Tim Soter… blog.

Last year I had an assignment for Billboard, shooting a reportage’ story involving fifteen EMI songwriters collaborating in a studios, literally writing the next big radio/internet hits.  Totally fun being a fly on that wall, even the phrases that they wrote in my presence got stuck in my head.  Things like, “You’re freaking me ow-out, you’re freaking me ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-out… “  A kind, barefooted German-Dane handed me his business card politely, on it were some of the hits he had written… Beyonce “If I Were a Boy,” Fergie “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” entire seasons of Hannah Montana… I couldn’t wait to hear something I had been present at the origin of, blaring out of slow rolling cars all summer long.  Simply so I could say I was there.  I was there at the genesis of THAT.

Cut to last month when Dylan from EMI asked if I would do a group portrait of the Urban Songwriters Conference.  Some of the same guys would be there and more, all shopping their diddies for the “next Ke$ha” who might need just the right ballad to complete her album.  I was warned that time was tight; ten minutes, one hundred writers, one shot that couldn’t look like a class portrait, all even heights and perfect rows.  Well it all came together well; I had some time a few days in advance to the ballroom and really sketch out the gist of it, setting up some unequal risers and getting that piano in there.  Plus I had some good assistants the day of and a bullhorn. I am now trying to figure out a way to use a bullhorn on all my shoots, even single portraits.  Or buildings.  It’s simply so much funnier.  Everyone was great and we actually all had a really fun time given the fact that it was first thing in the morning for a bunch of night owls.

Click on any of the below frames to see a short timelapse video of the whole thing.

Though for some reason I only used the bullhorn off camera.

I do really enjoy my Italian neighborhood here in Brooklyn; I could shoot for weeks within a five block radius.  I’m sure fellow photographer James Mahon is missing the local hospitaliano just a bit (though he found an absolutely beautiful house.)

ABOVE: As protected as your house can get apparently.

I shot a story that is running in the April issue of Maxim, on the newsstand now.   The editors of the magazine were given dance lessons by Cheryl Burke (above) from Dancing With the Stars; the whole thing was exactly as fun as it sounds. Wait, actually you can SEE how fun it was through the magic of video. Thanks to photo editor Stacey Pittman and all of the now expert salsa dancing editors. Special shout out goes to production director Amy Fritch, who made it to the final Dance Off. (DISLCAIMER:  Amy and I went to school together and she has seen me at the height of my adolescent art school arrogance… which has luckily eroded away from years of humbling work in the field.)

ABOVE:  Chris Knox playfully wrestles with an oatmeal cookie (pre-stroke.)

Chris Knox, the pride of New Zealand, is one talented songwriter.  Do a quick search and find some material to listen to; perhaps the best song to enter in on might be “Not Given Lightly” though hardcore fans might argue that.  He had a stroke last year and the music pool reeled.  Chris has inspired many and many wanted to give back.  The result is a bunch of his friends (folks who’s music you already love; Yo La Tengo, Stephin Merrit Magnetic Fields, The Mountain Goats, Lambchop, The Bats…) got together and made one wonderful cover album called ‘Stroke.’  Click this link to hear samples of all the songs or simply buy the album.

Several of these artist as well as some more (New Zealand’s The Clean, Kyp Malone TV On The Radio and in a very rare appearance Jeff Magnum Neutral Milk Hotel) will be playing a sold out benefit here in NYC in May.  The show sold out in minutes on Kickstarter, and the production costs are being kept very low so most of the (at last count) $40,500 will go towards Chris’ medical bills.

I had the pleasure of eating a delicious vegetarian dinner prepared by Chris and partner Barbara Ward at their home in Grey Lynn, Auckland a couple of years ago.  The night ended with beers, watching shooting stars and listening to music until the wee hours.  They’re both really gracious, wonderful people and I wish Chris the best as he continues to recover.

I know Chris would love the fact that this was posted on April Fool’s Day.

BELOW:  Perhaps Chris is penning a fax.