As a publicist, I’ve taken my clients to thousands of photo sessions. Most of the photographers were technically proficient, and many were extremely imaginative. You’d show up and there’d be this wild set that had been constructed. They’d take an actor who starred in a gritty realist film and make him up Ziggy Stardust-style. Often there’d be loud music, giving the session the feeling of a club.
I’ve been lucky enough to watch a lot of talented photographers at work, from Richard Avedon to David LaChapelle, but most of the photo shoots I went to were deadly dull. After a lot of waiting around and hair and makeup, the “talent” would be positioned in front of a seamless background. The photographer would have a lot of equipment. And then: “snap&strobe-Turn your body to the left!-snap&strobe-Look at me!-snap&strobe-Move your face a little to the right!-snap&strobe-A little more to the right!-snap&strobe-Too far!-snap&strobe-Hold It!-snap&strobe-Yeah!-snap&strobe-That’s so good!-snap&strobe-I like that!-snap&strobe-Woohoo!-snap&strobe-Oh that’s good!-snap&strobe-One more!-snap&strobe-Just like that!-snap&strobe-Love it!”
It was like someone struggling to have sex with a partner who needed a lot of directions.
After what seemed like months, they were done. With the first pose.
Regardless of whether the photo sessions were generic or wildly creative, nearly all of them had one thing in common: they were planned out before you got there. You could customize it in small ways, like picking clothes from a rack, but the conceptual stage was set.
Of all the photo sessions I’ve been to over the years, two stand out. Both of them were with Duane Michals. Each time he turned up at a hotel room, accompanied only by a Nikon.
The first one was Brazilian actress Sonia Braga. He came in and started talking to Sonia. I decided to leave them alone. I went into the bedroom and made some phone calls. After about ten minutes, I came back in. Sonia was nude by the window and he had wrapped her in the window curtain. He was lighting her with the available sunlight and a hotel room lamp. He positioned where he wanted her to be and took a picture. It was plain as day he was making a choice--that’s what I want, I want that image. that image… and no other.
This is a pretty interesting way to do it, I thought. Walk in the door with no expectations, no plans. Make use of whatever is there. And then stand by each of your images. Each one is a choice.
Like all exciting things, the photo shoot was over before I wanted it to be. The finished picture was extraordinary.
The next time I saw Michals was when he came to photograph Werner Herzog in his hotel room. But we didn’t stay at Werner’s hotel for very long long. Michals told us that he had passed a parade on his way over. We left immediately. Michals and Werner raced up the street until they caught up with the parade. They talked some paraders into positing. I remember being struck by one shot where Werner stood ramrod straight as a soldier in the middle of a bunch of costumed guys from the parade. Years later, I found it in a book.
Was Michals trying to make Werner look like a character in a Werner Herzog movie? I don’t know.
But he knew he had to grab that parade.
I only encountered Duane Michals for a few minutes, but he taught me lessons about art I will never forget.
