METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Stephanie. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for Metal Pulp And Paper’s feature called Behind The Lens. We appreciate it.
Before we go any further, let’s first tell everyone what Behind The Lens is all about. This feature is about the person that’s behind the camera lens. All about that individual that captures that perfect fiery orange of the setting sun, finds a child jumping in a mud puddle in the pouring rain, or catches the moons glow in the water next to some snowcapped mountains. Or captures the rock guitarist jumping in the air during mid solo. It’s about finding that beauty in something that some might not take notice of in their everyday busy lifestyles. Behind The Lens will be a way to get to know a little more about the photographer and the work that they bring to everyone. A full 360 degrees around the camera.
So, let’s take off the lens cap, and go behind the click of the shutter and get to know more about you and your photography, shall we? How long have you been a photographer and taking pictures?
STEPHANIE CABRAL: Professionally around 25 years, but I did start shooting snapshots as a kid. I asked both of my parents for a camera for my 13th birthday and I got a little 110 cartridge camera from my mom, and a Polaroid instamatic from my dad. I used the 110 to take some crappy photos of Ratt in 1984, but the first 35mm camera I got was in 1987 for a high school photo class.
MPAP: What first drew you to it? Was there an inspiration for picking up the camera and beginning that journey into the art of photography?
STEPHANIE: I always loved art and music. I was okay at drawing, but not amazing. My senior year in high school I took a photography class and I fell in love with it. I loved everything about it. It was a more precise way for me to capture my vision as opposed to drawing. I was a huge metal head since I was about 13, so it made sense that I would take photos of bands. Of course, back then absolutely no cameras were allowed into concerts, so some of the first things I shot was a Vinnie Moore guitar clinic, a Vixen in-store, etc. Eventually I bought a little spy camera that took 35mm film and was about the size of a pocket camera (totally not common in the 80s) and snuck that into shows.
MPAP: Now that you’ve been doing it for a while, what interests you the most about it? Is there a passion behind it for you at all?
STEPHANIE: I feel like I’m more interested in my progression as a photographer. If I’m shooting live, I try and capture something that I don’t think everyone else there is going to get. Maybe it’s a fan, maybe it’s an oddball angle, maybe it’s just a road case that looks cool. Having a unique live shot is actually a pretty difficult thing to do, and I’m not big on filters and effects. I learned on slide film where what you shot is what you got, so I pretty much stay true to that. When I shoot a studio session it’s sort of the same inspiration as live - “Try and shoot something unique, yet cool and eye-catching”. I’ve done plenty of shoots where I’ve had only minutes with the artist and those are still some of my favorite shots. I did a shoot with Alice Cooper for Metal Hammer just minutes before he went onstage. I think I got about 5 shots off before he had to be rushed away, but the shot came out great. You only need one right?
MPAP: Can you describe that moment, the experience, or even the emotion you felt when you knew that photography was something you just had to do?
STEPHANIE: I think it was the first time I developed my own roll of b/w film in my high-school photography class darkroom. It’s like magic putting film into chemicals and then your images slowly appear. I used to always bring rock magazines to school and I would always check out the photo credits to my favorite photos. Back then, most magazines like Hit Parader, Circus, and Metal Edge looked like scrapbooks, whereas RIP Magazine looked like a real feature based magazine, with photo spreads and nice layouts. So I decided in high-school that I wanted to be a photographer for RIP Magazine and I wanted to be Neil Zlozower (a female version).
MPAP: What do you like to photograph the most of? Do you have a favorite setting, scene, landscape, or any items that you like to capture? Or do you like to just take pictures of people, or perhaps a live music concert now and then?
STEPHANIE: I like shooting all things METAL first and foremost. Live is great, but not all that creative. But when I’m shooting for a band and have full access live where I’m on the stage, up on the drum-riser, etc - I can get some pretty cool and original shots, so I love that. As for sessions, lately I really like the dusk shots with the band lit and the sun going down behind them. I just did a DevilDriver and Armored Saint shoot like that I really liked the results. It just gives this classy vibe, yet it’s still dark and metal. Both Neil Zlozower and Ross Halfin used that technique a lot back in the day, so I just try and spin it into my own version. If it’s cloudy that’s a cool effect (like I did with Fear Factory), or there’s a lot of light pollution from a city once the sun goes down that’s also a cool effect. I even did a similar style with Zakk Wylde in the daylight, but had the sun behind him and lit him from up front. Still one of my favorite shoots.
