Written by Trip Avis

Amid the kinetic, pulsating crowds at concerts, Jane Greer captures images that exude a sense of poise and effortlessness in their composition. Her camera is a beacon in the whirlwind of bodies, each living and moving in the moment. While she attributes her studio experience to her adaptability, her time as a tour photographer further enriched her vision and understanding: “Being on tour, you're constantly immersed in the field, studying and evolving your craft.” From her rigorous education in the photography program at Drexel University, where she developed a lifelong love of portrait photography, to working on fashion sets, Greer found a place for herself in the frenzied world of tour life when she was hired to photograph Banks’ 2019 The III Tour. Her penchant for analog photography—borne of her appreciation for the craft's mechanics —made Greer an inspired choice to fulfill and elevate the musician's artistic vision.

In her own experience as a photographer, Jane Greer values the technical side of the craft over the perceived aestheticism, something she credits to her immersive Drexel education. “The most irritating question people ask me is: “What camera am I using?” In her opinion, the artistry lies not in owning the newest or flashiest equipment but in the nuance of perspective and vision each photographer brings to the subject matter. Inspired by the photojournalist Greg Williams, who uses a standard Leica in his practice, Greer believes that professionalism and an assured vision will always trump the quality of the camera. For her own choice of equipment, analog cameras like her beloved Hasselblad are Greer’s go-to instruments. “I implore photographers to start at the beginning—with analog or film. It allows you to step back and learn your style, ability, and vision.”

Film photography is a grittier, more hands-on learning experience that forces you to learn from your mistakes, like accidentally exposing a roll of expensive film. Greer remembers when the tangibility of film came in handy: her laptop was stolen from her car, causing her to lose many saved photographs, but a roll of film at home luckily contained the purloined images. For Greer, film has also helped her break down social barriers and develop relationships beyond the usual dynamic with her subjects. While on a fashion set for jewelry designer Kendra Scott, Greer got permission to shoot with film on the side. “I’m an awkward person,” she laughs, “but using film intrigued people. It was a conversation starter.” Shooting on large format cameras in her native Palm Beach, Florida, emulating society legend Slim Aarons, Greer realized that people were subconsciously more drawn to allow her to shoot their portraits when they saw she was using film. Despite the ‘imperfectness’ of the medium—the grain and blur that Greer loves—she realized there was something disarming and even flattering about analog portraits. People felt valued by an invitation to be involved in high art rather than the throwaway mentality of digital and what Greer playfully derides as “Instagram photography.”

While shooting for a jewelry store in her home base of Austin, Texas, Greer reflects, “I was disillusioned with this trend towards fast commercialism and just throwing up a quick image on social media over the actual art of photography.” An exciting but daunting opportunity came just at the right time. A chance meeting at a party with a tour photographer working with Halsey led to Greer’s work coming into the hands of Banks’ team, who was gearing up for a tour to support her album. Banks appreciated that she had a fashion background, and before Greer knew it, she was in Montreal for the tour's opening night. ‘Imposter syndrome’ is a thoroughly overused term, but it aptly describes her early experience on The III Tour: “First couple tour dates were a tense blur. I was learning on the job.” Despite the pressures of this surreal new experience, Greer hit her stride as the show progressed, and she became acquainted with her fellow tour crewmates.

Greer’s on-stage photographs glow with an ethereal luminosity, painting Banks (the on-stage alias of Jillian Rose Banks) as a dark angel amidst deep Lynchian blues and misty magentas. The secret to her expert capturing of the lighting patterns was befriending Greg Ellis, the lighting designer, whom she was already a huge fan of from his work with EDM producer Pretty Lights. Aside from learning the lights, Greer benefitted from Banks’s hands-on vision and orchestration of her artistic and public persona: “Every night after the performance, Jillian and I would sit in the green room and review the pictures. She clearly knew how she moved on stage, offering suggestions like “Shoot the right side of my face during this song.” She was like my artistic director. We were lucky that we saw very eye-to-eye on things.”

The off-stage photography for the tour is something Greer wishes she could re-do with the hindsight and experience she has since gathered, but once again, Banks helped guide the way. “When we were killing time before the show, she would say, “Let’s take a photo walk.” One memory I have was that after Austin City Limits, Jillian said, “Jane, ready?” and then proceeded to dump a water bottle over herself. I was delighted because this was the content I wanted to shoot.” Reflecting on these moments, she wistfully notes the trend away from tour photography, as many touring musicians view the position as an expensive crew addition and opt to pay local photographers at each venue instead. What is lost, though, is this sense of collaboration between artist and photographer—a symbiosis between two artistic mediums that, at its best, is unspoken and effortless.

Greer may have since hung up her touring boots, but she continues to dazzle and mystify subjects with her handy Hasselblad and perfectly imperfect film portraits. Her devotion to the art form she has made her livelihood is as palpable and tangible as an analog camera or a roll of film. There is magic in that.

Apr 8 Photojournal Monday: Jane Greer: The Analog Effect

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