Jessica Rook of Vitium Mortis: Musician Portraits in Portland
Jessica Rook came in with a band name, a sound in her head, and a need for images before there was a full band to photograph. Vitium Mortis was taking shape, and these portraits were the first visual piece she could bring to potential bandmates.
She sent over a dark, witchy mood board. Alice in Chains was already on my scratch pad, and there was an Evanescence kind of edge in the mix too. The goal was to make images that felt like her project, even while the lineup was still coming together.
Building a look for Vitium Mortis
We met at Cobalt Studios PDX in Portland and worked through a few sides of that idea: stark black and white, heavy red, warm flares, a vintage microphone, guitars, smoke, and some movement. Jessica brought the presence. Once the hair started flying and she got hold of the mic, the set had its own momentum.
Some frames feel like band promo portraits. Others feel like you caught a singer in the middle of a song that hasn't been recorded yet. It's badass to help build the image of a band before the lineup is even locked.
We came away with close-ups, full-body portraits, and a few sick variations she could use for social posts, member outreach, and whatever comes next. The black-and-white images were a favorite, but the red set has a completely different kind of kick that, personally, I absolutely love. I'm stoked to see where Jessica takes Vitium Mortis.
More music portraits
If you're building a band or putting new music into the world, I'd love to help make imagery that feels like yours. Peep more of my music portraits here.
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