To get there when I am on set, I need to build a relationship of trust with the person I photograph. What makes a photo unique? What makes it stand out? As a viewer, how do I connect or relate to the image I’m looking at? What does it make me feel? Of course technical skills matter, but fundamentally who cares if an image is slightly out of focus or underexposed, if there’s magic in it? Capturing the moment in portrait photography, it means capturing the right expression. To me, the most important thing about photography is not so much the technical aspect of things: it’s about capturing a moment. She’s ready to either grab a guitar and rock, or open up to what life brings to her. To quote Heather, “vulnerability is a strength”. Her posture and expression show a subtle mix of absolute confidence and genuine vulnerability. Heather is wearing the same type of clothes that she wears on stage.
The deep dark blue colour makes Heather stand out, and it’s also a good reference to the ocean, which is a theme so present in her music and songwriting. It felt right to then think of a defined colour theme. Heather didn’t have the name “Pearl” yet, but we knew the album would reconnect with the fantastic indie pop-rock vibe from Oyster and Siren. So we organized a second photoshoot with that in mind. Only two things were missing: the white background wasn’t giving enough depth to the image, and Heather having her eyes closed was somehow having us viewers disconnected from her. The mix of strength and vulnerability, openness and introspection were perfect. Among all the images we shot, we ended up really liking one particular photo: Heather is standing facing camera, her eyes closed, head up, arms and hands open towards us.
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Our first photo session was a series of black and white portraits on a white background. So we decided to organize a studio photoshoot and start working on the cover. We had a pretty clear idea of the vibe the visual should have, and we were very excited. She shared her demos with me, and we spoke about the direction she wanted for her upcoming album. At the time, her songs were written, but she only had them as demos, with just her voice and her acoustic guitar.
It is not so common to photograph the cover of an album before it is even recorded and produced. What’s quite interesting in this project is that the photos were taken about six months before Heather got into the studio. I have had the incredible pleasure and privilege of working with her and shooting the album cover. On June 28th 2019, Heather Nova released her 10th studio album Pearl.
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