I recently heard the sad news that installation artist & experimental musician Mike Kelley died earlier this week from an apparent suicide. He was a true creative spirit, whom I had the pleasure of working with for The Wire magazine a good few years ago, and i have to say it produced one of my favorite environmental portraits to date (above left). Mike was a fascinating guy to spend the afternoon with, his home choc-a-bloc with a massive vinyl collection amongst other things. Something you just don’t see anymore. I know he is missed by his family and i send my deepest condolences.

Yeah, not exactly something you see everyday, but that’s why we carry a camera with us everywhere we go, right? and i don’t mean an iPhone. I think we can do better than that. The Fuji x100 is the way to go. small, discreet, amazing quality, and pretty darn nicely designed too. But three muslim women wearing burqa’s going surfing! Come on, are you serious? How can you not shoot it, even if your not that welcome to. Some things just have to be done!

This shoot had all the ingredients for a real Hollywood moment…..yes, she’s the daughter of Patti, great-granddaughter William Randolph Hearst, the shoot was done at The famed Chateau Marmont Hotel in the actual bungalow where John Belushi overdosed……. and finally halfway through the shoot actor Jeff Goldblum casually walks in to say hi! Just another day at the office.

“You’ve just gotta keep hope alive. We want to be able to at least bring closure to some families, so we keep searching.”
- Kevin Taylor, emergency services, Passaic Co., NJ.

- Jacob, laborer, Brooklyn.

This is a story i shot a while ago, but always wanted to make a directors cut, if you will. For me, the fun part about shooting a story, is maintaining a sense of narrative throughout, so it feels like your going on a journey. To me that is the most powerful piece of story- telling, and reportage work is nothing if not that. There has to be a sense of experience, just like any good documentary film. And Ultimate Fighting is a great subject for that, whether your a fan or not, you have fighters on the fringe of making a name, and wearing their life and scars literally on their sleeves, for everyone to see. As a photographer, you cannot wish for any more than that.

Above is our recent shoot with former US Open Champion at Congressional, Ken Venturi, who won in 1964, in the current issue of Golf World Magazine. Ken was great to work with, and at 80, was quite happy to work through a number of different shots around his home in Palm Springs. In fact we just basically turned it into a photo studio. But he was cool with that, so i can’t argue. He has a fascinating story of how he fought massive heat stroke to win the title back in ’64. I guess they didn’t have tiny little water bottles in those days! And below current US Open Champion Graeme McDowell. We shot him a few years ago, when he was nothing but a wee lad. Look at him now, all growd up and winning majors!

Last month we did a fun shoot with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on the golf course, obviously! I have to say she was great to work with and quite malleable. I use that expression in terms of how open a subject is to ideas. Sometimes, with high profile people, you just never know. It can go either way. But i think after having been doing this for twenty years or so, that’s where the experience comes in. Knowing when and how to open your big mouth. This is in itself the art of portrait photography if you ask me. Anyway, the other personally gratifying aspect of this shoot, is that i was in effect backing up a personal photo- hero of mine, none other than the great Walter Iooss jr, who i believe was originally slated for this shoot. It feels great to be in such good company. You can read the full article here: http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2011-06/condoleeza-rice-interview