Three hands are shown against a plain white background, each making a different gesture. The hands are positioned side by side, with the first and third forming a circle with their fingers.

Photography: Rare, uncompromising music editorial photography from Michael Schmelling

Words: Liv Siddall
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Date: 19 May 2014; Work
Photography

Seeing a photo of Earl Sweatshirt rolling a spliff in an open JFK shirt and a terrifying blade being held next to his face as he grins, pink-eyed to the camera is not your everyday kind of photojournalism. In the world of Michael Schmelling, whose instantly recognisable photography has won him editorial spots in magazines like WIRE and our personal in-house favourite, Die Zeit, this is pretty standard.

It’s hard to say exactly why Michael is so good, his knack of getting the perfect portrait is something to do with pinpointing the sitter’s weirdest aspect and fully dwelling on it with his lens. His photos of R. Stevie Moore for WIRE are exactly how portraits should be taken: taking the elements of a character and laying them out on a table for the benefit of anyone who didn’t really know about them before. For me, this is the most exciting music photography I think I’ve ever seen, especially that one of Explosions in the Sky. Woah.

A person sits on a brown sofa wearing an open navy blue shirt featuring a repeating print of portraits. To their right, a hand holds a folding knife pointed towards them. — Above
Michael Schmelling: Earl Sweatshirt

A person with a moustache looks towards the camera with a neutral expression. They are set against a vibrant, glowing green background. — Above
Michael Schmelling: Dirty Beaches

A person with long, curly brown hair looks downwards, their face partially obscured by their locks. They wear a white T-shirt under a blue denim jacket. — Above
Michael Schmelling: Untitled

A close-up portrait of R Stevie Moore on the cover of Wire magazine. He wears large glasses with a second pair of sunglasses perched on top. The masthead reads “WIRE” in bold white letters. Other text includes “The lo-fi vision of R Stevie Moore” and names such as “Annea Lockwood”, “Bass Clef” and “Jan Jelinek”. — Above
Michael Schmelling: R.Stevie.Moore for The Fader

Four people pose in a dimly lit room with purple walls. One person leans against a wall with an arm raised, while another stands beside them in a black dress. — Above
Michael Schmelling: The Fall

A row of dark shadows of people are cast against a pale concrete wall. Tall, dry grass grows along the top of the wall under a clear blue sky. — Above
Michael Schmelling: Explosions in the Sky

A person stands against a plain white wall, wearing a dark brown T-shirt and black trousers. They hold a white plastic bottle in one hand and look towards the camera. — Above
Michael Schmelling: Beirut

Three hands are shown against a plain white background, each making a different gesture. The middle hand has a tattoo on the wrist that reads “Tense” and “New”. — Above
Michael Schmelling: Untitled

A person wearing a bright green hoodie and matching green trousers leans over the top of a white brick wall. They are seen from behind against a clear blue sky. — Above
Michael Schmelling: Untitled

An aerial view of a complex highway interchange with multiple overlapping concrete flyovers. Cars and trucks travel along the intersecting roads, surrounded by patches of green grass and autumn trees. — Above
Michael Schmelling: Untitled

Further Info

www.michaelschmelling.com

About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

Photography: Rare, uncompromising music editorial photography from Michael Schmelling

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