There has been a lot of excitement among art and music lovers about the traveling exhibit "Who Shot Rock & Roll," which is currently at the Birmingham Museum of Art and will run until Sept. 18.

Art Folk Gallery was inspired by Gail Buckland, who curated the museum show, and the gallery's exhibit "WE Shot Rock & Roll" will feature Alabama photographers' work with the same theme.

The exhibit, which opens Friday at 5 p.m. and will also run through Sept. 18, showcases works from nearly 20 photographers who have lived and shot music in Alabama.

I had an opportunity to interview via email some of the local photographers featured in this exhibit, including Michael Sheehan who is currently artist in residence at the prestigious Indian Springs School, where he teaches photographic art.

Beth Ragland for Birmingham Box Set: Where are you from originally?

Michael Sheehan: Chamblee, Ga.



BBS: When did you get into photography, and what made you decide to shoot concerts?

MS: In 1978, inspired by my mentor Sam Spruiell. Then inspired by The Grateful Dead to shoot live musicians.

BBS: Are most of your concert photos shot in Birmingham/Alabama?

MS: No, they are from all over the United States: California, Florida, New Orleans, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, etc.

BBS: You have dozens of concert galleries on your website. Do you know about how many concerts you have been to? What was the first concert you ever shot?

MS: Into the very high hundreds. The first show I shot was Pat Metheny, Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1985.

BBS: You say in your artist statement that you "endeavor to catch 'THE' moment of a particular show." What was your favorite moment like that that you have captured?

MS: That is hard to say since their have been so many, but one of the more powerful moments was at a Zambiland benefit concert at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, where the organizers were raising money to pay for terminally ill Leftover Salmon musician Mark Vann's hospice care. Several of Mark's colleagues assembled on stage, all banjo players like Mark, and they began playing an instrumental. Simultaneously, one of the stage techs, who happened to work for Leftover, called up Mark on his mobile, and is holding the phone in front of the musicians so Mark could hear them play to him in his hospice bed. So, that was, needless to say, "the shot."



BBS:

What is your favorite concert of all time?

Another toughie, but if I had to say, it would be a Grateful Dead show in Hollywood Florida, 5-22-1977, which was really the first time I realized the full potential of the power of music. The Dead used to extend their songs, adding layer upon layer until it felt like the roof would blow off the place. They were incomparable.

BBS: Who would you say are the most photogenic musicians?

MS: To me it's really about emoting, not showboating. I have found that the more talented musicians were the ones who let the music/talent speak for itself, and if it is rendered with feeling and passion, that is what shines through, not practiced stage antics.

BBS: I notice that you mention film in your artist statement. It is very rare that you see this in a photographer's statement these days, as most photographers have switched over to digital. Do you shoot film exclusively or do you also shoot digital? What do you feel are the advantages to film over digital?

MS: I am still extremely old school, practically a dinosaur, and yes, anything I deduce to be "important" I still shoot film, because I do feel it renders better image quality. This is a hotly debated topic in the photographic field and it gets kinda technical. However, my opinion is an educated one, as I have actually gone back to school, versed/educated myself and taken the plunge into the digital world. So yes, I am capable and equipped to shoot digital if I so desire, I just seldom desire to do so. The reason is that it is difficult to get really excellent black-and-white images in the digital world if you are seeking the charcoal-y blacks and snowy whites.

Also DEPTH is an issue, or lack thereof, when referring to digital images. Some purists, myself included, believe there is a real analogy and comparison between the analog worlds of music and photography. When listening to a piece of music and switching back and forth between analog and digital, it is shocking how much more "oomph," lush, rich and depth that the analog copy has.

That's one reason why you are now seeing a resurgence in vinyl in the music industry. Then you start getting into the aesthetic aspects of your actual work. I would much rather have the tangibility of a transparency, to be viewed on a light table under a loupe, as compared to having my "crown jewels" to be viewed on a monitor from some elusive drive or CD. I find it interesting that among all my colleagues, not one has come up to me and proclaimed happiness and joy when making the switch to digital. They are always remorseful and sad.

BBS: What concert have you shot most recently? Are there any bands/musicians that you still would love to shoot that you haven't?

MS: I just shot the great Steve Earle at Alys Stephens Center, and Lord, yes, I have a list of people I would dearly love to capture in the future. My musical tastes are extremely varied, as I feel music is mood and there are a lot of moods out there.