The Chris Buck

Supreme CollaborationAccording to that reliable information...

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 08:57:23 -0400

Supreme Collaboration

According to that reliable information source, the Supreme Leak News Instagram feed, my Chuck D White House t-shirt collaboration with Supreme sold out in Europe in 27 seconds, and was selling on the secondary U.S. market for double it’s original price within a day. Don’t believe the hype?

What I do know from direct experience is that dealing with the folks at Supreme was easy and professional. They offered a fair price to license this alternate take (see the story behind the primary image here) and paid said fee in record time. Supreme indeed.

Top Image: The line for the “Fear of a Black Planet” collection at Supreme NY on March 15, 2018. Photo by Meltem Saricicek.

FMoPAThat’s the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts! (Where my...

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 19:48:33 -0500

FMoPA

That’s the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts! (Where my first museum show currently hangs until March 16, 2018.)

FMoPA is a rare thing amongst art institutions, it’s both full-on fun, and dead serious. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I entered my exhibition this past weekend; seeing my work so thoughtfully presented it was clear to me how much they respected the artists that they show, and the audiences that visit.

Top Image: While in Florida I made time to drop by Channel 8 WFLA for an interview about the exhibit. Great to meet Daytime hosts Jerry Penacoli and Cyndi Edwards (a fellow Canadian - from New Brunswick no less). Thanks for the photo Natalie Zfat (big time Influencer)!

Second Image: I’m floored by this show! (Photo by Elizabeth Stafford)

Bottom Image: I led a workshop at the museum on the Saturday. Pictured are participants Alex McKnight (camera in hand) and Marian Tagliarino (posing on the floor).

Car PhotographerIt’s fitting that a week before I moved to the...

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 13:42:50 -0500

Car Photographer

It’s fitting that a week before I moved to the suburbs I shot a big car ad. We had a busy day shooting the print and billboard executions for KIA’s Super Bowl Stinger ads with Steven Tyler but I still managed to get some vehicle purchase advice from some of the guy techs on set.

I’ve shot cars in editorial many times, and for automotive companies, including Dodge, and Mazda, but this one felt different, stepped up a level in working the look of the car.

First came the talent portion, shooting Mr. Tyler with a large beautiful light source. We had him for 20 minutes in the morning; energetic, professional, and charismatic in front of the camera, he brought everything that we needed.

Then we executed the photography of the car in the afternoon. We started with hard lights, then using both positive and negative fill cards we shaped the reflections in the body. Working closely with the agency creatives, and a first assistant who specialized in car lighting, we then pulled back on the manipulation and let the natural reflections in this desert speedway location show through the car. And here we found our sweet spot, beauty and grit, all grounded in a real setting.

Hamilton!I’m been trying to snag an interview with photographer...

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 10:45:34 -0500

Hamilton!

I’m been trying to snag an interview with photographer James Hamilton for at least a dozen years. It’s finally here, featured at The Photographic Journal.

I first discovered his pictures when we both shot for the Village Voice in the early nineties, but his work has so much more breadth than just that period. I show three of his photographs here, but there are so many great ones that I’ve not duplicated any from TPJ piece.

Here is a brief excerpt from our discussion…

Is there a way you define your style, or your philosophical approach to shooting? Because it’s subtle, but it’s there.

I hope that there’s some sort of penetration, that I’m penetrating.

What’s this gesture you’re doing?

Trying to get in there, you know…

(whispering) He’s turning his wrist like a screwdriver.

(chuckles) I’m really trying to get something out of them, and at the same time, impose my sense of humor, my sarcasm sometimes, my attitude. I’m trying to impose my point of view, the best pictures look like mine, somehow, and sometimes it’s indefinable. But there is an edge to a lot of them that I think is my edge, I think I own that.

top image: James Brown, 1979

second image: Joan Rivers, 1971

third image: Boogie Boarder with Bubble, 1994

bottom image: my portrait of James Hamilton, 2017

Magnificent HurtMy first museum show is up and open for viewing,...

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 10:25:52 -0500

Magnificent Hurt

My first museum show is up and open for viewing, at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, in Tampa. I’ve always had an affection for this town so it’s a special honor to be shown here.

Not-Corporate Corporate ShootMy sense of humor is dark, and I...

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 14:16:59 -0500

Not-Corporate Corporate Shoot

My sense of humor is dark, and I look to bring it to all of my photographs (whether invited to or not), but in shooting for Comedy Central’s new Corporate there was no need to temper these instincts. It premieres on Comedy Central on Wednesday January 17th (think The Office as written by two self-hating nihilists - the soon to be superstars Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman). The show is weird, hilarious, and decidedly grim.

We did two sessions, one focusing on key art, and the other on gallery shots and extra PR material. The shoots were planned with some strong ideas, and also some time built in for improvising on set, which allowed us to get more abstruse shots like them squeezed into this tiny break room.

The Creatives appear to have been inspired by employment at Comedy Central and certainly were emotionally invested in making this art exceptional, and it shows. Thanks so much to Angelina Battista, Britta Carlson, Jonnee Tonsel, Ginger Williams and Donna Tine for having me along!