MPAP: Is there anything out there that you try to avoid taking pictures of?
STEPHANIE: I usually avoid invasive paparazzi type stuff. I would never shoot an artists kids or family backstage unless I got permission before hand and they were okay with it. I would never want to take any photos that were embarrassing or problematic for an artist. I want to work with these artists for years to come, so getting a shot of said rockstar doing a line, cheating on their spouse with a groupie, or being goofy with their kids is only going to make me their future enemy and for what? A dumb snapshot that everyone will forget about in a week, except for said rockstar?
MPAP: When picking up the camera, it obviously took some time, along with some practice, to get the feel and hang of it of what you wanted to do or go with it? Maybe even a class or two was taken to learn more about it. Tell us what were some of the challenges you’ve encountered with taking pictures? What have been some of the difficulties you’ve experienced since first began, and maybe still happens to this day?
STEPHANIE: I took more than a class or two. I have an AA in art photography and a BA in Photojournalism. As for gear, I’m a creature of habit. I got my first Nikon in 1992 and have used nothing but Nikon’s ever since. All of the Nikon’s have the same basic functions and buttons, so even when I’ve upgraded to the newer and better versions, it’s all still very familiar. The biggest challenge is my memory. Hahahah. I once went to a concert with all my gear, and I forgot my memory card. I’ve gone to a show and forgotten my battery pack still on the charger at home. The worst was recently I was hired to do some headshots and I brought all my lighting and backdrops and realized I left my whole camera bag back at home. Nowadays I try and keep extra memory cards in every case and extra batteries! Besides my memory, the only technical problems I’ve had is when I’ve had to use gear I wasn’t familiar with. A couple of times I’ve had to use a Canon and it’s just backwards from everything on the Nikon, so I feel like I’m fumbling with it.
MPAP: On the other side of it having some difficulties, what are some of your favorite things about being a photographer you can tell us about? What have been some of your camera highlights so far that you can share with us also?
STEPHANIE: The biggest perks would be getting invited to shoot some really cool and intimate events that 99.9% of the public only gets to hear about. I was at the Whisky (500 capacity) for Lemmy’s 50th birthday when Metallica played and more recently I shot Metallica’s charity show at the Fonda theater (1200 capacity). I was at a rehearsal studio about 2 feet from Ozzy when he was introducing Jason Newsted as his new bass player and did 3 songs. I saw Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Danzig, and Marilyn Manson do a set at the Whisky as well. Recently I saw Faith No More at the Troubador (400 capacity). Getting to work with all my childhood heroes is the greatest. I just did a session with Dee Snider for his upcoming record and everyone that knows me, knows I worship Dee so that was fun. I once did a shoot with Type O Negative on a beach at midnight….simply because I loved them and Pete asked me too. But then there are artists like Testament, Machine Head, Chris Broderick, Armored Saint, Suicide Silence, Kyng, Fear Factory, and Death Angel that I’ve worked with a bunch because they’re friends and that’s cool too.
MPAP: When someone sees the picture you’ve taken for the first time, whether it’s the new bride and groom, or a family member that just had a baby, what do you want someone to get out of it? Is there ever anything you’re trying to say within your pictures, a message deep in the pixels that makes it up?
STEPHANIE: I just want to hear “That’s cool.” Ahahaha. I did a photoshoot with John 5 for Guitar World and got an email from Neil Zlozower that basically said “That shot of John in Guitar World was cool.” Made my year.
MPAP: Is there an artist or another photographer out there that you admire and might have influenced you at all? What about their work do you love the most?
