Imagine an orchestra without its Master Violinist, a mass choir without a soprano section or a rock band without its photographer. Hard to image right? For decades photographers have braved swarms of excited fans and dangerous stage performance enhancing props to bring us the photos that commemorate timeless musicians. Vincent Lagana is one such artisan in the craft of photography. Vinnie's extensive background has given him the opportunity to work (use the word "play" interchangeably whenever you see the word "work" because photographing rockers looks fun as hell to me!) alongside some of music’s most talented legends to include: Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Canned Heat, Tito Puente, Uriah Heep, Living Colour, Sting, Joan Baez, and Crosby, Stills and Nash just to name a few. Vinnie was gracious enough to let us review his Interview with Flash, an international music magazine:
Why did you decide to become a photographer?
"I've always had a passion for photography since I can remember thumbing through magazines when I was approximately 3 years old. The power of the image is so strong and I enjoyed experiencing that power first as an observer. When I was ten years old I became fascinated by a draw full of negatives that my family kept over the years. I was then drawn to the mystery of how a negative transformed an image onto paper. So I asked my father how it was done and he explained. He then agreed to buy me a developing kit from a photo store in New York. That is when I learned about black and white developing. My "laboratory" was the family bathroom. I was not able to afford an enlarger at the time so, all I was able to do was to make contact sheets. I fooled around with an "instamatic" Kodak of the time and enjoyed the darkroom. As I grew older during the 70's I became re-intrigued by the power of photography. Growing up between the 60's and 70's in New York was great for the visual arts. EVERYTHING was image. The Peace sign was elaborated in thousands of ways, posters were all over and in everyone's room ranging from Jimi Hendrix, to Black Power, to the famous Zodiac "Love Positions" Black Light Poster. If you walked the streets of 42nd Street in Manhattan you could not go without seeing the famous Frank Zappa poster known as "Fizzappa Crappa." The 60's and 70's were also rich in Rock & Roll photos and posters. The photos of Rock & Roll stars were also all over. Posters and photos of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, The Who, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, The Beatles, The Doors, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Carlos Santana, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Janis Joplin, Cat Stevens, James Brown, Cream, Grateful Dead, Steppenwolf, and the list goes on and on. For the first time photography also gave us very real, powerful, and insightful looks into the Vietnam War. The impact those photos had been so profound around the world that, it eventually played a role in stopping the Vietnam War. Photography and the images it portrays were also going through a revolution of its own in technique. The new use of 35mm cameras was a revolution in itself. It afforded the photographer to be in places he otherwise could not have been with a larger camera. This revolution was also recorded into photos from this new small professional camera. The 35mm. camera played a big part in concert photography in the time period of "Make Love, Not War." It was those events, and times that inspired me to be a photographer. I wanted to be able to capture the energy of the moment. I wanted to make photos that "say a thousand words." In September of 1980 I received my first 35mm camera, a Canon AV-1 which was an automatic 35mm camera for amateurs. In December of 1980 I was personally working for the Chief of Bonn of Newsweek as a photojournalist. In January of 1981 I had my first photo published in Newsweek. The feeling was awesome, especially when I received my check! After this experience I was hooked on photography."
Did you attend some professional training school?
"No. I did not attend any special schools. I am self taught. I did however attain a Certificate of Graduation in Professional Photography, from the New York Institute of Photography in 1992. I felt like "legitimizing" myself. However, the bulk of my training came from "The School of Hard Knocks." I learn from my mistakes, I research, I read books, magazines, Internet articles, and most of all I observe and "take in" any information regarding photography. Of course one of the obvious things to do is look at other great photographers that came before you so; you can have a "meter" to evaluate yourself."
Is there a photographer who inspired your works?
Yes and no. I can name some that inspire me like Helmut Newton, Mapplethorpe, Annie Liebowitz, Chris Dreja (original Yardbirds member) for many of his fantastic historical shots of
Led Zeppelin, Jim Marshall, Ansell Adams, and many more. I am also inspired by photographers of National Geographic, Life Magazine, and all concert photographers, and photojournalists in general. The first photographs that inspired me, many times did not have names of author on the picture. Photography, in my opinion, is just like music. "It doesn't matter who makes it, what matter is if it is good.”There are a lot of "no name" photographers out there that are good but, unknown. Just like in the music world there are a lot of great musicians out there that just have not yet been discovered."
Why did you choose to work in the Rock scene?
