find the torch, burn the plans!: 'see's and surely dreams in the primary colours' the STEFAN DUERR interview (part two)

only three more questions and answers with Stefan, but plenty more pictures below and still his mixtape to follow.

i need to tell you how stefan and i met, i decided to put a picture of Weller's jukebox, in situ at the black barn studios, on my fb page. you should be careful, you never know who is looking, and sure enough the owner of this photo contacted me, i hadn't asked permission. it's only then i realised, of course i was wrong, this is stefan's art not mine. but stefan is a nice guy and after approaching him agreed to talk, the results are below and before.

all the photo's used on this blog, have been chosen by stefan to accompany the interview.

i have no doubt stefan i will talk again, the art of a photographer is fascinating, the art of a music photographer even more so!

stefan is undoubtedly one of the best!

For you, what came first, an interest in music or photography?

Photography. I got my first camera (Polaroid) when I was around six years old. Music followed later when I heard The Style Council's Speak Like A Child, and from that moment on I was a huge fan of Weller. Then I had the idea to combine the photography & the music together.

Obviously alot of the artists you are involved with are from the modernist genre, has this style, music and lifestyle had any particular influence on your style?

Yes, I am influenced by classic sleeve art and photos. I think some of this & the heritage comes across in my work. Sometimes older sleeves can give me a direction for my own work as well.

Out of all your music related photos, which is your particular favourite and why?

The OCS Rockfield main picture - My plan for this was to convey OCS as a 5-piece band. The main three members are Simon, Steve & Oscar but Andy & Dan have been in the group for a long time now & also contribute songs, and I wanted a picture to reflect this. I am not really a fan of the album cover for On The Leyline, as Andy & Dan did not look a part of the band. I love the Rockfield picture because it clearly shows that Simon is the frontman & the band as a whole band. I also love the colouring on it.
Steve Cradocks high kick on stage - I think this is the most important shot of my career; it started everything off, it helped to get my name out there & was seen by so many people. It's an extraordinary shot, and Steve totally loves that photo.
Paul Weller on stage - I didn't want to distract from Paul & his shadow so I stripped back the colours on this one, which isn't something I would normally do, but I wanted the shot to focus on Paul as he was completely "in the zone" on stage at the time.