Ok so I have to start by saying… my Mom introduced me to Doc Robinson. And honestly? That just makes this whole story even better. She (and my Dad) have always had great taste in music (clearly it runs in the family) and when she told me about them I was immediately a fan. So getting to actually PHOTOGRAPH them?! I mean… it was kind of a dream!! Cleveland band photography is something I have wanted to do more of for a long time, and this session was everything I hoped it would be and more. Let’s get into it!

The Band, The Vibe, The Music

If you have not heard of Doc Robinson yet, please go fix that immediately. You can check them out at docrobinsonofficial.com and find them on Spotify too.

They are a six-musician powerhouse based in Columbus, Ohio with a sound that honestly defies categorization – their Spotify bio calls it a midwestern “gumbo” concoction and I think that is just perfect. Eccentric lyricism, heartbreak harmonies, dueling lead guitars… the kind of music that makes you feel something. They have toured alongside some incredible artists like Caamp, Neal Francis, and The Brook and the Bluff, and you may have heard their songs on The Walking Dead or BoJack Horseman. They are the real deal, people!!

And every single one of them was SO kind and welcoming from the moment I arrived. I have photographed a lot of people in a lot of situations, and there is something really special about walking into a space where everyone just makes you feel like you belong there. That is exactly what happened. Lots of laughs, great energy, good times all around. I left feeling so grateful for the whole experience.

SUMA Recording Studio

The session took place at SUMA Recording Studio in Northeast Ohio and wow… what an incredible place to make photos. If you are not familiar, SUMA is a legendary recording space and being there felt like such a privilege. The textures, the equipment, the light – everything about it lent itself to interesting and creative images.

We worked in a few different areas of the studio which gave the session so much variety…

Cleveland Band Photography: How We Shot It

This is the part I love talking about because we got to do so many different things!

Fun and creative band portraits – We did some just straight up fun photos of the guys together. The kind where personalities come through and you can tell they genuinely enjoy each other. Those are always my favorites to capture. They were so open to me using my Lensbaby lenses and getting creative and weird with their images, which I always appreciate!

In the recording space – I got to photograph them while they were actually recording, which was incredible. For this part I used one of my Lensbaby lenses as well as my Lensbaby Omni Creative Filter System. The Omni is not a lens — it is a collection of wands, crystals, prisms, and color filters that you physically hold in front of your lens while shooting to create effects like rainbows, color flares, and prismatic overlays right in camera, not in editing. I am a Lensbaby Trailblazer so I have been lucky enough to work with them and test their products, and the Omni is one of my favorites to play with during creative sessions. The results were really different and interesting — dreamy, a little otherworldly, creative in a way that I think matched the whole vibe of what they were creating in that room. Music and photography both tell stories, and I wanted the images to feel that way too.

The engineering room – We also spent some time getting photos of the guys together in the engineering/control room part of the studio. More laughs in there, more good energy. I also incorporated some double exposures which I just love for creative sessions like this one. If you are not familiar with double exposures, it is basically layering two images together to create something new and unexpected. When it works it is really, really cool!

Cleveland Band Photography and Why I Want to Do More of It

I am a HUGE music lover. Always have been. Music is genuinely one of the most important things in my life and if you have ever seen my Instagram you know I almost always add a song to go with my posts because I can not help myself!

So doing Cleveland band photography felt like such a natural fit. We are both artists. We both care deeply about telling stories and making people feel something. I think there is so much power in creative people supporting and collaborating with each other, and I want MORE of that in my work!

If you are a band, a musician, or really any kind of creative artist – a painter, a dancer, a maker, a writer, whoever you are – and you want photos that feel as interesting and unique as what you create… I am your girl! I love getting creative and funky, I love bringing out my fun lenses and doing something different, and I will always be up for trying something new and unexpected together.

Let’s go make something cool! Reach out here! Feel free to check out other Cleveland Branding Sessions or Photography Sessions using Lensbaby that are on the blog.

Go Check Out Doc Robinson!

Seriously, do yourself a favor. Head over to docrobinsonofficial.com and give them a listen. Find them on Spotify, follow them on Instagram at @doc_robinson_, and go see them live if you get the chance. You will not regret it. Such talented, kind humans making really great music. I am so glad my mom has good taste!

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Alison Nicole Photography is a Cleveland lifestyle photographer offering creative photography sessions for families, brands, musicians, and artists. Serving Cleveland, Westlake, Bay Village, Rocky River, Lakewood, Fairview Park, Avon, Avon Lake, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, and beyond – and always up for travel!