I chose the Rock scene for two maybe, three reasons. First, I love Rock music and lived a
period of time when Rock music was revolutionized, had an impact on social change, was louder than ever, and it was the time Rock & Roll made its transition into the labels we give it today called Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Latino Rock, Protest Song, Alternative Rock, Acid Rock, which some day will all be "labeled as classic?????." Today I still get a chance to see some of those legends of rock music and experience the same passion they created. That is what WE DIDN'T HAVE in those days of the "Rock Revolution." We listened to every style of music there was all on the same radio station!! People actually listened to "unlabeled, not categorized" music. At one moment you could be listening to Ina Gadda Da Vida, then Superfly, then some Tina Turner, next some Hendrix, Doors, next Simon & Garfunkel followed by King Crimson. This is what people forget about of that period time. Music between 1960-1975. The music we listened to on the radio varied in style and context. It created a multilevel listening level of enjoyment from all strands of society. This was a sign of the times. Free thinking, listening, and protest against the established repressive globalized "system," or "The Machine" as Pink Floyd called it. People were becoming more universal through music and more expressive. Freedom to "listen" existed. Then came the agents. Then came disco and it killed everything for a while. I have nothing against disco. Good dancing music with a limited fundamental beat but, you hate "to dance to the same drummer." That mixture of diverse music once heard in the 60's and 70's is gone. As Ian Paice, drummer for Deep Purple once said to me "over the years record company's talent scouts have been replaced by accountants." A second reason I chose the Rock scene was because I can get in FREE to see great concerts! I dig Rock music. I'm an old rocker that had the opportunity to see great rock & roll history in its making. As a concert goer I saw the Who when Keith Moon was still playing with them, I saw Led Zeppelin live at Madison Square Garden in the 1970's. I've seen Kiss in its prime when everyone knew of the "Kiss Army." I stood in front of the right channel of mountain like speakers at an ELP (Emerson, Lake, & Palmer) concert. And now that I am a concert photographer I have had the opportunity not only to see these concerts but, also to be backstage with legends of Rock music. At times I have had the added pleasure to party with Rockstars, or just sit down and have a beer with them to chit chat. What more can you ask for? Third, I just love Rock music, and having the ability to capture a special moment in Rock history on film, or digital camera is an awesome sensation of accomplishment. Having both a passion for Rock music and photography, to have them coexist and produce a moment worth looking at, "just makes for greater music." To put it in simple English "It's fucking great to see your profession and passion on the cover of Rolling Stone."
Any good stories about the bands with which you've worked?
"There are a few strange stories but I think they are only strange if you think that rockstars are not human beings and hold an image in your mind of what you think a rockstar should be like. You know what? They are just like you and me. Some a little bit more eccentric than others but, just the same, they are flesh and blood just like us. At some point their passion is also a profession, somewhat of a job sometimes. They have families to take care of, bills to pay, deadlines to meet, and lots of time away from home. Just like you and I they experience all the same problems in life like we do. What used to seem strange about rock stars years ago is now a standard of most Western industrialized civilizations. That is "Sex, Drugs, & Rock and Roll!" Which sector of society is any less strange? However, the strangest band I ever met was TAMPAX, an original Punk Rock band from Pordenone, Italy. These fuckers are strange and are still alive! Which are the difficulties that a photographer can have during a photo session? The biggest difficulty is in the "pit" as it is called. The pit is the area usually in front of the stage area where photographers stay and photograph. The area is restricted and shared professionally by all. However, the area is not entirely yours and at times you can find yourself in the wrong position of the pit area and miss a great shot. The pit area is also limited in time. You can only stay in the pit area for the first 3 songs of a band, sometimes on only 2 songs. Not much time to get a great shot. There is a lot of pressure in the pit."
In your opinion, is competition one of the rules of the Rock
photographers’ world?
I'm not sure what competition you mean. Personally, I look at my photos for myself first and then I criticize. If I feel a photo has some merit to appear in the public eye, and meet certain professional standards, then I keep it. I constantly compete with myself to get a "better picture." As far as competition translating into "making a living," then there is no competition. I am a freelancer and once again I have to compete with myself to try to get published. Marketing yourself is one hard lesson to learn when you are a freelancer. I think the biggest competition professional photographers are faced with today is the competition with people that give their work away for free to bands and magazines just to see their name in print. That has truly hurt the capable professional concert photographer. I could not do this job if I didn't have additional income from other sources. But, again, I feel the competition comes from within. In order to do the best job you can with passion as to represent yourself with pride and honor is not solely based on extrinsic values. Hopefully they will come to someday.”
Which bands would you like to work with?
“Rush, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, anything with David Gilmore, Beck, Evanescence, and there are so many more.”
How do you get such high quality shots?
“I try to keep my shots in the best focus possible while trying to catch the proper lighting, and action of the photo. The photo has to be more than just a candid. There must be the proper combination of focus, lighting, expression, and action of the subject that ultimately expresses into "this is great photo." That is what I strive for.”
Who was the most "difficult/easy" musician that you worked for?
This one is easy. Mick Box of Uriah Heep is the most easy to work with. I have met few people like Mick that can make you feel totally at your ease and treat you with the utmost respect. The man just has it all mixed up right. He is professional, kind, respectful, and down to earth. In a very important way it was Mick Box and Uriah Heep that kept me believing I should continue my concert photography. It was easy to get my photos to them, be exclusively published on their Sonic Origami CD, be nominated their official concert photographer, be brought on tour with them to Croatia, Germany, Austria, and Italy AND get paid for having my photos published exclusively in my very first professional music CD with a legendary band called Uriah Heep. The most difficult to convince that I was worthy of being their official photographer while they tour in Italy was Deep Purple. Deep Purple's manager is a tough business man and a photographer to boot. I must say he has many great shots of Deep Purple and I admire his work. The first time Bruce Payne recognized my work was after about our third meeting in a hotel lounge during a Deep Purple VIP party. I handed Ian Paice a new photographic poster I made of the band. Bruce Payne caught the poster by the corner of his eye, stopped, looked at the poster and said "That is great. Did you do this?" I then gave out free posters to Steve Morse, Roger Glover, and Jon Lord, and of course Ian Gillan. From that point on my work proved itself worth for Deep Purple. That is all I ask. I don't want fame but, I'll take the fortune. I just want my work to be worthy and get its just recognition. A "fair pay for a fair days work."
Shout out to Vinnie Lagana and the folks at Flash Magazine for their support and long history of keepin' it real.
Holla!
Robert "Bobby" Du'Vall Humes, Sr.
Director/CEO
Semuh Breeze Promotions
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