Photographer Michael Weintrob Launches Campaign For ‘InstrumentHead’ Book

During photographer Michael Weintrob’s 1998 photo session with the Derek Trucks Band, bassist Todd Smallie put his bass down his shirt which obscured the musician’s face. This incident was the genesis for InstrumentHead, a portrait series that has seen Weintrob capture similar images of over 400 musicians from the jam scene and well beyond. Weintrob wants to turn InstrumentHead into a fine art hardcovered book and has launched an IndieGoGo campaign with aims of making the book a reality.

Over the past few years the photographer has exhibited his InstrumentHead photos at many galleries and festivals across the country. The list of artists who have sat for InstrumentHead portraits is endless, but let’s throw out Mickey Hart, Bootsy Collins, Wavy Gravy, Dave Schools, Kyle Hollingsworth and Sam Bush as just a few examples. See Derek Trucks’ InstrumentHead portrait above and Hart’s below for a few of our favorites.

Watch Weintrob detail the project and campaign in this new video:

Michael Weintrob is aiming to raise $45,000 to fund the creation of InstrumentHead the book. Those contributing to the IndieGoGo campaign can obtain such perks as InstrumentHead postcard sets, signed show posters, signed copies of the book, limited-edition prints, artists proofs and more. For big spenders, you can even plan and conceptualize your own photo shoot with Michael Weintrob.

The aim is to have an initial print run of 2,500 books for distribution to IndieGoGo backers in October 2016. If the campaign exceeds the current funding goal, the book will be expanded by 48 additional pages. All other perks, such as limited edition prints, postcards, lithographs, and show posters are available now, and will ship in December 2015. Weintrob will donate 5% of the total amount received to four different charities: Tipitina’s Foundation, Music Maker Foundation, New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation (NOMAF) and Rock The Earth.

Head to the IndieGoGo campaign page for more details, photos and of course to back the project.