The quality of my printed photographs is paramount to me! I studied photography long before the emergence of digital technology. Printing images by hand in a darkroom was the only way to experience the final product. My love for printed images has stuck with me all these years later.
OneRepublic Dec. 5, 2015 – LoCash Aug. 24, 2019 – Matt Kearney Aug. 1, 2019 – Lyle Lovett July 27, 2019 – Nil Rodgers and Chic Aug. 29, 2019 (From top going clockwise.)
I firmly believe that the print is the final step in the creative process. I remain convinced this is true. For me, the workflow begins with the idea, leads to the photographic execution of the idea, to the digital editing and, finally, the printed image. Successfully completing this creative cycle is one key to being a professional photographer.
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath Reunion Tour / Ozzfest, National Bowl, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, June 20, 1998
I do all my own printing. For better or for worse, I’m too much of a perfectionist to trust anyone else printing my images for me.
Coldplay – Chart Magazine Cover Session, X&Y Album The Church at Berkeley, Toronto, ON , May 10, 2005
Two years ago, for example, I single-handedly printed (on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Bright White) over 200 16×20” images—chosen by representatives of an entertainment venue for which I serve as house photographer—for a backstage gallery of my live performance shots. Although printing the photographs was time consuming, I cannot imagine assigning the responsibility to someone else.
The Cure – The Kissing Tour CNE Grandstand, Toronto, ON, August 1, 1987
One of the great things about having this permanent gallery, is that it has turned into a conversation piece for visiting musicians… and those conversations often include me. I’ve had very compelling conversations on the subject of photography with the likes of Lyle Lovett, Graham Nash, Seal, Don Felder, and Kevin Costner – to name a few. Of course, like any self-respecting artist, I’m not in this for celebrity endorsement… but here’s the secret – I’m a huge music geek. The opportunity to chat about photography to an artist who creates their art while living on the lighted stage, a conversation held beyond the gilded cage is one that I will not pass up.
Gord Downie – The Tragically Hip, Man Machine Poem Tour, Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, August 10, 2016
Gord Downie – The Tragically Hip, Man Machine Poem Tour Budweiser Gardens, London, ON, August 8, 2016
But, as much as I enjoy speaking to celebrity photographers, it is not these conversations that are the prime motivator for my love of printing. It really is the art of photography and printing.
Gord Downie – Gord Downie/The Tragically Hip, Chart Magazine cover session, Phantom Power publicity, Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON, December 21, 1998
The Hahnemühle Photo Rag® is the paper I primarily use. I prefer it for a number of reasons. For me, it has a perfect weight to it and the paper is fiberous. Even though it has a smooth surface, it still boasts ample texture and feels like the high-end paper surface that it truly is. The D-max, the bright whites, and the full range of tones work perfectly for the contrast and clarity that I seek to portray in my images. I’m looking for the very best way to represent what I saw and captured during a given performance and this particular paper has all of the qualities to sustain that moment in time.
Gord Downie (Railroad tracks) – The Tragically Hip, Woodstock 99, Griffiss Airforce Base, Rome, NY, July 24, 1999
For my own limited edition fine art sales, I use the Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Deckle Edge paper. Same paper stock that I mention above except it has the rough, feathered edge. I believe that the fringed border is part of my artistic statement; this is where my image begins and ends. A frame within a frame, if you like. Every image is printed, signed, and numbered personally by me. Whether the original photograph is from a digital scan of a negative or a transparency, or whether the photograph has been made with a digital camera, I have taken the utmost care to ensure that the contrast, density, and colour of the images are maximized to capture the potential of each and every artwork.
Nickelback – Feed the Machine album artwork photo session, Vancouver, BC, March 9, 2017
Robert Plant – Prior to the Raising Sand Press Conference, Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON, July 14, 2008
Tony Bennett – Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls, ON, October 10, 2008
U2 – The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 (Opening Night of the tour), BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, BC, May 12, 2017
Richard Beland Biography
Coordinator and Professor for Lambton College’s Photography Program, Richard Beland is a working music and entertainment photographer. His extensive body of work, which dates back to 1986 celebrates popular music’s depth and eclectic breadth includes live performance photographs as well as studio portraits. From photographs of Coldplay to those of The Tragically Hip, Richard Beland’s images of international stars and Canadian icons reveal his passion for his craft, his keen sense of composition, and his steadfast commitment to detail.
