Icon: Music Through the Lens

Where does music photography sit in the contemporary, popular culture landscape? The seismic switch from analogue to digital is discussed alongside the rise and influence of social media. The series ends by asking whether music photography still has a role to play, does it still carry the same importance, and who are the new standard bearers of the profession?

The transition of music photography from a niche pastime to a highly collectible and often valuable art form is examined through conversations with gallerists, literary publishers, art experts and those photographers whose body of work now has global prestige and, in some cases, hangs on the walls of the world's most revered institutions.

Photographer Jonathan Mannion talks about shooting Lauryn Hill for Honey Magazine while she was pregnant.

Music magazines played a pivotal role in elevating music photography to iconic status, providing a visual context for some of the world's greatest bands and their music. Journalists, musicians and publicists among others join the music photographers who shot some of the most memorable front covers to discuss the uncensored and often never-heard-before stories behind these amazing photographs.

The evolution of record sleeve photography from its roots in jazz and early rock 'n' roll through to the highly stylized concepts and imagery of modern-day music genres is discussed by art directors, musicians and music photographers responsible for some of the world's most iconic album covers.

During a shoot with The Rolling Stones photographer Gered Mankowitz came up with a new way to add a filter to his photos by using Vaseline.

From the embryonic days of the modern music industry, live music photography has provided some of its most visually striking and era defining imagery. First-hand recollections and eye-opening stories from those early trailblazers and those still devoted to capturing the magic of live music, paint a vivid picture of life on the tour bus and in the photo pit.

Featuring in-depth and often irreverent interviews with the world’s best-known music photographers, musicians, gallerists, music journalists and social commentators, Icon: Music Through the Lens is an eye-opening, six-part, thrill ride through the amazing world of music photography.