I’m going to tell you something that you probably already know: some people hate being photographed. Even famed documentarian Werner Herzog proclaimed "It's like Death staring at you when you look at a camera."
That’s why being a portrait photographer could be called 5% camera settings, 20% great light, and 75% making your subject comfortable enough to unclench their teeth and produce a moment of authenticity. Experienced pros have a bag full of tricks to help turn an awkward appointment, something many see like a dentist visit, to something a little more like fun.
One of these tools for helping a photography subject calm down and find their zen for a great session is music.
Humans have known for hundreds of years that different types of music enflame different emotions. Hell, Homer wrote all the way back in the 8th century BC that, “Noble and manly music invigorates the spirit, strengthens the wavering man, and incites him to great and worthy deeds.” In more modern times, scientists have found that listening to different kinds of music can make people better (or worse) drivers.
Jazz makes food taste better.
Classical cures insomnia.
Good music releases the same chemicals as sex and many types of narcotics.
In the same way, music has the power to calm subjects in the studio and get them in the zone for a great photoshoot much more quickly. Well, some types of music any way - I recommend against others.
We encourage you to experiment with the tunes that keep your toes tapping and set the right one for your style, but if you’re a musical luddite or need a push in the right direction, we built a custom playlist for you to use at your next shoot.
For this round, we focused on songs designed to keep a light and positive tone at your next photoshoot with a client in a studio. We hewed close to the “Goldilocks” tempo of 50-80 BPM (close to the heart rate of your typical human being) that generates feelings of calm and focus. We’ll be updating the playlist weekly to give you some variety - make sure to subscribe to get Spotify notifications when we do.
