NEW YORK–This fall marks the worldwide release of Bon Jovi: Work, an extraordinary coffee table book that offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the top touring rock band in the world, by the band’s official tour photographer, David Bergman, during two record-breaking world tours from 2010-2013.
Weighing nearly five pounds, the oversized, 210-page hardcover art book is a stunning and incomparable collection of powerful color and black and white photographs, back stage and at home, capturing“what it’s like to travel the world with our band, inviting you to be a part of the action,” writes Jon Bon Jovi in the foreword to Bon Jovi: Work. “From the happy times to the harrowed, these images let you transcend the frame of the photograph to connect to specific moments whenever you open this book.”
With unprecedented access personally granted by Jon to document the band in some of its most private moments, Bergman crossed continents to photograph Bon Jovi night after night at the world’s biggest concert venues. He traveled with them on their private plane, was able to shoot from the stage during every show, and could walk into the dressing room to take pictures any time he wanted – instinctively knowing when to be in the room and when to stay out of the way so as not to affect the “real” moment.
Bergman’s never-before-seen photos take you inside the operating room as Jon deals with the pain of a potentially career-ending knee injury. Two large fold-out images open up to nearly 42 inches wide, while another section of the book features private photographs personally taken by Jon, giving fans a unique look — for the first time ever — at life through his eyes.
Jon calls Bergman’s images “a work of art” and calls him “not only one of the finest photographers we’ve ever worked with, but he’s the kind of guy you can be comfortable hanging around with in any environment. At the end of the day, the work speaks for itself.”
Bergman has long dreamed of traveling the world on big music tours, and spent many years turning that dream into a reality. He’s been Bon Jovi’s official tour photographer since 2010, documenting the band on stage and on the road in more than 30 countries on six continents. Bergman also has toured with Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, and Gloria Estefan, and worked with celebrity clients including Drew Carey, AvrilLavigne, and Joss Stone.
And that’s just in the concert world.
Bergman also has photographed six U.S. Presidents, five Olympic Games, and hundreds of major international events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, and more. His images also have landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated 13 different times, including the unforgettable image of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees raising his son over his head after winning the Super Bowl.
Jon Bon Jovi first noticed Bergman’s work through his now-famous GigaPan, an incredibly high resolution, multi-shot panoramic image of President Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, which the rock star attended with his wife and two oldest children. Lauded as a pioneer of the technique which contains billions of pixels, allowing the viewer to zoom in and see most of the two million faces in attendance, Bergman’s GigaPan has since been viewed by over 20 million people.
“I’ll never forget the intense feeling I had on that day,” Jon continues in the book’s foreword, “a feeling that endures when I see David’s photograph. David’s photo distilled the spirit of the inauguration and the day’s pure emotion. “
The Bon Jovi experience has been “an honor and a pleasure” for Bergman, as he continues on his mission to bring respect back to the “tour photographer” profession.
The book is available exclusively at www.bonjovi.com/work.
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