Interview Session: George Burrows the Drummer Photographer

Photography is not solely about silently capturing objects or subjects through the lens. It's also about our intuition in capturing the ambience and emotion displayed by an individual. George Burrows said, "My photography philosophy centers on capturing the groove and emotion that a drummer conveys." George is a music photographer based in USA, who focuses on drum and percussion instruments. George's works always shows the lively performance of drummers, which attracts curiosity to photo enthusiasts.

His background as a drummer helped him in understanding drummer's movements and capturing the breathtaking photo at the right momentum. "Drawing from my background as a drummer, I often anticipate changes in rhythm and synch my photography with the drummer."
George sets his camera skillfully, so he can capture the best actions of drummers well. "In this approach, there's limited emphasis on adjusting camera settings during the shoot, allowing me to focus on capturing the live event."

Inspired by his brother, Tom, whom he grew up together with, George desires to specialize his photography on drummers. "My late brother was a dedicated drummer based in the East Central region of Florida. Tom and I spent our childhood practicing drumming together. Although I didn't pursue drumming as he did, he played in several bands until his passing on October 5, 2014, which was an incredibly difficult loss for me to accept," George explained.

Private Doc.

After his brother passed away, George is entrusted by his family to take care of his brother's Sonor drum. "After his funeral, his family entrusted me with his Sonor kit." George decided to continue his drumming practice. "Motivated by his memory, I decided to resume drumming lessons," he added.

George switches focus from concert photography to drummer photography. During his journey, he had a chance to collaborate with renowned drummers. "In 2017, I made a significant shift in my shooting, from my role as a concert photographer to embarking on a new journey as a Drummer Photographer.
"This has given me the remarkable opportunity to collaborate with and capture photos of renowned drummers such as: 

Todd Sucherman (Styx), Ash Soan (Del Amitri, Adel), Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Average White Band), Dave Weckl (Chick Corea), Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors), Keith Carlock (Steely Dan), Walfredo Reyes Jr. (Santana, Steve Winwood, Chicago), Allison Miller (Dr. Lonnie Smith, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Boom Tic Boom), Steve Smith (Journey, Vital Information, Jean Luc Ponty, Steps Ahead), Dennis Chambers (Santana, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Victor Wooten), Marcus Gilmore (Chick Corea, Ravi Coltrane, Christian McBride), Daru Jones (Jack White, Talib Kweli, Slum Village, Black Mill, Nas), Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarson, Eric Church, Chris Cornell)."

Private Doc.

As a music photographer, George emphasizes on his personal growth rather than drawing comparisons with others.

"In the realm of digital photography, editing software is in a perpetual state of evolution. My ambition is to continually enhance my proficiency in utilizing this ever-changing evolution. My focus is on personal growth as a photographer, rather than drawing comparisons with others. Ultimately, I aspire to be invited to accompany a drummer on tour as their dedicated live performance photographer," he said.