Baron Wolman: Photos of Rock (Assignment 6)

Baron Wolman is probably one of the most famous photographers of the rock and roll years. He is infamous for his photographs of people like Jimi Hendrix and other revolutionary musical artists. What started out as being the chief photographer for a new magazine known as Rolling Stones in 1967, he has claimed some of the best and most recognizable photographs as his own work. He started out just doing your average photography around the house. It became a hobby for him. In fact, he did not do anything professionally until he got recruited by a friend of his as a photographer for Rolling Stones magazine.

Baron Wolman took pictures of music artists in his studio. And when at concerts,  he took pictures of music artists singing and rocking on stage while he was waiting for that moment where the rock 'n roll artist perform his best stunts. Getting the respect and recognition by most music artists gives Baron Wolman the privilege of tasting fame at first hand and made him part of it than being branded as a paparazzi. 


While Baron Wolman is most well-known for his works with the Rolling Stone magazine that was relatively short lived. He decided to leave Rolling Stone only after a few years to pursue other photography endeavors. There are no other works that are as popular as the early rock and roll photography that he has done, but he says he is equally proud of his later work. Here are some samples of Baron Wolman's work.

Jimi Hendrix. Photo by Baron Wolman

Joni Mitchell. Photo by Baron Wolman

Mick Jagger. Photo by Baron Wolman

The nice thing about taking pictures even at an amateur level of people dancing and singing, and “rocking ‘n rolling” is that the photographer may always get carried along with its intensity and vibe. And this probably what Wolman had brought him into the business.

Rocking Out! Photo taken by Lizard

I think photography should be as enjoyable as rock ‘n roll. A picture of a guy pretending to be playing a real guitar, funny as it may look, is still a demonstration of art in photography. It is inspired by how Wolman wants rockstars should pose in front of a camera. 

Electric Guitar. Photo taken by Ex Trident

Musical instruments play a huge factor in taking pictures of rock ‘n roll. Although not necessarily required, it is always been the concept of this kind of music by most photographers and a lot of Wolman’s photos show these kinds of pictures.




 But working as a photographer in a magazine industry requires a combined skill of an art photographer and a press photographer. Baron Wolman did this by masterfully taking photographs of Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger doing concerts. It is like watching MTV but on still cameras. This has inspired concert goers and amateur photographers from bringing their cameras and taking shooting at a best angle and exposure as much as possible. Here is a picture taken by a photographer in a concert.

Anthrax. Photo by Haje Jan Kamps

Brad Paisley. Photo taken by Mdrtoys

Concert pictures have always been perfect pieces of art of how music artists express themselves. Pictures of rock concerts always reflect to the kind of music the artist is playing. If the music is about love then you get pictures like this. 

Limp Bizkit. Photo taken by Kevin Mazur

And if it is about hate and violence, then it doesn’t need to be explained just by looking at the picture. 




In today’s age where almost all people can afford to purchase small and sophisticated digital cameras, musicians began to distance themselves. They feel like they have to protect themselves from the photographers. In fact, they will consistently try to avoid them. This is probably the paranoia led paparazzis that always seems to follow them. Only few of them nowadays have the class that Baron Wolman did with his photography subjects.

Baron Wolman still is an active photographer who enjoys his work. He likes changing it up and doing different things. He even had a new interest in nude photography. Baron actually ended up teaching a class on the subject at the collegiate level. He is passionate about his work, and that separates him from many of the other average photographers.





References:


Graham (2011). The Rolling Stone Years - Baron Wolman. Retrieved 4 December 2011 from: http://lubin.co.uk/?p=1010


Bathke, John (2011). Baron Wolman and the Rolling Stone Years. Retrieved 4 December 2011 from: http://johnbathke.wordpress.com/tag/photography/

EMP Museum (2011). Every Picture Tells a Story - Baron Wolman. Retrieved 4 December 2011 from: http://empmuseum.org/calendar/index.asp?categoryID=37&m=7&d=30&y=2011&eventID=914