The Queen of da Souf’s “On God”
Behind the Scenes • Oct 10, 2020 by James Baxter, Introduction by Scott Marlin
“Every single frame is unique and there is an emotion attached to each one.”
Photography and recorded music have a long and storied history, from record producer Francis Wolff’s iconic Blue Note album covers to the countless visually driven music magazines of the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. James Baxter’s work shows a deep reverence for the culture and tradition of the music-photography symbiosis, and proves that you can still nod to tradition while delighting viewers with something completely new.
I am beyond thrilled to welcome James Baxter to Flash Punk with this extraordinary behind-the-scenes series, starring none other than the Queen of da Souf herself, Atlanta’s own Mulatto. This series was shot on set of the video for her single On God, directed and edited by Cole Bennett, and featuring dazzling appearances by Coi Leray and Mariah the Scientist.
From the photographer: “I didn’t start shooting film until about three years ago, but right when I started I fell in love with photography again.”
“With digital cameras I found myself so worried about getting the ‘perfect shot’ that I would take hundreds or thousands of photos of the same thing over and over again, chasing that unreachable ideal. When I picked up film I realized that every shot was in the moment. There was no checking your work. There was no do-over. Every single frame is unique and there is an emotion attached to each one. Because of this, there’s a depth to film that just isn’t present on digital. There’s that feeling that this frame was the product of a million tiny things coming together just so in an instant. It’s as if film captures the emotional experience of creating in a way that digital photos can’t quite seem to do.”
“When I’m photographing artists I love shooting film, because those raw intimate moments really only shine on film. This set was a little challenging due to the fact I was using a new camera and medium for the first time, the Fuji GA645. I’ve always wanted to shoot medium format but since my work is often run and gun it never made sense to use any of the typical slower, heavier medium format cameras. This time around I decided to give the GA645 a chance. I had heard some people refer to it as a 120 film point and shoot. The GA645 performed exactly like a point and shoot with all the incredible medium format detail.”
Photographed on Portra 800.
Photography / @jamesbaxter
Featuring / @mulatto, @coileray, @mariahthescientist, @_colebennett_
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