How I Art Directed A CD Cover Shoot Over The Internet

When Chris Sebastian contacted me about creating cover art for his debut album ‘The Good Old Days‘, I initially wasn’t sure how the scenario would work. Chris was in Sydney, I was in Melbourne, and his photoshoot was happening in Sydney within the week. I admit, I’m a bit of a control freak… In order to create a cohesive composite cover art piece, I normally would shoot every element myself. I need to have control of the light and the perspective to ensure everything fits together.

I asked Chris if I could liase directly with the photographer and art direct the project remotely. I wasn’t sure how the collaboration would work, but I was willing to give it a try.

I spoke with Tim Woolf, the photographer about Chris’s shoot. I was thrilled to find out Tim was experienced at green screen photography and lighting. We made plans to videoconference the photo session so that I could be there at least in digital form.

Prior to Chris arriving at the studio, Tim set up the lighting as per my specs and ran some test shots. After a few adjustments we were ready for Chris. During the entire shoot we video-conferenced and I was able to provide feedback and make requests in real time. Tim also had his team (Bronwyn Keller and Ben Scott) upload selected images to me throughout the shoot so that I could run mock ups and ensure that we were capturing the images required for the project.

Although this was a completely different way of working, I enjoyed collaborating with Tim and his team and together creating an amazing cover design. The CD is now available at Guy Sebastian’s regional tour where Chris is the featured support act. Guy talks about choosing his talented brother Chris to support his tour in this news article.

The background plates selected for this project were part of The Decay Collection from the Image Manipulation  Store. Due to the quick turn around required for this project, it was impossible to go out and shoot the appropriate background plates, so I’m thankful for the amazing stock available for purchase from DIY Photography.

Have you ever collaborated using the power of the net? How did it work for you? It’s like the world has opened up to me. I’m excited to try this again, and hope to work with Tim Woolf Photography on green screen collaborations in the future.

Congratulations Chris on your amazing Debut CD!

About The Author

Karen Alsop is an award winning Australian, Melbourne based photographic digital artist and educator. Expanding on two decades of photographic and graphic design experience, Karen brings photography and art together to create stunning artworks that tell a story and take the viewer into another world. you ca see more of Karen’s work on her website, portfolio, and 500px. And you can also catch her on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. This article was also published here and shared with permission.

P.S. You may recognize Chris from a recent project, ‘The Groom’s Story‘, where he was flying through the air after taking a punch from his boxing pro brother on his wedding day.