Personal brand shoot in Leeds for a DJ

Photoshoot for Andy Napster Nappey, Leeds, West Yorkshire

I headed to Leeds, West Yorkshire, a while ago to photograph the great techno DJ Andy Napster Nappey. I love photographing someone a little different, and I don’t think I have ever photographed a DJ. I met Andy twenty minutes before he had to go on air at the fabulous LDC Radio in Leeds.

My first time in a radio studio

I had never photographed in a radio studio and didn’t know what to expect. It was a little surreal that the home of LDC Radio is Becketts Park campus, where I did my sports degree. We headed to the basement, where I saw a small dark studio where all the magic happens.

Nervous

I have photographed Andy’s partner Julia before, and I knew how nervous she was, so I was expecting the same from Andy. I wasn’t wrong, he did show some nerves, but after a few minutes, he relaxed a bit. Before the shoot, I planned to capture a few pictures of Andy and then capture him in action while doing his show because I knew he would be more relaxed in his own environment.

There’s dark, and then there’s dark.

I knew the studio would be dark but didn’t know it would be as dark as it was. Before the show started, I set a few lights up to capture Andy in action. I watched Andy mix tracks for the next hour and work his magic. The mixing decks could have been in a better-placed position for photography, but as it was a live show, I had to behave and not try to rearrange them.

Special guests

During Andy’s show, he had some special guests come into the studio, who were the Groove Technicians. I know little about techno music, but it was an exciting time. Photographing Andy in a challenging environment was great, but we got some great shots.

If you have an interesting job and would like some new photos, then please get in touch with me at john@johnsteelphotography.com