by Kathy Span
I have just started with my standard interview questions:
What, why, where, etc?
Cheryl Alterman was primed with finger on the trigger. She launched like a rapidly clicking shutter, making this the easiest interview ever:
Well, Art! First through oil painting, then graphic design and now music photography. Combining my lifelong love of music and the art of photography has given me the power to capture the essence of the musician, the music, and document a moment in time that will never be the same again.
I probably do it because I always wanted to be the female Keith Moon (for those readers recently returned from a distant moon of their own, or who are just a bit younger than this writer, Keith Moon was the quintessential brilliant wild and crazy rock-n-roll drummer for The Who) but it never happened. I blame it on my fifth grade teacher who asked the class to each chose an instrument to learn. Without a pause, my hand went up, I shouted, ‘drums’! The teacher walked over to me and said, ‘Girls don’t play drums.’ She then handed me a violin.
I have always loved music and art. I always thought oil painting would be my career. I’ve been painting since my youth and felt I’d hit the big time when in my early twenties one of my oil paintings was chosen to hang in the Royal Academy in London. So when you ask, why do I do it – why do I photograph musicians? My answer could be that oil painting is a solo effort, or that there is lots of clean up. But, let’s be real. The real reason is that painting, even for one with some natural talent, does not include LIVE MUSIC. I am and always will be a full on nutter for music. Music photography enables me to be in music … to finally be ‘WITH THE BAND’!
OMG! It’s my life, my blood, my passion. I feel alive when I’m shooting. The music is like a life force that I’ve always been connected to. And I’m great at this. I feel at home in the pit, meeting people, networking and being backstage with the artists. It all comes naturally, and feels so right. I know this is absolutely where I’m supposed to be.
As far as photography itself; I pride myself on what I seem to be best at, capturing the essence of the musician, the music, the artist and the all important moment. Most of my subjects don’t even know, or seem to care, that I’m there with camera clicking away. They are naturally being who they are and creating their art, their sound. And I am right there quietly dancing in and around the action, creating the photo that tells the story of that magical moment.
Dave Grohl 
Mike Campbell
When I’m shooting, there is not much that distracts me from getting ‘the shot’. However, sometimes the music takes over … I remember shooting Tom Petty in San Jose a few years ago. I’m in the pit. Tom Petty walks onstage, stands inches in front of me and starts singing. I was so swept up in the music, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” that I couldn’t help but sing along and dance to the music. At the start of the third song, I felt an elbow in my ribs, the photographer standing to my left nudged me and reminded me that we only have one more song in the pit so I better get shooting. That’s when I ‘woke up’ out of my musical trance and got shooting. I captured some great shots. I like to think I was guided by my passion for the music.
I shot Tom Petty several times since then, the last time was five weeks before his tragic death on October 2, 2017. Tom’s death occurred six days before my neighborhood burned to the ground. On October the 8, 2017 The Tubbs fire took 1321 homes in my neighborhood down to the ground. Forty-three lives and 8,800 structures were lost in these Northern California fires that October. Luckily, I wasn’t at home when the fire raged through my Coffey Park neighborhood. My friends’ homes to the south and north of my own were burned down to the ground, so I thought for sure mine was gone as well. I remember dropping to my knees when I heard about the fires at 4 am that morning from 67 miles away in Alameda. My first thoughts were that my Petty pics are in that house. The last concert I’ll ever shoot of him, and they’ve burned in the fire. Hours later I went back to find my house smoldering but still standing. My paintings and photos had survived.
Gratitude was the lesson for sure. These were the most destructive fires in California history. They affected thousands of us and will forever be part of who we are. I haven’t yet moved back into my home due to smoke damage, but that day is soon to come. In 2018 my life changed drastically. Everything about my life changed and I didn’t see any of it coming. But change is (usually) good in the long term. I think it only makes us stronger to have survived difficult evolutions.
Capturing the essence of musicians is my life, my blood, my passion.
Cheryl Alterman
Throughout the past decade of shooting musicians, I have many stories and experiences that I can smile about whenever I think of them. Through the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with some of my favorite musical heroes. At the top of that heap was probably my time in the dressing room hanging with Debbie Harry (of Blondie), and spending time with one of my other childhood favorites, Dale Bozzio (of Missing Persons). I readily admit that being recognized and allowed into the world of many artists I looked up to as a kid, feels really special. I get to experience what I love most in this life, live music, the art of photography and hanging out with the artists that create it. Finally being part of the band! What a gift that I get to do this. I know I’ll never take this gift for granted. As the great songwriter Monty Powell, famously wrote, “Who wouldn’t want to be Me?”
COVER IMAGE FOR BAM MAGAZINE (most viewed to date)
Cheryl’s CV is lengthy, a few highlights:
Senior photographer/photojournalist BAM magazine
Board of Directors Bammies Music Foundation
Contributing photographer Guitar Player Magazine
Live Music Blogger ‘LiveAt’ altermanimages.com
Freelance music photographer | album covers | gigs, studio shots | music festivals | ‘on tour’ photographer…
I love what I do, the artistry, expression, creativity and connection. When I shoot the music I feel as if I get to connect the audience to the artist. I look at my body of work and I see my style usually incorporates a direct look from the artist to their audience through my lens. I love it when I get the shot of the artist looking straight at my camera. I feel like somehow they are reaching out and talking to the viewer. Sometimes being a woman has its advantages. Much of the time, I’m the only female in the pit. And, well, I have never blended into a crowd. So with these things combined, I can usually get the artist to look my way. And when that moment presents itself, I get that shot. That is what it’s all about to me!
Photo Credit: Pat Johnson
My dream job? That would be to shoot for Rolling Stone Magazine and to tour with artists as their main photographer. My cousin Larry recently said to me, “Cheryl… to get anywhere you must dream big” … And dreaming big is what I do. I believe whole heartedly that with my tenacity, and my passion for this art … it’s happening and it’s happening now. Life is good, and even in the not so good times, there are always lessons to be learned. We must always remember that we wouldn’t be able to really feel the great magical moments if we didn’t have the colorful contrast of the dark times. Nowadays I appreciate it all. I have learned to relish and cherish all that life has to offer, because I have seen and lived through enough dark painful times to really feel the difference. As for music … like The Who said, “Long Live Rock, I need it every night!” That kinda pegs it for how I feel. As long as there is music in the air, there is magic in the world.
Any other questions? Uh, nope. Thanks. We are good to go.
Visit Cheryl’s website to learn more