Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Thiebauth.
Jeff, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began photographing concerts (rock, blues, and jazz) in 1978 while a student at Boston University. At the time I used a 35mm Minolta SRT201 camera, shot black & white film and did my own darkroom film processing and printmaking. Within a couple years from graduation I was regularly photographing performances for the Boston Phoenix newspaper. The publication was my access to close-up photography as some restrictions on camera use by the general public had begun. Often, those of us with press passes were given 10-15 minutes at the front edge of the stage to get our photography done, then escorted out the back of the venue. I freelanced for approximately 10-12 years with the Phoenix and amassed a modest collection of images of many of my favorite musicians including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Miles Davis, Emmylou Harris, John Lee Hooker and U2.
In 2010 I began to scan and digitize my concert negatives and realized that I had some photographs worth sharing with others. And so, efforts were made to find venues in which to display my photos. Since the time of my first exhibit in early 2014 I have had a half dozen shows and currently display my work in The Verb Hotel which is directly adjacent to Fenway Park in Boston. Other exhibits have included The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN) and Panopticon Gallery in Boston.
Although I no longer have press credentials, I still photograph live music when possible and restrictions are minimal. My camera equipment is digital and images can be seen on an LCD screen as they are produced–something that was not at all possible during the days of analog film and cameras. In other words, we weren’t really certain of what types of images we had until we pulled the film out of the final water wash in the darkroom. Part of the back story of the creation of concert images in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s was that photographers like myself were flying by the seat of our pants with modest camera technology (by today’s standards), film that was minimally light sensitive, moving subjects and ever-changing lighting conditions. Such features of photographing some 25-35 years ago make the images that were captured back then even more prized I believe.
Currently, I do home interior, portrait and event photography in the Boston and South Shore areas.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Issues that arose during my years photographing concerts pertained to gaining access, shoot duration restrictions and camera & film limitations. Often, photography was not allowed at a particular show and if a shooter was detected by security, he or she could have film confiscated or be escorted out of the venue. Having access to a press pass generally helped alleviate this type of situation. Even so, photographers were often given 3 songs in front of the stage for image capture. This typically translated into a 10-12 minute window for photographing the artist(s).
There were multiple ways for error to enter into the equation–from camera light leaks, to misplacement/loss of a film canister, to running out of film altogether. Processing mistakes could also be made in the darkroom although they never seemed to be as severe as an error involving the camera.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jeff Thiebauth Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
Jeff Thiebauth Photography specializes in home interior work for real estate agents & interior designers, physician & attorney portraits and events for companies, associations, schools and hospitals. Clients include the Massachusetts Bar Association, Harvard Medical School, Design East Interiors and Brigham & Women’s, Massachusetts General and South Shore Hospitals. My business is known for producing high quality, well-lit images for websites & publications and for meeting deadlines on time. My specialties are waterfront home interior photography and both studio & environmental portraiture. I do my best to instill confidence in my clients by being trustworthy and reliable.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Well, I certainly do believe that luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparedness. I am always trying to push myself to do better, keep my feet moving rather than become stationary and develop my interpersonal skills to their utmost potential. I think that doing such things allows the door to be open and luck to walk in.
One of the more spectacular moments in time occurred when a photographer, who was a friend of a neighbor, asked me to be a stand in and take care of his real estate photography work while he was away for a month. This occurred when I bumped into the 2 of them at a local art show. The understanding was that he would resume this aspect of his business once he returned but it appears that he had a change in direction as he never asked to take the work back. That moment of intersection might never have happened if I hadn’t seen my neighbor milling about at the show. We could have missed each other by 5, 10, who knows, 30 minutes and the interaction never have occurred. Instead, the conversation happened and I took off on a new tangent with my photography–home photography for real estate agents, architects and interior designers
Contact Info:
- Address: Hull, Massachusetts 02045
- Website: JeffTmusicphoto.com
- Phone: 617-851-8076
- Email: jthiebauthphoto@gmail.com
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