This week I’m talking to Skye Portman, a talented photographer and creator of one of my favourite photo series, A Day in the Laugh. We had a great chat about photography, comedy, pies, and strippers. Intrigued? Let’s go.

Cover(ing) Bands

Skye began photography back in her hometown of Derby in the UK, a town in which her estimation is best “known for pies, ales, and drugs”. I do love a nice pie, colour me interested in a post-isolation trip across the pond. She was fifteen years old when she booked her first gigs to photograph bands at a local bar, the Victoria Inn. Equipped with a “really bad Sony Cybershot,” and business cards she had handwritten on pieces of paper, she eventually carved herself out a regular gig. What was your excuse for not starting your project again? You don’t have the right paint yet? Right. Anyway, Skye tells me that this job was a great opportunity to gain real-world experience as well as meet an incredibly varied cast of characters both on and off-stage. From Jack Black from Tenacious D or Dave Grohl from two pretty good bands, Skye has amassed an impressive network over her career. However, the standout moments from this gig were not when she met these household names. For Skye, the moment when she felt that she had made it as a photographer was when travelling bands “gave me their t-shirt for free”. If UK concert merch prices are anything like the ones here in Vancouver, I’d consider those gestures a major perk as well.

Another interesting period from Skye’s time at the Victoria Inn was photographing “replica” bands, “like the fake The Who and the fake Blondie”. Where the amateur photographer would see just another gig, Skye saw a major marketing opportunity. After each show, she realized she had “all these amazing photos of people who kind of look like the doppelgangers” of the original bands. Taking this footage and putting it up on her website was a great way to gain some clicks from potential clients. Skye diplomatically told me that when people saw these photos and thought they were celebrities, “technically they’re right, but technically they’re wrong too so I leave it to their imagination”. Entrepreneurship at its finest.

A Day in the Laugh

After moving to Vancouver, Skye began working at The Brett Martin Show where she was introduced to local comedians and other members of the stand-up community. She quickly realized that “people weren’t photographing comedians,” with video or audio content being the popular choices. Sensing an opportunity to help fill this void, she began brainstorming the framework for what would become a project she continues through today. For the format, she took inspiration from an assignment she had in university in which she was tasked to photograph a market at opening, during operating hours and after closing. Adjusting this to fit a comedian’s schedule, Skye began photographing comedians before, during, and after a show. As for the name, she admits that she had difficulty coming up with a good tag, and credits her friend Rich for coining “A Day in the Laugh”. Skye explains that the reason why she chose this format was that prior to working with comics, her “perception was comedians go to a show, they do their bit and then they go home”. But after meeting so many comedians and watching their individual processes, she thought that each comedian’s unique arc of a show night was something worth sharing.

When I asked her to share her most memorable moments from this project, it was hard for her to single out anyone in particular. She credits Chris Griffin for being the first member in her series, as well as Sasha Mark who she describes as an “absolute babe” to work with. She also shared a story of photographing Dion Arnold at The Penthouse, as she had “never been to a strip club…In Vancouver”. Skye tells me that after his set was over they “went down one level and [Dion] goes, “Do you wanna see strippers?” Skye made the same rational decision any of us would make, but after a brief moment, both Dion and herself agreed that just a quick glance would do. This is just one example of the wide variance in venues, shows, and of course the comedians themselves that Skye has captured in this project. She says that “no two have been the same, and that’s been the fun and joy of it, the authenticity” of each performer she has worked with. A Day in the Laugh is now in its second year of production, with features on nearly 50 comedians, improvisers, sketch performers, and all-around funny people.

Photography

When I asked her what she found most difficult about photography, Skye shared her mixed feelings towards Instagram. One one hand, she cites Instagram as a useful tool for her to conduct research and get inspired by other artists. However, she cautioned that “the photograph can lie,” upon first glance. She expressed her frustration towards “kids on Instagram who are photographing these staged lives and pretending that they’re incredibly happy when deep down they’re dying inside because they just need those likes to feel glorified”. Other difficulties she shared include the inescapable late nights of both music and comedy photography, along with the nerves she still feels before every shoot. However, she doesn’t dwell on the negatives and instead reframes these struggles as opportunities for growth. She states that “even though the worst parts really are terrible it pushes your boundaries” to become a better photographer. Moreover, “if you weren’t challenged, you’d stay exactly where you are”.

Returning to how we began our conversation, I asked Skye about what were the major similarities and differences between photographing bands and photographing comedians, Skye says that while both subjects are similar in that she is capturing a performance, she feels that with a comedian, “it’s more on a personal level”. She shares that this level of intimacy was not always present when she worked with musicians, adding that what drives her passion for photography is not necessarily the subject matter, but rather the subject itself. In her words, “I like to learn about people, I want to understand people,” and this is one of the reasons she has found a home photographing comedy.

I’ll end with some words Skye shared when I asked where she finds inspiration for her photography. She said that to get inspired, “absorb everything, take it all in,” and that we can find exciting ideas in ordinary circumstances. As we loosen social isolation, I feel like this advice rings more true than ever as the little things we took for granted will feel so much more exciting than ever before. For more on Skye, check out her website to see the entire backlog of her work. To keep up with A Day in the Laugh shoot her a follow, and if this leaves you begging for more, give Skye a follow as well. Thanks again to Skye for the chat, stay safe out there everybody, and we’ll see you next week!

-BF

Check out last week’s article with Colin Williams!

• WordPress
• Facebook
• Instagram