in a magazine feature too. Once we know if these images are going to be used in the magazine as well as for the client then I can post them.

Instead I'm going to post you a link to the Guardian.co.uk website where they have put together a gallery of images from my photobook, 'No Commercial Value'.



"Photographer Al Overdrive has spent years capturing alternative culture, whether it be at live shows, tattoo parlours or Roller Derbies. His first book, No Commercial Value, assembles the best of these images".

Which is a pretty nice intro from anywhere, let alone a publication with such a good reputation. Out of the shots they picked, it is interesting to see they chose one of Florence Welch (yes, of Florence and the Machine) who has gone on to have great 'Commercial Value' in the two (three?) years since I first met her.

Zapcat Racing and Sports Portraits

I've been itching to put these images up and I've finally got the go-ahead to do so. First off a big thanks to these guys and gals for taking me out on the rig especially to get the shots of the racers at practise. To find out more about Zapcat racing, folow the link above.

The portrait session was broken into two sections : Conventional close up sports portrait and stylised enviromental portrait. The first image was made as a simple but powerful portrait showing Naomi with her Zapcat racing boat. The second shot went for a darker mood, probably inspired in part by a late night session of Tarantino's Deathproof a few days earlier ;)

Feature in PhotoPro Magazine

I had to keep quiet about it until it was out, but the May 2010 issue of PhotoPro Magazine has a feature on me. It's four pages of my photographs and an interview including the origin of my name. The magazine is also jam packed with awesome features and I recommend you take the risk and buy a copy here or here.

Jim Marshall (RIP)

I don't usually post stuff here that isn't directly related to my work, but it is sad to hear that legendary music photographer Jim Marshall died in his sleep last night. You have all seen his work (even if you didn't realise it was his) and I found his attitude, viewpoint and work ethic truely inspiring. The above book is something I recommend you buy. Jim, RIP.

Adventures in Live Photography

Currently the trend in live photography seems to be to avoid getting anywhere near the stage, almost as if they are scared to be close to the action. I find that approach useful for documenting fine-art and performance, but rock music is supposed to be loud! I like my photos to reflect this too ;) So do my clients. I've just finished editing the pictures from the Taake show and thought I'd share a couple of them.

Just to be safe, I had better make it clear that I don't endorse hogging one spot for a show, or getting in the way of the fans or blinding the band with camera flash. It's just not cool.

'I'm Thinking of You' - Franko B

World famous and respected performance artist Franko B recently visited the Royal College of Arts to perform the installation version of his piece 'I'm thinking of you'. I was invited by the RCA to be the sole photographer to document the performance. I enjoy working with fine artists as they work closely with the photographer, involving them in the performance, making it a collaborative piece. If you are interested in learning more about this side of the work I recommend you read 'Live art on camera: Performance and Photography' edited by Alice Maude-Roxby.
Now that the artist has approved the images, I am free to post some examples here, To read more about the performance and to see a slideshow gallery of the images, please click here to visit Franko's site.

Interview and feature on thequietus.com

Recently thequietus.com interviewed me about my first book, where I was granted 'behind-the-scenes' access to document much of the modern alternative music scene, suspension performances and tattooing across the UK. I was also asked to compile a list of some of my favourite songs for the feature too. The interview, photographs and soundtrack can be found here : here. While you are there I recommend you look around the whole site as it really is one of the best written pop/culture sites around at the moment.

To find out more about the book, please click this link here.

Tiny Teeth.

Tiny Teeth are a husband and wife team that write, record and produce musical scores for mobile device applications. Generally people in the creative industry don't automatically switch off at the end of a working day and it is often impossible to make a separation between them and their art. I was invited into their home to produce some editorial images which reflect this, as well as capturing some of the chemistry between them . It didn't take me long to come up with the concept of Ed and V sitting on their sofa surrounded by an arsenal of instruments and recording equipment.

These are some of my favourite shots from the session, as they really capture the essence of the partnership. We also shot some images for publicity, this time going for a low-key image focusing purely on the relationship between the two, using only simple props to give context.