Portrait in Jazz by Bruno Mello
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About this series
Bruno Mello, a Brazilian filmmaker, photographer and AI enthusiast is creating stories in the intersections of all three. Mello seamlessly merges the worlds of classic black and white jazz photography with the cutting-edge realm of AI interpretation. With a deep appreciation for the rich history and evocative power of jazz music, Mello brings a unique perspective to their craft, capturing the essence and energy of timeless jazz performances through the lens of artificial intelligence.
What sets this photographer apart is his ability to infuse this Jazz interpretations with a distinct style that honors the authenticity and aesthetic qualities of classic black and white jazz photographs. By harnessing the potential of AI technology, his images transcend traditional boundaries, breathing new life into these iconic images we all know while staying true to their essence.
Through the prompt-lens of Mello, we the viewers are transported to a bygone era, feeling the rhythm, passion, and improvisation that define jazz. Bruno Mello's interpretations serve as a bridge between the past and the present, offering a fresh perspective on timeless moments and inviting us to experience the magic of jazz in a whole new way.
Interview
To start, can you talk a bit about your background as photographer and creative?
My background is in film. As a graduate of film school, I began writing and directing short films in Rio de Janeiro, such as In Passing (2011) and Terra Incognita (2015). They've won awards and been shown at numerous film festivals across the world. I'm currently working on a feature-length film project. While I was still in college, I’ve also started working as a still photographer in many short films and then feature films. In 2010, I purchased a Nikon FM2 and began an analog photography journey that I am still on today.
How has living in Brazil influenced your creative process as a photographer? Are there specific cultural, environmental, or social factors that have shaped your artistic vision and the subjects you choose to capture?
Both yes and no. Of course, living and working in Brazil has influenced my artistic career in a variety of ways. All of the social, environmental, and political forces that constantly affect this country cannot be ignored. Brazilian culture is extremely rich, and its literature, music, film, theater, and visual arts have always had a tremendous influence on all I do. However, many of my influences are often outside of what is happening here, and most of my photographic work has been done during visits to different nations and cultures, so it can be difficult to identify a strong Brazilian thematic presence across my work.
Can you share any unique challenges or advantages you've encountered as a photographer and filmmaker in Brazil? How do the local landscapes, people, or cultural elements inspire and impact your work?
Photographically, it's usually just myself and the camera. While I've worked on a number of more intricate projects involving a larger number of people (such as the recently released Portuguese Sea collection by B-Side NFT, to which I contributed the work Alvorada, inspired by a poem by Fernando Pessoa), spontaneous travel and street photography are just up my alley. That is a significant advantage for me, as I am not dependent on many external things. That is, however, the polar opposite of my filmmaking work. Some of the major hurdles I must face are screenwriting, fundraising, and organizing a cast and crew. Funding for feature films in particular has been problematic in Brazil for a variety of reasons, many of which are political. Simultaneously, it is frequently via these challenges and problems that you learn to be more innovative and practical.
The series Portrait in Jazz uses AI technology. How did you use AI technology, and what advantages does it bring to your creative process?
Around July 2022, I began experimenting with AI technologies. While it is very fascinating in many ways, I can understand why some critics believe it may be a simple substitute for many tools and more traditional artistic techniques. That is why I have always sought to experiment with AI in new and unconventional ways with each body of work.
My first project with this technology was Projected Dreams, where I combined AI creations with photography and performance, through the use of a projector. The next one was Fantasy Creeps - also a combination of AI with photography where I reworked my own, real Polaroids with added sci-fi and fantasy elements. With Static Village I’ve started a different route. A screenwriter myself, I developed a sprawling, fragmented narrative and used that as the basis for prompts, also bringing a nostalgic look of old computer adventure games that influenced my childhood.
Fleas was my first attempt at what is now being called Post Photography–I don’t like that term, however. Also playing with small narratives, it was a set of 55 AI-created slides, reminiscent of the classic Kodachrome feel, set across four different decades and all continents.
For Portrait in Jazz I continued the “AI photography" investigation that I started in Fleas, but with a very different approach. Narrative wasn't the focus anymore, and I decided to improvise with the text prompts while still maintaining my own a baggage of references and influences to shape that classic look.
Classic jazz photography often captures the spirit and energy of live performances. What specific techniques or algorithms did you employ for this series, and what was the desired effect you wanted to achieve?
I’ve been listening to Jazz and attending many performances for decades now. My stepfather is a renowned Brazilian saxophonist. My mother (a journalist and also casual photographer) has released a book of many black and white Jazz musician portraits, that are also influenced and reminiscent of these classic photography you mention. However, I never used any existing images directly for this project.
The subtitle of the collection–Improvisations in AI–point to the approach and technique I employed. Like the flow of Jazz music, very often improvised and with many solos, I came up with simple prompts describing the kind of image I was after, the instrument, the musician origin, the location - very often in the studio itself. Or like in a behind the scenes context. And then I proceeded to create as many variations as I could: I’ve used Midjourney for the base images, and then Lightroom for post production. I saw those variations as different takes of the same song or recording. Sometimes I would just change a single word (for example, instead of drums, ‘percussion’) and would re-run the algorithm. The process of creating these many variations and then selecting the ‘right’ one immediately brought me to those classic black-and-white film contact sheets of classic music portraits. With slight variations between each one and a red circle indicating the photographer’s favourite take.
Could you discuss the role of collaboration between AI and human creativity in your work? How do you strike a balance between leveraging AI's capabilities and maintaining your artistic vision?
I believe it's critical to have a clear direction for your work. The opportunities that AI tools open up for creative work are limitless and frequently confusing. Although I do think it's merely a tool, I also think it's extremely likely to produce fascinating and important work when a human mind is at the helm. It is also a trip that I am not concerned with the end of for me–and this also applies to my real photographic job. Although I have no idea where I will end up, the voyage itself will be worthwhile.
How do you ensure that your AI interpretations of classic jazz photographs maintain the authenticity and historical context of the original images? Are there any ethical considerations or challenges you face when working with AI in this context?
My Portrait in Jazz pieces aren't, in my opinion, a replacement for traditional jazz pictures. They are merely works of art with a unique soul that draw inspiration from an existing artistic or historical realm. They are not Miles Davis or John Coltrane; instead, they are my fictional characters Anna, Lewis, Seijun, etc. Additionally, I don't mind a few of these photographs having unique oddities that are typical of the AI medium. I've already stated that I'm not attempting to imitate photography here. In my opinion, ethical issues should be addressed in all forms of art, not only artificial intelligence. I genuinely think this.
What are you working on now? And where is your photography going?
My latest AI collection is called Monogatari and I am still working on it. It’s a series of AI created illustrations inspired by the novels of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, one of my favorite authors. On the series Static Village I devised a whole narrative around the artworks, with Monogatari I took the opposite approach. I wanted to give my own graphical interpretation of existing stories and characters from a known author while also been influenced by Japanese culture.
As for photography, I recently finished working as a Still photographer in a motion picture and can’t wait to get back to more personal, artistic projects.
Artist Bio
Bruno Mello is a photographer and filmmaker based in Rio de Janeiro. In his photographs, films or art projects, Mello is always seeking a kind of dreamlike nostalgia present in the small details of the everyday. His films have been screened in various festivals worldwide, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Marfa Film Festival and the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival. His photographs have been published in vehicles such as the New York Times and Variety.
Photographer: Bruno Mello
Twitter: @LastLeafAutumn
Foundation: @brunomello
Photos copyright Bruno Mello
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