Entertainment
Leon Bridges is on his way to the Grammys. This photographer feels blessed to be documenting his journey
For Jones, who moved to Tennessee after highschool to pursue a pictures profession, the job is a dream.
“We met by means of Twitter,” he instructed CNN in a latest interview. “He was in Nashville one night and he simply tweeted out, ‘Any photographers in Nashville wish to come shoot?’ So I used to be simply one of many many photographers that talked about again, ‘let’s work, let’s work.’ And I did not actually suppose an excessive amount of of it. It is like he most likely will not see this.”
However Bridges did.
“5 minutes later he adopted me again and I misplaced it trigger I have been a fan since … I am from Mississippi, so I have been a fan since I used to be again house. So when he adopted (me) and I used to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, like what is occurring?’”
Though that encounter did not flip into an instantaneous gig with the singer, it was just the start for Jones.
A 12 months later, in 2019, Bridges invited him on tour.
“I got here to rehearsal, took some pictures and I do know he already had a photographer on the tour, but it surely was simply cool of him to deliver me out to rehearsal, simply to shoot some behind-the-scenes stuff,” Jones stated.
“I suppose after that he simply sort of preferred what I did for that rehearsal. And I received a name at like 10 o’clock that night time asking me if I may come on tour for like a month … it was simply good timing … we simply clicked.”
Jones accompanied the singer once more on tour within the fall of 2021. He says that Bridges has elevated his pictures to new heights. Now he finds himself always making an attempt new strategies, utilizing movie as a substitute of a digital digicam.
One in every of his favourite pictures occurred after they have been getting ready for a present in Atlanta and Jones received an thought.
“I used to be actually sitting in my resort room and I used to be looking the window and I noticed these curtains, similar to a very cool forest inexperienced sort of colour,” he stated. “I went to his room, simply took some pictures, moved some chairs round and instructed him to sit down in entrance of the curtain trigger I’ve all the time wished to shoot in entrance of like a very enjoyable, cool resort curtain.”
Behind the scenes, Jones says Bridges is shy at instances. However it’s in these quiet moments when he will get to soak within the expertise.
“He would not rush something. He is affected person … generally you simply catch him sitting round, similar to enjoying a file, a tune that he hasn’t completed but, however similar to just a few strains and he simply, like, retains planning,” he stated.
Bridges has his hair styled by his mom, Lisa Sawyer, in New York Metropolis earlier than his look on “The Late Present with Stephen Colbert” in September 2021.
Bridges is seen throughout a rehearsal in Aspen, Colorado, in October 2021.
Jones stated he enjoys seeing performers like Bridges work themselves up earlier than a present.
“You are hanging out with them, and so they’re regular individuals, however then after they hit the stage, it is like a change! I really like seeing that change. It is like, oh, snap, like, that is Leon Bridges. You already know what I imply?”
One other standout second for Jones was a time in New York Metropolis when Bridges’ mother was grooming his hair.
“It is simply such a particular second. I did not understand it till after I shot (it),” he stated. “That was actually cool, simply to sort of see how easy it’s for her to do his hair.”
Jones would not take these moments without any consideration and is grateful to be alongside for the journey.
“I am from Mississippi. I used to be by no means like, flying round like that, you already know, airplanes. So I needed to get used to stuff like that and visiting totally different cities, simply making an attempt new stuff and visiting locations. I simply by no means grew up considering I might ever be capable of (do that) … it is simply been enjoyable,” he stated.
“Such as you’re a fan of the music, however while you get the love individual? It is virtually like a enjoyable dangle with your folks and also you get to work.”