10 days ago, I spent the day taking pictures of London musician who is now restarting his music career in Berlin after a pause of some years. He commissioned a series of pictures for promotional purposes. His music makes reference to 80s electronic pop music, and he names as guiding images Blondie, Gary Numan, Iggy Pop, and David Bowie. We quickly agreed on the setting for the shoot; The Liberate bar in Berlin-Mitte with its warm, plush, golden opulence seemed ideal to evoke that 80s feel. To my delight, Markus Rock offered to assist with the lighting and the make-up. Being supported and also receiving creative input from someone as accomplished as Markus was a fantastic experience for me. Together we got through two day’s worth of shooting in one.

Here are a few images from the shoot. They have been edited in different ways and thus offer a range of looks, partly to play around, but also to offer Merlin a choice. He has not quite decided yet on his look, so I am posting these images also in the hope of getting some feedback on them. Of some pictures, there are several slightly different versions; I have a preference in some cases, but I would rather hear how others view them, or which look someone else may prefer. Aspects are sharpness, colour saturation, softness or harshness of contrast, or whatever somes to mind. I would be very grateful for suggestions and opinions.