Leave On A Light
A behind-the-lens look at album art creation for Max McNown’s third full-length album release.
The History
A few years ago I received an inquiry on my website from a name that seemed very familiar, though initially I couldn’t place it. A quick Google search gave me the “aha” moment I was looking for. Brandon Ebel, founder of the legendary Tooth & Nail Records, had somehow found me and reached out. I was curious.
It turned out Brandon had a nephew, Max, who wanted to get into the music business, and he was using his experience to help the young man out. He needed some still photography for Max, who at the time lived in Bend. I was stoked to help.
Music has long been a passion of mine, both playing (I’m an average rhythm guitar player at best) and shooting it. I love environmental portraiture that gives a sense of place or time but also draws the soul of the artist out. Do you feel like you know them when you look in their eyes?
We set up the shoot and chose the backdrop of our backyard, Central Oregon, to showcase Max’s outdoor, PNW vibe. Parker, my son and long-time second shooter, and I picked Max up and headed for Fort Rock and the Christmas Valley dunes—locations you’ll see still used today in PR photos and featured on Max’s debut album, “Wandering.”
Before I heard Max sing a note, I knew he was different. The time in the car let us get to know each other before a camera was ever raised. We talked about everything: life, faith, family, music, politics. By the end of the shoot, it was very clear to me: not only was Max different, he was going to make it. There was zero doubt in my mind.
As the crowds get larger, the tours go farther and life changes, he’s still the Max we picked up in my F-150 that day—in the best ways possible.
Stepping into the Light
After shooting Snowman, Night Diving and the music video for “Forever Ain’t Long Enough,” my passion for music had grown. So when Brandon called with a big idea, I was excited. Large-scale music videos are still a thing, but what’s most helpful to today’s artists is content. Lots of content. Brandon had the idea of flying the band out and shooting 10–12 music videos for Max’s upcoming album in two days, across multiple locations in Central Oregon.
On top of the band videos, we were going to spend three days with just Max getting additional still photos and social media content. Of course I said yes, then set out to make it happen.
The Challenges
Spring in Bend, Oregon, is unpredictable. You can have two feet of snow in town, five feet in the foothills, or you can have 60 degrees and a very early end to winter. We had the latter. Unfortunate for the forest, but incredible for this project. For planning purposes, though, backups had to be built in. After some hunting, it was our neighbors who came through with a solid weatherproof location that could serve as primary for a few videos and a backup if the weather didn’t cooperate. They happen to love Max’s music and were honored to have him and the band on their property—and to meet their cows. Alex, the owner, was kind enough to replace several floorboards on the upper level so we didn’t lose Max, the band or a bass amp through the cracks. The old barn worked perfectly to keep things dry and the lights powered, with enough ambient light to help backlight the haze from the hazer.
The idea was to make three or four passes of each song for a multi-cam edit in DaVinci Resolve. Taking setup, teardown, multiple takes, travel logistics, sunrise, sunset and meals into consideration, I constructed a two-day shoot schedule that utilized the barn and three remote outdoor locations that screamed “PNW.” The US Forest Service was amazing throughout the permit process, helping us understand what was possible and what wasn’t.
The Project Tracker
To aid in organization, I created a web app that gave the band visuals on where we’d be, call times, what songs would be done at each location and even what wardrobe to wear based on location. This was a great way for our (amazing) stylist, Heather, to input wardrobe ideas and have a one-stop shop for most questions.
The Gear
The five-day shoot was shot using the following gear:
- Sony FX6
- Sony A7 IV
- Sony A7S III
- A selection of Sony G Master primes
- DJI Mavic 4 Pro
- DJI RS5
- Various Aputure heads and softboxes
Edited in DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Lightroom Classic on my Mac Studio.
The Band
There’s a special bond that forms between those who travel together. You see each other at your best, “less” best and funniest. It was clear that the band has that bond through so many shared experiences.
Shoot locations consisted of the barn, a rocky outcrop above Tumalo Falls and an area west/northwest of Sisters that felt like you could reach out and touch all three of the Three Sisters: Faith, Hope and Charity. In the video for “Slow Down, Slow Down,” there are several telephoto drone shots with the band on a ridge. It isn’t AI. That’s the Mavic 4 Pro using its long 168mm lens to compress the landscape and draw the mountains nearer. That, in addition to having the drone below the band shooting up, gave an incredible parallax effect.
We had a lot of drive time to these locations. It was fun to hear the banter back and forth, the various voices of “characters” that seem to be created on the road (maybe you’ll meet Skitter someday…), and to hear whether LeBron was truly better than Michael. (It’s Jordan, brah.)
During our drive out to the last location of the band shoot, the conversation of the new album title came up. Different lines from various songs on the album were considered until a form of “Leave On A Light” was birthed. It felt right.
Band shoot wrapped. A lot of laughs, a lot of data. And a hope of paths crossing again in the not-too-distant future.
Behind the scenes on the two band days. Photos by Ethan Luck. Video, on the ridge above Tumalo Falls, by Silas Randles.
