There’s no better way to bring meaning to life than to let go of fear and jump into a passion full force. That’s what photographer Jeff Fasano did when he went from the unfulfilling corporate grind into a brand-new life at age 40. With hard work and intuition, Fasano earned the privilege of photographing some of our greatest musicians. From icons such as Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, and David Crosby – to up-and-coming names in Americana, bluegrass, blues and folk – Fasano had sessions with them all. He created a new, exciting life around capturing these musicians – and other celebrities– during those tiny windows of opportunity when they are at their most authentic.
That moment of authenticity often comes in a flash, such as a quiet reflection wherein Molly Tuttle picks up a guitar, or a split second of action, when Del McCoury smiles the most vibrant and honest of smiles, or when the enigmatic late folk-rock-blues man Sixto Rodriguez was photographed before his passing, showing a complex mix of what seems like both strength and defeat. In the hands (and eye) of Fasano, the people we love to listen to also become those we love to see in a new light.
In the years before his career change, Fasano dabbled in photography as a hobby but his interest dates to high school. That passion sat somewhat silent while he built a career elsewhere. Then, one night, amidst feelings of not being on the right path, Fasano asked himself, “What brings me the greatest amount of joy?”
The answer was clear.
“When I pick up my camera, I’m in a whole different state of consciousness,” he realized. I love it. I absolutely love it.”
Since that fateful day of reckoning, he’s photographed icons such as Quincy Jones, Jewel, Steven van Zandt and Joan Osborne. He’s got a “partnership” as a photographer for the Americana Music Association and has done artist portrait sessions for both the IBMA and Folk Alliance International.
His “Americana Portrait Sessions” is a high-quality coffee table-style book of photographs of performers in roots genres ranging from folk to bluegrass and even to rock. It’s like a walk-through of the personalities of American music. It’s a “who’s who” of American roots, where Chris Isaak and Rufus Wainwright are pictured in the same collection as Sam Bush and bluesman Bobby Rush. The book features a shot of blues performer Keb’ Mo’ on its cover. These portraits run the gamut, but the cohesive tie-through is American roots.
Fasano described how he knows he’s captured the “perfect” shot. It’s not easy to describe, but he tries.
“It’s something I feel…” he said, trying to explain the almost mystical insight an artist gets when he or she just “knows.” Fasano said he rarely needs to wait to see if he’s captured something special – he usually knows right then and there.
“Even when I’m shooting, I know when I’ve taken an image that that’s gonna be a great image,” he explained. “I feel it in my soul.”
He referenced the idea best described by photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose book The Decisive Moment helped other photographers identify that feeling of a sort of creative gnosis when they see—and grab at—an absolutely true moment. Fasano relies on instinct for that “Decisive Moment.”
“It’s like when musicians are writing songs, and they say ‘I’m feeling it,’ or ‘I’m not feeling it,’” he said.
Published by Vanderbilt University Press, the collection is dedicated to NYC photographer Mario Cabrera, who he studied under when learning his craft. He credits Cabrera as the main force behind his mastery of the medium of photography. He also cites as influences photographers such as Dorothea Lange, who chronicled the plight of migrant farm workers in California during the Great Depression, and Walker Evans, who “photographed people on the streets in New York” during that same period.
Fasano said he didn’t grow up with bluegrass but grew into it. He eventually moved from New York City to L.A. and then to Nashville and started to be exposed to it more. However, his experience of the music at his first IBMA made him a fan of the genre. He’d always liked all roots music forms, but IBMA helped him turn a corner, and his appreciation grew big. It’s not uncommon for this to happen to people after attending their first IBMA convention.
“I just became really appreciative of the musicianship and dedication of bluegrass,” he said.
As a catch-all category for roots forms that aren’t easily shoved into a box, Fasano loves the breadth of the “Americana” genre.
“The all-inclusiveness…the diversity of it…is a big part of this book,” he said.
Another thing the book’s about is Fasano himself. He wants to impart his own life lesson to others, whether they be budding photographers, musicians…or anything at all. His conversion from doing a corporate job he didn’t enjoy to photographing people who make music is the type of risk he hopes others might have the fearlessness to take. We all end up in different places since we’re all different, but Fasano’s advice – which isn’t new – is still wholly relevant.
“Follow your dreams,” he said. “Follow your passions.”
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