Photographers on the Art of Photography by ACC Art Books

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4

ED CARAEFF 6

SLAVA MOGUTIN

KEVIN CUMMINS

106

BRANDEI ESTES

DENNIS MORRIS 118

TIM FLACH

TERRY O’NEILL 128

SUE FLOOD

RICHARD PHIBBS 134

MISAN HARRIMAN

JONATHAN DANIEL PRYCE 144

TOM HUNTER

JERRY SCHATZBERG 156

DOUGLAS KIRKLAND

NORMAN SEEFF 164

MARCUS LEATHERDALE

GERD LUDWIG

EVA SERENY 178

HANNAH STARKEY 188

TOM STODDART 198

INTRODUCTION At a table with good friends, a conversation about the ever-evolving state of photography led to this book’s birth. A book that in part asks why photography is important, but which also tries to discern what this art form brings to society, as it is so far removed from its basic origins as a means of documenting. Being curious, and having been given the opportunity, I also wanted to ask questions that would relate to an individual’s visual journey – and, more broadly, to the journey of life we are all on, in the modern imagesaturated state of existence. I’m not a journalist, or a writer. Though I have, with trepidation, started to carry the title of ‘artist’, I’m most comfortable with ‘photographer’. I began taking photographs when I was a teenager. I had a brief lesson with my art teacher about the darkroom and how to load a roll of film, and off I went. As a teenager, without much in the way of tutelage, my work was messy, but going on to study art history at university and being a massive cinephile really helped me understand things like composition and use of colour. For the longest time I had little regard for technicalities, and was more interested in finding or creating ‘moments’. Photography wasn’t something I took seriously – it was just another way of interacting with the people around me.

When I was 21 and finishing my first degree in London, I was asked by a friend to photograph a young up-andcoming singer she knew. That singer, Amy Winehouse, was working on an album and needed a cover. That one assignment led to the beginnings of my professional career. This moment would push me to move away from the film industry and into photography – so, without any real education, I pushed forward. Although I soon began to get a better handle on things, I did make mistakes – I still didn’t know what an f-stop was. Years later, when I finished a degree in photography (from the renowned institute, the London College of Communications) I still felt lost when it came to the medium. I spent most of my time working at a rowdy bar called The Florist in east London. I was also working on and off as a medical photographer, specialising in eyes. I was desperately trying to make ends meet. It would take several more years and false starts in the wrong direction before I could focus on making images, but eventually, I had to make a decision about who I was and who I wanted to be. I think we all reach this fork in the road at some point in life. You have to make a decision about what’s important to you. Photography had my heart.

lessons in how to live life as a photographer. It shows how everyone’s path to success is different and, I think, inspiring. Listening to and learning from the people in this book was a real joy. They come from all walks in life, and had so much to share. Sadly, since I started making the book, two of them have passed on: the great Terry O’Neill and the courageous Eva Sereny. It was a privilege to know both of them, even if only briefly. Neither will be forgotten. It is somewhat ironic that so much of life can be captured in a still frame. Whether by happy accident or decided intent, photography continues to capture the ups and downs of life, from the street outside to scenes from around the world. Simple, intimate acts and grand, unending landscapes are delivered to our door each day via Instagram and other visual platforms, each image a window. I hope these interviews can also act as a window, Charles Moriarty, © Fraser Rigg

bringing each reader into places new.

So, what lies before you? Photographers on the Art of

Photography is a series of interviews (although some are more akin to conversations) with a diverse range of individuals about their own personal practice and experiences. It is not a technical how-to manual. Nobody here will guide you in the use of a camera, or tell you how to light for every occasion. But this book does share many

TIM FLACH

On 10 October 2019 in London, I visited Tim Flach in his Shoreditch studio, which I have walked past for many years and never even known was there. I first met Tim a few years ago, after his book Equus had been released, when he was working on More Than Human. However, we’d never sat down seriously to discuss his practice. Tim has been photographing animals for more than a decade and often comes at his subject matter with fresh ways of thinking and understanding. He is, I believe, a conservationist at heart, and uses his work to bring us all closer to the incredible and very much in danger Holocene and its animal inhabitants. Tim Flach, Opera Bat, 2011 © Tim Flach 37

SUE FLOOD

I took a train north to meet Sue near her home in Wales, where we talked about the magical world we live in and its wildlife. I first came across Sue through her love of penguins, which sent me down a rabbit hole of discovery.