STEPHANIE: Growing up it was 100% Neil Zlozower. What I loved about his stuff is that it seemed like he was friends with everyone he was shooting. Artists seemed to be expressive and open in his photos. Of course Mark Weiss and Ross Halfin were also in there, but Neil was the LA guy hangin with Motley Crue and Ratt and that seemed so cool to me as a kid. Now I would say Annie Leibovitz is my rockstar goal. Her ability to get artists to participate in her crazy concepts is amazing and always has been. Of course her technique and gear has improved lightyears since the 70s when she started shooting for Rolling Stone, but that basic eye and personality is really what impresses me about her photographs. But there are also many contemporary rock photographers that I’ve always loved their styles. In the 90s Lisa Johnson was one of the first that I saw that really did a nice job with cross processing photographers. It gave her shots a unique style and fit so well for the type of artists she was shooting whether it was White Zombie or Nirvana. In the mid 90s I saw Dean Karr’s portfolio and was blown away. Next level stuff. His stuff is macabre and cool as shit. More recently I really like what Hristo Shindov has done. His stuff has this slick gloss to it where it makes everyone look like models. I also really love seeing all the projects Travis Shinn, Jeremy Danger and Jimmy Hubbard do together. They feed off of each other, create some amazing shit, and seem to have waaaaaaay too much fun in the process. But there are also probably 50 other photographers that I could mention. I’m just a fan of the art. I follow hundreds of photographers of all styles on social media.
MPAP: Before we move on to talking about the pictures that you shared with us, are there any tips or advice that you would want to give yourself if you had to pick up the camera and start photography all over again?
STEPHANIE: Start organizing photos from the beginning. I probably have 1000’s of slides where I have no idea who the band is. And learn lighting earlier.
MPAP: Now on to the pictures that you took and have shared with us here? Take us into each one of the pictures and tell us what they are about, and which one is your most favorite and why?
Anti – Ansel shot in 1990. My teenage f-u to what “art photography” is.
I love this shot of Dime. It was taken in 1996, so still pretty early in my career. But the shot is an iconic pose, and he’s an iconic artist. This shot made it into the Louder Than Hell: An Oral History of Metal book, and in the Dimevision Vol. 2 book and I use it on my Photography Facebook page as my profile photo.
Taken in 2011 at the Big 4 in New York. This shot totally sums up my love for the metal community. The best part of this shot is that the guy in the wheelchair actually made eye contact with me. I saw a couple of other photographers post shots of this guy, but I’m the only one who got him looking my way. I was shooting the Big 4 for GuitarWorld and Revolver and on of the editors said “I think this might be the best shot you’ve ever taken.”
The good thing about knowing a subject well is you can get them to do more. These are outtakes from our Guitar World session. The neighbors did call to let us know that the field was on fire and there might have been a mild mishap with a gas can catching on fire, but no one was hurt and the shots are hot!
My last studio shoot with Chris Broderick’s band Act Of Defiance. I just thought the shot look strong and classy. We had a little smoke in the room, so it gives the back windows that misty vibe. They’re using this shot for VIP signings.
Just an example of knowing the band, getting good access. From Knotfest. I was standing on the drum riser, inches from getting hit by Will’s sticks, but it’s always cool to get a massive crowd shot.
I’ve been a huge Alice Cooper fan since I was a kid. I played the shit out of the Welcome to My Nightmare movie / album. This shot was quick, but still one of my faves. It was for a Metal Hammer feature on Alice throwing knives as a hobby. He literally walked out of his dressing room about 60 seconds before going onstage. I had all my lights ready to go. I took about 5 shots before they rushed him off. Only in this shot were you able to see the rainbow reflection in one of his knives. Alice rules. Moral of the story, be ready...test all your shit out on someone before your artist arrives.
I loved shooting Galder for his Old Man’s Child album. This is my example of “make the best of what you have.” We were at the NAMM Convention in Anaheim and the only place to shoot was in his hotel room. So this shot was us sitting on the bathroom counter, blue gel on my strobe, and the hotel bathroom mirror as the background.
