# Intimate Musician Photography Michael Schmelling Takes Intimate Portraits of Musicians By Vasiliki Marapas | Published 2014-05-20 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/michael-schmelling References: [itsnicethat](http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/photography-michael-schmelling) & [michaelschmelling](http://www.michaelschmelling.com/) Michael Schmelling takes photos that are so raw, honest and exposed, it's the photographic equivalent of open heart surgery: everything is left bare out on the table. From behind his lens, Schmelling has a remarkable ability of bringing his subject's wonderful weirdness to the forefront. His [portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/glass-portraits) reveal something that might not be immediately apparent, which makes going through them feel like a special, intimate, nearly voyeuristic experience. Ultimately, Schmelling's [music editorials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skyscanner-music-guides) illuminate something important about each individual, almost as if saying, "Here I am, warts and all." Whether it's a red-eyed Earl Sweatshirt grinning as someone holds a switchblade worryingly close to his face, or an up-close-and-personal shot of R.Stevie.Moore, Schmelling's [photographs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oasis-photography-exhibition) are instantly recognizable. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.6/10 - Popularity: 6% | Activity: 5% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Photography](https://www.trendhunter.com/stylephotography) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Intimate Musician Portraiture:** There is an opportunity to create an intimate and unique photography niche within the music industry which showcases the true personalities of musicians through raw and honest portraits. - **Raw and Emotional Photography:** There is a trend towards raw, honest and exposed photography that captures the raw emotions of its subjects, rather than traditional posed shots. - **Visual Storytelling:** There is a trend towards photography that tells a story of an individual or group through visual cues and symbolism. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Music:** Musicians require unique and personalized promotional materials that showcase their true personalities, which creates an opportunity for intimate music portraiture. - **Fine Art Photography:** There is a trend towards fine art photography that captures raw and emotional subjects, creating an opportunity for photographers to specialize in emotive portraiture. - **Fashion:** Intimate portraiture can be a valuable asset in the fashion industry as it captures the essence of a subject, creating advertising that speaks directly to a targeted demographic. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Public Art Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paul-anthony-smith.md) - [Musically Endorsed Cameras](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/q2-dawn-camera.md) - [British Youth-Culture Photography Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-and-away.md) - [Painting-Immersive Photo Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-ground-exhibition.md) - [Photography Project Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/still-life-1.md) - [Celebratory Photo Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sonic-editions.md) - [Ambient Atmospheric Music Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paul-stolper.md) - [AI-Generated Poetic Photo Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emilio-alarcn.md) - [Limited-Edition Nightclub Prints](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/studio-54.md)