Dirk Hamilton's career spans over 40 years and nearly as many CDs if you count the bootlegs of concerts.

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I was put in touch with Dirk through a writer I'd worked with at a start-up in San Francisco. She'd apparently been the DJ who introduced him to California audiences by playing his music during her long tenure at a radio station in Stockton where Dirk had been raised. 

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I listened to the album, looked at all of Dirk's previous studio CD releases, and sought to create something that looked contemporary, while also harkening to the impressionist painting style in the title song. I scoured the images of Dirk and couldn't find anything that clicked. I then played a few of the interview recordings, and among those, I found a particular clip of video taken of him as he left for the night from a club in Italy. To me, no other still or motion image I'd seen caught him looking exactly like he did in person in 2007.

 

I screen captured that perfect frame knowing full well that the image would not have the color or resolution to print in 4c. But I was inspired to use some tools and filters in Photoshop to make it appear like a painting – with little neon highlights, and deep shadows that gave it dimension. I off set that with a textured background and colors that popped for the titling. I managed the printing on press with the digipak company. And it turned out quite well.