Working with Joey Vera of Armored Saint is amazing. He has a great vision, and then leaves it to me to execute it. Usually my execution varies slightly from his original vision, but he always seems to like where I take it even better. For the cover to Win Hands Down, Joey had the idea of a saloon, sorta Mad Max vibe, with a lit poker table. I made the table, the extras are all our friends, in the end a cool cover featuring the band...but not.
My most recent shoot with Armored Saint. A quick shoot just to get some updated photos before they tour, but a nice example of sunset lighting behind the subject and lighting the artists from the front.
I believe a similar shot ran in Revolver, but this one was used for their tour. What I love about this shot from 2014 is that it’s a parody of another band’s early photo. The Suicide Silence guys loved this shot and wanted to mimic it, without telling anyone. I still don’t know if they ever revealed who the other band was.
Making band guys get close is always tough. This shot even ran as a billboard in some countries.
Another example of knowing the band and getting good access. Suicide Silence used one of the shots like this as the cd tray card in their last release.
Another good example of collaborating with the artist, and making the best of what you have. This was for Guitar World and my basic directions were “Go to John 5’s house and get a shot of him and his Fender”. John’s the one that said, “I’ve always wanted to try and get these horns hanging on the wall to look like they were on my head.” So with that, I had one light behind him and to the right with a green gel, and then I lit him from the front. There was a giant dining room table between us, but you’d never know how cramped we were. The shot came out great, and this was the shot that Neil Zlozower gave me props on.
At John 5’s house again. This time we were going for a more “conservative” look. I did this really cool shot of him with his lava lamp guitar that I was hoping they’d use for the cover, but at least it made it to the inside feature.
This was Of Mice and Men’s first photoshoot without Austin and I was proud to say they told me it was their favorite. I spent the day with the guys for a Metal Hammer feature, and this shot was just taken backstage. Making the best of what I had….a metal door, concrete floor, lets put a cool light behind them, magenta on the left, opposite color of green on the right. The result is a cool color combination that I think came out really nice. I even made it into the bands music video for “Back To Me.”
When it pays to be old…..I got the call that the Galactic Cowboys wanted to fly me out to Texas to do their promo shots for their new record and I was like “Why wouldn’t you just get a local person?” Answer: “Our last photo shoot was with film. You’re the only photographer we know that’s still working.” Obviously there was a little photoshop magic in this shot. The lighting was all straight out of the camera, but I shot them on on black backdrop and put the sky in later. I really liked the color scheme I got on my Of Mice And Men shoot, so I wanted to sort of replicate that.
Cool color and getting what the client wants. I was shooting the Aftershock festival for the promoter -Danny Wimmer Presents, and I know what promoters want is to show off large crowds. The sun had just set, but I cranked the ISO on my Nikon using the 16mm lens I was able to get this shot. I think I was standing on my little step stool and had my arms stretched as high as possible so I could get a semi-overhead view of the crowd. They still use this shot in ads for the Aftershock Festival.
The Type O Negative “Moon Bathing” shot I did on spec, just because Pete asked me too. It was used as a bumper sticker and in their dvd packaging.
Shooting Metallica is always an honor, but it’s way better to shoot them in a smaller venue. The first shot was for Revolver as part of the Golden Gods which was at the Nokia Theater that only holds 2,300 and the second shot was for Metal Hammer and taken at the Fonda Theater which only holds 1200. It’s just a better angle to shoot at a smaller venue then shooting up their nose on a 7 foot high stage.
I was lucky enough to be one of two photographers allowed to shoot Ozzy at the Ozzfest and was pretty happy when Ozzy spotted me in the photo pit and gave me an adorable smile and thumbs up. The teenage me is pinching herself.
This shot was just from a couple of weeks ago. Randy is an avid photographer and spotted my fisheye lens on my camera and posed for me.
Powerful shot if you know the backstory. This was at the New York Steel benefit show in Nov. 2001 that Eddie Trunk arranged. It was only 2 months after 9/11 and Dee’s shirt summed up the mutual feeling of the crowd. Anthrax with John Bush also played that night and since John’s wife couldn’t make it, I got her laminate. I was one of the only photographers allowed onstage or backstage that night. So glad I caught this image.
