PR photo for Gigi

Peter Figen
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · PR photo for Gigi

We shot PR photos for Gee's German band called the Pretzel Express Band on Monday and since she endorses Hohner accordions, or they endorse her, we try to get them a fresh shot every couple of years. The main soft box either wasn't turned on it it didn't fire, I'm not sure, but I like this version better anyway just with the Balcar 18" dish with grid. I shot the full band with the Fuji 45-100 and these individual shots with the Sigma 135 ART, and even though the Fuji zoom is sharp enough, the Sigma makes it seem really soft.

Gee with her Hohner Morino

GFX100S SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM A017 lens 135mm f/11.0 1/125s 100 ISO 0.0 EV

Sep 29, 2023 at 01:08 PM

dmacmillan
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · PR photo for Gigi

Very nice! Hope you are doing well.

Sep 29, 2023 at 01:40 PM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · PR photo for Gigi

dmacmillan wrote:
Very nice! Hope you are doing well.

Thanks Doug. Yes, we're both well. She's nervously getting ready for three days at the Hollywood Bowl doing the live Nightmare Before Christmas show with Danny Elfman. Two years ago Billie Eilish sang the lead and Weird Al and PeeWee were there as well. No PeeWee this time unfortunately. That's a big exciting show and she's never played that venue before.

And since we're heading into October, it's Oktoberfest season for all accordion players, plus she just spent half the day earlier this week recording a whole bunch of commercials for Amazon's Holiday ad campaigns.

Sep 29, 2023 at 01:56 PM

DanielScott
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · PR photo for Gigi

I love her styling, and the accordian looks great in this lighting. The lighting looks a bit harsh on her face though especially for a PR photo, to the point where it seems a little unflattering to her, and I wish the bottom frame didn't cut off at the middle of her pinky. I would also try doing some retouching on the hair that's covering the right side of her forehead (camera left).

Sep 29, 2023 at 10:27 PM

Danpbphoto
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · PR photo for Gigi

Beautiful composition Peter!
Rarely see an accordian in a band anymore! New Orleans yes.

Yes Octoberfest time!!!!!!!
Again a great composition.
Dan

Sep 30, 2023 at 09:44 AM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · PR photo for Gigi

Danpbphoto wrote:
Beautiful composition Peter!
Rarely see an accordian in a band anymore! New Orleans yes.

Yes Octoberfest time!!!!!!!
Again a great composition.
Dan

Dan - Accordions have been making a big resurgence in the last twenty years or so, especially in genres like indie rock and even in mainstream rock. Springsteen and Mellencamp often have accordions onstage. They're also featured in many regional areas like Texas and Louisiana and in the ethnic musics of Brazil, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Russia and Ukraine, among others, as well as Swedish and Norwegian hard rock and Irish traditional music plus Irish punk ala the Pogues. In addition they've always been used for color in film scores and commercials. And don't forget to check out Bob Dylan's best ever Christmas song video Must Be Santa cover with our friend Robert Miles (aka Count Smokula) playing accordion in the video.

I came across a couple of youtube videos last night of the great Texas songwriter Joe Ely from 1977, performing at Luckenback dance hall with Lloyd Maines on steel (father of Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks) and the really great Ponte Bone playing his Petosa keyboard accordion (as opposed to the smaller diatonic button accordions favored by the Tex-Mex and Conjunto bands) and Ponte was just rocking it and sounding as fresh today as it did nearly fifty years ago.

And for about a month and a half every fall, at least here in L.A. and everywhere there is strong German influence, there are a million polka bands playing for beer soaked Oktoberfests.

Sep 30, 2023 at 10:06 AM

Danpbphoto
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · PR photo for Gigi

Peter Figen wrote:
Dan - Accordions have been making a big resurgence in the last twenty years or so, especially in genres like indie rock and even in mainstream rock. Springsteen and Mellencamp often have accordions onstage. They're also featured in many regional areas like Texas and Louisiana and in the ethnic musics of Brazil, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Russia and Ukraine, among others, as well as Swedish and Norwegian hard rock and Irish traditional music plus Irish punk ala the Pogues. In addition they've always been used for color in film scores and commercials. And don't forget to check out Bob Dylan's...Show more →
Indeed Peter. I saw Candy Dulfer and her tremendous band Funky Stuff last year and she had an accordian player. It added a great dimension to her music.
Brian Culbertson also plays the accordian and slide trombone in a few of his recordings!
Got some pics somewhere....

Great composition and thanks for the information!
Dan

Yes Baltimore has started its Octoberfestivities already. The have a great "polka" community there also.

Sep 30, 2023 at 10:12 AM


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