Hyper-Ballad
Björk was difficult to connect with, but the context for our 2000 shoot was darker and more complex than I knew.
I Like Ike?
We slot folks into heroes and villains, yet we connect with stories about bad people who do good things. (Ike Turner session)
Wacky Revival
Afterwards, David Sedaris did a cutting This American Life segment about our sitting (1997).
Andy Dick Session
Andy’s psychologist had him carry this picture around as a reminder of what the bottom looks like.
Mr. Will Smith
Smith was an action star, so it gave him space to get a little aggressive.
Very Trumpy Post
He likes having his picture taken and understands what makes for a dynamic image.
A Reckoning
Sean Combs was arrogant, but he came with good ideas, which is rare for a subject.
Guardian Magazine 20
They look out for the photographer, going beyond a transactional relationship.
Note to Self: Don’t Die
Revisiting Ryan Adams’ music 25 years later, it sounds like he was making it for the future past all along.
Mulholland Drive
I was struggling with the light, so I asked for David Lynch’s guidance.
New Yorker
David Byrne regaled us with stories of those CBGB days during the lunch break.
Billy Bob Origin Story
The story behind the "Billy Bob peeing on the seamless" picture is specific.
Buck & Buckley
Given his childlike precociousness, Jeff Buckley’s manner was charming, instead of off-putting.
Waltz #2
The record label liked my ideas, and Elliott acquiesced, but reluctantly. (Elliott Smith for Dreamworks)
Quentin Tarantino 1992
Brooklyn is now a cultural center but in those days it took some persuasive talk to convince a subject to cross the Williamsburg Bridge.
Pretty in Black
Steve Albini was a central voice of my generation. I interviewed him in the spring of 1987.
Robert Kennedy Jr, First Session
The first of my five sittings with RFK Jr, for New York Magazine in 1995. Here is what I wrote at the time …
Eminem, 1999
We started with a decent (if strange) idea that got watered down into a cheesy literal one.
Jon Hamm Video on Chris Buck Session
On The Howard Stern Show Jon Hamm told the story behind Chris Buck's Newsweek session with him and Bryan Cranston.
A History With David Cronenberg
Two miles from where I grew up there were some low-rent motels along Lake Ontario. I found these places fascinating, and apparently so did David Cronenberg.