The Iuventus Ensemble is an extremely successful chamber music group. It is formed of exceptionally talented musicians. They have a demanding timetable and perform worldwide. So when they asked me to take their publicity photos I was incredibly excited. But I was also faced with one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had as a London musicians photographer. How were we going to find a day when eight busy musicians were all free at the same time?
Rainy Musicians Portraits at the Southbank
As expected it took several months to find a day that worked for everyone. However we eventually managed to meet up at the end of May. Unfortunately the weather forecast was not too optimistic for the day. But rather than wait another few months to find a free day for all eight musicians we decided to go ahead with the shoot. Even though it turned out to be a very cold, rainy morning at the Southbank, this part of London is the most fantastic location for all weathers. It features numerous attractive undercover areas that work well in all weather conditions.
String Quartet “walking in the rain”
I photographed the ensemble in their various forms using an assortment of different backdrops. This allowed us to highlight different line-ups as they are such a versatile group. They play together as a quartet, quintet, sextet and an octet. I love the graffitied background of the Skateboard Park in the images. It just works so well with their black concert clothes. I also really like the bright colours of the red wall and blue gates we found. And it seemed fitting to end the photo session with a real “walking in the rain” shot. Four of the musicians held their umbrellas and instrument cases and walked behind the Royal Festival Hall for this atmospheric image.
It was such a fun shoot, with a fantastic group of people, followed by a much-deserved hot drink to end the morning. Being a musicians’ photographer in London is a real joy, whatever the weather!