Rams’ Pocket Radio, fresh from a US and European tour with the brilliant Foy Vance has unveiled the debut single from the Béton album. ‘Love is a Bitter Thing’ is the first single and is currently available from online retailers.
I had the opportunity to capture some still images during the creation of the official video last week and it was quite an experience. A cold yet dry winter’s day in February and a challenging drive around the County Down coastline at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.
Music video, Director Darren Lee from Maverick Renegade has worked with a number of very successful artists including Ciaran Gribbin and the brilliant Mojo Fury is a creative talent with a laid back approach that made for a banter filled day.
There was a freedom to the way Darren approached capturing the video that put Peter at ease and made the very most of the ever changing natural environment.
The music video was shot over the day in a number of locations but the forest scene was extra special. As the sun began to set during the late afternoon nature presented the setting with an added bonus in the form of a thick fog rolling off the Mourne mountains and into the tree filled valley. It was a remarkable view and the camera sensor was able to capture more than I expected, the downside though was the sudden change in temperature.
I packed a long, 200mm lens expecting to be some distance from the action but in reality I was able to work alongside Darren and shoot with the Fujifilm X100s for the majority of the day. This shoot took place before my new weather sealed Fujifilm X-T1 arrived, that said I think the X100s would have packed for the day regardless.
I was able to use the X100s to capture medium wide shots of the forest as well as quite tight portrait level shots of Peter (aka Rams’ Pocket Radio) performing ‘Love is a Bitter Thing’. It was great that both the album cover and associated art work were all captured with the X100s camera in a very casual, documentary approach and the images were sharp with brilliant dynamic range.
In recent years, the only time I use my DSLR is when I need the reach of 200mm at f/2.8 and these occasions are becoming more rate. Even for live music photography the Fujinon 35mm is a remarkable performer for smaller venues and as you can from my review of the X100s I have successfully used it in the live music setting. I still celebrate being able to capture really sharp images with the freedom of travelling and shooting light; a day in the forest with the X100s and Rams’ Pocket Radio was a joy to shoot.
Love is a Bitter Thing
If you caught Snow Patrol’s European tour or Foy Vance in the US you will already be familiar with the talent that is Rams’ Pocket Radio. If you haven’t then I highly recommend you check out the Ram’s Pocket Radio website and pay iTunes a visit asap.
Links
Ram’s Pocket Radio
Music Photography
X100s
