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.

I recently had an interesting assignment for The Times of London saturday magazine, to enter a world unlike any other; where seemingly normal people played out there fantasies….as fantasy characters, and danced in a dance- off…..yes, a fantasy dance-off. Blizzcon is the annual ‘festival’ of Blizzard Entertainment, creators of the video game ‘world of warcraft’ and it’s like Vegas meets toysrus on steroids. Vegas because the three huge conference arenas are dark, packed and endlessly huge, lit only by the glow of thousands of computer screens reflected off expressionless faces staring into oblivion.

But this is the kind of assignment i do enjoy. Where you can literally slip un-noticed into someone else’s world. Observe, capture, document. And with the subjects being so immersed in their own goings on, you can simply shoot and think creatively, without anyone bothering you, or asking questions. I love just being able to roam unfettered. But i have to say, the costumes some of these people created…..quite unbelieveable, they literally shoot themselves. So thank you, made my life easier!

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.

Ryan Reynolds & Jason Bateman shot for Empire magazine

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

Here’s a really nice shoot we did, in this weeks People magazine. A four page story about a family of race- horse trainers, who’s father was nearly killed by falling hay bails, and the family business had to taken over by his teenage son. The son went on to win his first race ever as a trainer, and is now a rising star in the horse racing business. On a personal note, i have to say the family were the nicest, most down to earth people you could find, and were very accommodating for our two day shoot, with a shooting schedule of early mornings and dusk. But the good news is…. i did learn how to rope a cow, cowboy style! Ok, so my cow was a wooden one, but still, it’s a start.

NEW WORK: in this week’s issue of People magazine, a story i shot last year on private investigator moms! This was about a four day shoot in the San Francisco area. All the investigative team were great to work with, and i even got to be a part of their cover, being that i was with them during a ‘covert op’! It was just like out of a Hitchcock-ian movie, running the streets of San Fran, hiding cameras etc., then watching the incriminating footage from the night before. I could start to like this work.

i love this shoot we did recently, with Jesse Billauer: quadriplegic surfer, founder of ‘Life Rolls On’, and inspiration to us all. http://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_times_magazine/