Max Content
Though the vehicle and location had changed, picking Max up on the third day of filming felt like a continuation of our very first trip. We set out to planned locations outside of Sisters and Camp Sherman. We saw deer, two bears, and Max was even visited by a butterfly.
Days three through five were hybrid days: still photos plus vertical content, much of which was shot with the DJI Mavic 4 Pro. That drone offers the ability to shoot in vertical format, speeding up some workflow on the back end and letting the pilot see the vertical frame on the screen—though I won’t do that again. I recommend filming everything horizontal for more options on the back end.
One of my favorite things about riding around with Max (and Brandon) is the ability to listen to new material, day-of roughs, all the lines and hooks that may end up on an album or never see the light of day. The days were filled with chasing light, mountain peaks, waterfalls and our next hit of coffee.
The Cover
During pre-pro, there was a point at which we knew the weather was going to cooperate. But there was one idea that would work (outside the barn) no matter the weather. A few weeks before the shoot, I sent Max a location I was interested in exploring: a very special cave with three openings in the ceiling. At the right time of day, and with the help of a little dust, it creates distinct beams of light that shine down on the cave floor. I had shot in there before with a bride, and the results were otherworldly.
We arrived, greeted by the Forest Service, who had (thankfully) just finished placing the ladder in the cave opening for the start of the “spelunking” season. The mouth of the cave sits roughly ten feet inside a depression that makes entry difficult without the ladder. As a token of thanks, I offered the Forest Service employees a photo with Max. As time goes on, their grandkids will hear the story of meeting Max McNown in the woods. We’re about creating legend and lore…
Leave On A Light
Once we got the gear down, it was pretty straightforward. Make dust, shoot, repeat. We tried several different angles, no lighting or modifier—just what God gave us. And the result? Pretty eye-catching, I believe.
The Wrap
One of the greatest gifts I’ve been blessed to give my children is working on projects with me. We’ve hit many countries, served great causes and met amazing souls along the way. My boys will never forget wrapping this shoot: Max graciously buying dinner, heading back to the hotel and chatting until the exhaustion set in and the last bit of sushi was consumed. Every time we drive downtown and pass the sushi place, that evening is brought up.
Not because he’s “Max McNown,” but because… he’s Max McNown.
The Vinyl
One of the greatest honors I have is to hand off images to other creatives. Jason at Unoriginal Vinyl is one of my favorites. J and I chatted on the phone a couple of times—lots of ideas, texts… What he and his team created is one of the raddest album designs I’ve seen. A true ode to the PNW and the music it helped birth. Any fan of Max will be thrilled to hold this album. You can nearly feel the PNW breeze as you flip through the accompanying song booklet.
“It’s a rare feat indeed to take Max’s storytelling from such incredible, humble origins and turn it all into such a tactile, physical representation of ‘adventure.’
We personally felt dialed into Max’s emotional frequency ahead of this album, having spent so much time getting lost in the Oregon & Colorado mountain wilderness ourselves, but the real feat was translating all of those stories into a vinyl record package that looked, smelled, & carried the weight of those memories. We were given the freedom to work with true artisan craftsmen & women in the world of letterpress printing, photography, vinyl manufacturing, mapmaking and more… it was truly a gift that this project will give to its audience for generations to come.”
Jason Zeimet of Unoriginal Vinyl filmed the packaging and vinyl art coming together. Watch the making of it on Instagram: part one, part two and part three.
Credits
The record
- ArtistMax McNown
- LabelFugitive Recordings
- AlbumLeave On A Light, 19 tracks, September 25, 2026
Photography and film
- Photography and directionBenjamin Edwards
- Second cameraParker Edwards
- GripsPoet Edwards and Haven Edwards
- StylingHeather Nelson
- Behind the scenesDaylin Jarvis
- Behind the scenes stillsEthan Luck
- Behind the scenes video and gripSilas Randles
Vinyl art
- Art directionBruno Santinho and Jason Zeimet, Unoriginal Vinyl
- With help fromIsaac Dushku, Lord of Maps
- With help fromJason Wedekind, Genghis Kern
The band
- Electric guitarEthan Luck
- GuitarLee Baker
- DrumsMarc Gatton
- BassWeston Hine
Listen to Leave On A Light
Out September 25, 2026, on Fugitive Recordings. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube, or pick your platform on the release page. Vinyl, CDs and merch are at the Max McNown store. Follow Max on Instagram or at maxmcnown.com.
Leave A Light On
What an honor it’s been to be with Max when his boots were stolen and his car broke down on a road outside La Pine. Over desert sands and mountaintops. Through the brush and all along the Oregon coastline. For Max, Brandon, the rest of his family and his team—I will always keep a light on.
I make album art, music videos and release content for artists and labels, working out of Bend, Oregon, and Nashville. If you have a record coming, tell me about it and I’ll take it from there. More of the commercial work and video production is here on the site.
Benjamin Edwards is an award-winning photographer and director based in Bend, Oregon (Junebug Weddings Best of the Best, Telly Award) with 20+ years of experience in music, commercial and wedding work.