Sue Flood, Shark, 2002 © Sue Flood 48

MISAN HARRIMAN

The first time I met Misan Harriman, we were sharing a table with Iconic Images at an award ceremony. The great Terry O’Neill was being awarded posthumously for his life’s work. Move on several months, and the entire world was being introduced to Misan. I caught up with him over Zoom shortly after the publication of his now infamous cover for the September 2020 issue of British Vogue.

Misan Harriman, The Beating Heart of London, 2020 © Misan Harriman 61

DOUGLAS KIRKLAND

On 9 April 2019, I sat with Douglas and Françoise Kirkland at their home in LA to discuss some of the more memorable moments of Douglas’s career, which has spanned almost 70 years. Douglas is known for his work with many of Hollywood’s major icons – Marilyn, Judy Garland, Jack Nicholson; the list is endless. As he says himself, photography has been good to the Canadian kid from Fort Erie. Douglas Kirkland, Photographing Marilyn Monroe on a White Bed, 1961 © Douglas Kirkland/Corbis via Getty Images 78

MARCUS LEATHERDALE I first met Marcus in 2017, outside Café Orlin in East Village, a decades-old local haunt that was, sadly, about to close its doors. This is an all-too-familiar sight in a city like New York, where rents continue to skyrocket. We met to discuss publishing a book of Marcus’s work, which would focus on his time in New York from the end of the ’70s until the mid-’90s. Following this conversation, Out of the Shadows (2019) was published by ACC. A year after that, in autumn 2020, we sat down once more to discuss photography, during the pandemic, over Zoom. Marcus Leatherdale, Larissa, New York, 1983 © Marcus Leatherdale 84

SLAVA MOGUTIN I first met Slava at a White Cube party in London, celebrating artists Gilbert & George. I was aware of Slava from the queer sphere of art, though I didn’t know huge amounts about him or his work. Slava is an incredibly inspiring artist. Through his actions, his words and art practice, he rebels. He recounts his own lived experiences so that we might be bent to his vision. We sat down over Skype in October 2019 to talk. Slava Mogutin, Lost Boys; Anton roof smoking, 2000 © Slava Mogutin 106

107

JERRY SCHATZBERG

I met Jerry Schatzberg at his apartment, close to Central Park in New York City, in the winter of 2019. We sat for an hour and delved into his long, illustrious photography career. I didn’t even get to his films. Jerry is still full of energy and continues to take pictures into his 90s. He is famed for his work with Bob Dylan, but I find myself more often caught up in his fashion photographs, with their sweeping New York street scenes and the intimate moments he captured in the back of big American cars.

Jerry Schatzberg, Bob Dylan Covers His Eyes, New York, December 1965 © Jerry Schatzberg/Getty Images 157

NORMAN SEEFF

It was a real pleasure to sit down with Norman Seeff in his Los Angeles office in the spring of 2019. Surrounding me were large-scale prints showing just a few of the incredible artists he has worked with through the years. We connected over his work, the power art has to heal and his incredible journey.