It’s pretty hard to take a bad Slipknot photo. The lighting really makes this shot and I can’t really take credit for that. Metal Hammer used this as a pull-out poster.
Just a casual shot of Chris Cornell next to a trash dumpster (making the best of what I had). I have him lit on one side with an off camera flash. This was for Yahoo! Music.
A backstage shoot for Metal Hammer with Glenn Danzig at his Blackest of the Black Festival. I had a neutral density filter on my lens to darken the background even more, and I lit him with a softbox. The worst part about this shoot was that there were about 100 people watching and I only had a couple of minutes to nail it.
Fates Warning darkened sky, band lit up front. I used a wide angle lens to even out the band members difference in height. Again, knowing a band you can get them to do more. We’re actually on a rooftop and they all had to climb this little ladder to get up there.
Ditto what I said about the Fates shot. I made Fear Factory climb through a little hatch to get to this rooftop. But the cloudy dark sky worked.
This shot just makes me laugh remember the look on people’s faces when we were walking out to the rocks on the beach to take this.
This was an assignment for Metal Hammer to shoot Zakk for a feature around his Book of Shadows II release, so they wanted that sittin’ by the tree country vibe. Those shots were really nice and used as the feature. But at the very end of the shoot I asked Zakk if we could just do one more pose, with the sun behind him and I lit him up front. I love the way the sun lights his hair, and the color is great. The second shot is an outtake that wasn’t used, but is still one of my faves. A similar shot was used by his guitar company as promo. I love the shots with the sun / sky in the background and the subject lit in the front. Best part about these types of shots is that you can’t do them with a cellphone. Ha.
MPAP: Everyone has a different style or taste, whether it’s street photography, modeling, black & white, or nature, from your point of view what do you think makes a good picture?
STEPHANIE: I like a photo to be unique and I think it’s harder to be unique if you shoot straight from the camera. Even in school I never liked the black and white photo classes because it always felt like a cop-out. If it’s black and white it’s instantly “Art”, whereas if it’s in color it’s a snapshot. So I figure, my job is to make the color photo look like art. In college I hated Ansel Adams because even though I valued his darkroom skills and innovations, the photos themselves didn’t appeal to me all that much because it seemed like an Instagram high contrast b/w filter. So when I was forced to do a photography workshop in Yosemite for school, I took a color photo of the falls, lit the negative on fire and melted it partially, then printed the melted negative. I called the photo “Anti-Ansel” and I won first place and $400 in the school photo contest. And of course there are some AMAZING black and white photos and photographers, but personally it always felt like a crutch.
MPAP: After the camera is put down for the moment, for the day, or for the night, whether it’s for a day or a week at a time, what else do you like to do in your free time?
STEPHANIE: The sad thing is that I don’t take photos for fun all that often. My gear is all so heavy and cumbersome, that it always feels like “work” if I have it with me. So when I put it down, I love going to see metal shows. I went to the 2nd night of the Slayer/Lamb of God/Anthrax/Behemoth/Testament show just for fun. Of course once I was there I wished I had my camera on me. But fun free time is snowboarding, wakeboarding, wake surfing, jet skiing, hiking and hangin at the beach. I guess I like the outdoors. But on an off night, chances are me and my man will sit at home and watch Chopped or Deadliest Catch or go see a movie in the theater.
MPAP: Before we bring Behind The Lens to a close, just one last question and we’ll wrap things up and put the lens cap back on. What would you want to say to someone that’s interested in taking pictures for the very first time?
STEPHANIE: Sounds dumb, but get close. Most people will use a cell phone to take their first photos, and the most common mistake is people using a crappy zoom to get closer instead of just taking 3 steps forward. Don’t use that zoom unless you have to.
MPAP: On behalf of myself and Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Stephanie, for being a part of this Behind The Lens feature. It was great getting to know you and your photos. We look forward to seeing what you will capture in the future and beyond. Please tell us where we can find your work or your photo galleries on the internet, and any social media that the readers can follow you on?