12 Creative Grunge Photoshoot Ideas

Need some inspiration for your next shoot? No problem – we have 12 creative grunge photoshoot ideas prepped and ready for you below. Grunge definitely has a distinct vibe and atmosphere that’s best cultivated through setting and context. You’ll want to be aware of this while putting together your shoot. Thankfully, Peerspace is here to facilitate the process for you, and to help connect you with the perfect location for your photoshoot.

Peerspace is the world’s largest online marketplace for rentals and boasts a nationwide array of diverse venues and properties that meet a variety of needs and interests. Peerspace’s search engine accepts keywords and helps you narrow down your search to find only locations that fit your criteria. But for now, let’s get to the list.

1. Backyard band

Paying homage to the start of many a grunge band, this shoot takes you into your backyard or garage, and back to the days before the stadiums full of eager fans. The garage was of the birthplaces of the grunge aesthetic and has made its mark. Don’t have a backyard or garage? No worries, this Sacramento backyard tiny house could be ideal for this shoot.

2. We’ve made it to the top

On the flip side of the garage band aesthetic is the record producer’s penthouse overlooking the city. At its peak, grunge enjoyed this strange blending of dingy backlots and champagne penthouses once the money started to roll in. We’re suggesting you celebrate the other end of the spectrum with this penthouse shoot. Need a penthouse in LA? Check out this beautiful, light and airy penthouse overlooking the city.

3. Walls of sound

For those of you who were around in the early 1990s, you’ll recall the walls of noise that kicked off grunge sets at dingy, run-down venues, where the music equipment wasn’t always the finest. Equal parts painful and exciting, the wall of noise is a great theme for your grunge photoshoot ideas. For inspiration, check out this boombox wall in NYC.

4. Do it yourself

Along with grunge came a sweeping emphasis on independence and the DIY attitude that remains prevalent in counter-cultural movements today. For this shoot, we’re suggesting you celebrate that attitude with a do-it-yourself, grunge scene. Whether making clothes, bikes, or anything else, this photoshoot is a great homage to the music scene of the early 1990s. Want to make your own rockin’ clothes? Consider this fully equipped sewing studio as the setting for your shoot. 

5. All stripped down

Of all our grunge photoshoot ideas, this one gets down to the bare bones of the matter. We’re suggesting you take your shoot to an industrial space with concrete floors, minimal fluorescent lights, exposed piping, and a whole lot of character. An industrial environment really communicates the raw exposure of the grunge genre. Need a warehouse in Chicago? Check out this studio warehouse with exposed concrete walls.

6. Recording studio

This shoot takes you to where the magic happens behind the scenes. While a recording studio on its own is not explicitly grunge, you can enhance the scene by yourself dressing up in attire that Kurt Cobain would approve of. Straightforward and fun, this shoot is sure to be a blast. Need a recording studio in Orlando? Check out this classic gem, complete with a ton of great recording equipment.

7. Young and on stage

This shoot is going to take you into the limelight, albeit not the sold-out arenas enjoyed by Nirvana. After all, grunge had to start somewhere, and this shoot celebrates those early, sparsely attended, backroom shows, where the audience was mostly composed of your friends. Not glamorous, but certainly still a part of the grunge story. If you’re looking for a stage in Philly, you can’t go wrong with this venue that’s appropriately sized for an on-stage shoot.

8. Greatest hits

If you’re itching to get dressed up and embrace the grunge aesthetic, this shoot is for you. With this one, we’re suggesting you pick one of your favorite grunge icons and dress up like them, fully immersing yourself in the grunge vibe. You’ll need an appropriate setting for this shoot, and this Portland garage set could be ideal for you.

9. Dilapidate this!

This photoshoot idea takes you into the burned-out world of a post-industrial, urban landscape, which also happens to be a setting that will compliment your grunge aesthetic. You’ll need to find a run-down and graffitied interior. Broken windows could help as well, but be careful. Thankfully, if you’re in Nashville, you have this simulated burned-out mansion, which is entirely safe, while still providing the appearance of danger.

10. Barkeep’s buddy

For this shoot, you’ll be taking yourself to the bar in your finest grunge attire. If you’re in Denver, you’ll need to check out this wood-paneled gem of a bar in the downtown area.

11. Green room chaos

The grunge artists of the 1990s were famous for their green room antics. While we don’t recommend trashing someone’s property, we do believe it could be fun to simulate that look with a couple of overturned chairs and maybe a passed-out band manager in the corner. Playful, fun, and a cool homage to the 1990s, this shoot is definitely creative. Need a green room space in Detroit? Check out this industrial loft in a former bank.  

12. Kurt Cobain’s therapist

The last of our grunge photoshoot ideas, this one is certainly not the least. While we don’t know if Cobain had a therapist, we imagine he could have used one. That’s why for this shoot you and a friend will enact the intimate relationship between the grunge superstar and his intimate associate. Looking for space that doubles as a therapist’s office? Checked out this dramatically lit and couch-equipped interior in San Diego.

Got any cool grunge-themed ideas of your own? If you do and need a space to shoot them, you should definitely check out the other great venues on Peerspace.

Find unique photoshoot ideas on Peerspace