Norman Seeff, Joni Mitchell, Los Angeles, 1975-1976. © Norman Seeff

164

165

EVA SERENY I first met Eva very briefly at an exhibit of her work in London. It was to coincide with her book Through Her Lens, showcasing the many years she spent photographing on film sets and creating publicity shots for magazines such as Paris Match and The Sunday Times. In 2019 I went to her home for coffee. We enjoyed a conversation about her life and extensive career as a photographer, as well as her brief but award-winning stint as a film director. Sadly, Eva Sereny passed away in May, 2021. As the photographer behind so many iconic images, including onset photography from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Last Tango in Paris, Death in Venice, Catch-22 and The Great Gatsby, her career carried her through Hollywood at its height. As a woman at the top of a profession traditionally dominated by men, Eva was 'humble but fiercely proud of her work' (Carrie Kania, Creative Director of Iconic Images, custodians of Eva’s archive). She leaves the world with an incredible legacy of photographs, including her captivating portrait session with Romy Schneider and her work with Harrison Ford, Jane Fonda, Al Pacino, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and many more. Eva Sereny, Romy Schneider, 1971 © Iconic images 178

179

HANNAH STARKEY

Northern Irish artist Hannah Starkey and I talked over Zoom in August 2020 about her work, feminine perspectives, the future and #MeToo. I’ve been a fan of Hannah’s work for many years. Ever since I saw her piece

Untitled – October 1998, I’ve been caught up by the dialogues at work within her photographs.

Hannah Starkey, Untitled, January 2001 © Hannah Starkey 188

189

TOM STODDART

After a few false starts in 2020, Tom and I got to chat at length over Zoom about his incredible career as a photographer. Tom is very modest when it comes to his work, but he has a wonderful archive, and his journey with photography is full of insight.

Tom Stoddart, Sarajevo, 1992 © Tom Stoddart 198

199

SUE FLOOD

Sue Flood, Shark, 2002 © Sue Flood 48

DOUGLAS KIRKLAND

GERD LUDWIG

It was 16 April 2019, and Gerd Ludwig and I sat at his dining table in east Los Angeles. Above him was a large photograph of a sculpture of Stalin, blindfolded with a red piece of fabric. The image came from the cover of his 2001 book, Broken Empire. We talked about Gerd’s incredible journey, both in life and photos, his work with National Geographic, and his focus on Russia, particularly Chernobyl and what once was the USSR. Gerd Ludwig, Ice Fishing, Magnitogorsk, 1998 © Gerd Ludwig 94

specialists Tim Flach and Sue Flood, this book offers a unique insight into all angles of the profession. Visionary photographers share their motivations, inspirations and

ISBN: 978-1-78884-088-0

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£22.00/$30.00

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SLAVA MOGUTIN

PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN DANIEL PRYCE TIM FLACH

highlights from their careers.

DOUGLAS KIRKLAND

RICHARD PHIBBS

SUE FLOOD

favourite techniques,

TOM STODDART

ED CARAEFF

Jerry Schatzberg and wildlife

ON THE ART OF

BRANDEI ESTES

fashion photographers like

DENNIS MORRIS

celebrity portraitists such , as Terry O Neill, to famed

MARCUS LEATHERDALE

names in photography. From

TERRY O’NEILL

the most highly regarded

EVA SERENY

MISAN HARRIMAN JERRY SCHATZBERG

conversations with some of

HANNAH STARKEY

GERD LUDWIG

presents a series of intimate

TOM HUNTER

ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY

ED CARAEFF KEVIN CUMMINS BRANDEI ESTES TIM FLACH SUE FLOOD MISAN HARRIMAN TOM HUNTER DOUGLAS KIRKLAND MARCUS LEATHERDALE GERD LUDWIG SLAVA MOGUTIN DENNIS MORRIS TERRY O’NEILL RICHARD PHIBBS JONATHAN DANIEL PRYCE JERRY SCHATZBERG NORMAN SEEFF EVA SERENY HANNAH STARKEY TOM STODDART

PHOTOGRAPHERS ON THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHERS ON THE

PHOTOGRAPHERS

NORMAN SEEFF

Charles M o r i a r ty

KEVIN CUMMINS

In Conversation w ith Cha rle s Mo ria rty