Christmas CreepNorman Reedus walked in with a swagger, chill and...

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 06:11:12 -0500

Christmas Creep

Norman Reedus walked in with a swagger, chill and affable, and then he went straight for the props table and started mugging with them (often a sign of real danger). I’ve seen enough “Jekyll and Hyde” situations to keep myself ready for anything. When we got The Walking Dead star on set he couldn’t have been better - constantly moving and changing things up, while still being patient (as we adjusted the lighting to his sinister poses), and keeping the vibe fun and relaxed.

Norman is the face of Alexa Magazine’s holiday gift issue and he was a great sport with it, including eating a candy cane, donning reindeer sunglasses, and getting wrapped in Christmas tree lights, bondage style. I had floated some additional ideas by my editors, and although pleased to receive them, they didn’t give the green light to Norman holding Rudolph’s bloody severed head, or having him trashing a miniature nativity scene.

Thank you to the Alexa team who made this shoot so creative and easy going, especially Jessica Hober and Bryan Erickson. All behind the scenes photos by Samantha Hochberg.

Photographing Tom HanksTom Hanks may be as well known for being...

Sun, 15 Oct 2017 10:38:29 -0400

Photographing Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks may be as well known for being genuinely nice as he is for his film career, and he was certainly nice, but he was also 30 minutes early. And that’s not a good thing.

I’ve learned to arrive many hours before the subject - in this case it was 3 hours - but one still maps out that last hour pretty precisely and that all gets thrown in the air when your famous subject strolls in and starts making friendly conversation with your crew.

As my assistants did the final lighting adjustments I distracted Tom. As he is an avid collector of vintage typewriters (with over 100 in his home office) I had brought two working models and he was happy to bang on the keys and give us a quick evaluation of this one’s condition (the portable, pictured here he considered in “fair” order). We talked of Big (it was showing on the flight to LA) and he rolled his eyes at my mention of it, Ken Burns and Lynn Novack’s The Vietnam War, and Walt Disney (”All of his profits he put into his next ventures, so that he was continually cash strapped,” he told me with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes).

Once we got into the swing of the session all was well. Tom was easy-going the whole time but the team could now relax a bit now, knowing that we were on track for a strong shoot. For the final couple of minutes I asked if he’d be game to slip outside the studio and shoot on the sidewalk. And, of course, that extra shot is the best of the day and lives as the opener for our Guardian Weekend story.

Director’s ReelPlease be introduced to my director’s reel!...

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 13:22:01 -0400

Director’s Reel

Please be introduced to my director’s reel! Included are spots I did for ad clients Oscar Mayer and Viagra, as well as some editorial work with GQ and Wired. It’s exciting to see my photographic vision translated into the motion realm.

Thank you to video editor, Eugen Sakhnenko, for cutting this together for me. Much appreciated!

Watt Technical On the way to the location I reminded my First...

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 09:45:49 -0400

Watt Technical

On the way to the location I reminded my First Assistant that we needed to take a photo of all of my equipment neatly laid out today. She nodded affirmatively and we carried on to do the shoot (with Tory Burch, for New York Magazine, which turned out to be the final portrait in Uneasy).

“Oh no!” I exclaimed three hours later, as we sped home in a car service after the shoot, “We forgot to take the picture of all of my gear laid out for the Shotkit blog.” “Don’t worry, we can do it back at your apt later,” assistant Michelle Watt said. “But there’s so much stuff, we can’t get it all spread out AND get a nice looking picture at the same time.” That was the point of doing it at today’s assignment (as we were shooting at a cool looking indoor tennis court), but obviously I wasn’t clear about that part.

So, she offered to do a drawing of my equipment. Michelle had been working with me as my go-to New York First for four years and it was hard to imagine shooting without her by my side - she was just that good. I didn’t know that she could draw, but little would surprise me about her. I said, “Yes!”

Kyoko Hamada, I Used To Be YouI’ve always appreciated the...

Mon, 28 Aug 2017 10:33:17 -0400

Kyoko Hamada, I Used To Be You

I’ve always appreciated the intelligence and whimsy of Kyoko Hamada’s work but her monograph I Used To Be You brings an added depth to her photography - it’s now soulful as well. The book is a series of self-portraits shot around New York as a fictitious character, Kikuchiyo-san, 40-years her senior.

I had the pleasure of interviewing this old friend of mine (pardon the pun) about this exciting project.

This is your first book, right? Was it worth it?

Yes! Because when you put it into a book, it becomes an object, and I feel like finally I can just put a lid over it. It remains - the book exists now - which means a lot to me.

How closely do you connect yourself to the character? On some level, when you make any portrait, it’s you. This is now it’s a portrait with you playing the role, you dressing up.

Simply walking around town or being at some location and she’s enjoying the moment, that’s me. And, the locations I picked are also somewhere that I personally like to go. In some way, in my mind, it was little bit of a tribute to New York City. I’ve been here for a long time, and it’s nice to see the places as I look at the pictures.

The things that are not like me…I won’t necessarily be wearing the kind of clothes that she chose to wear, it was kind of like my fantasy of her. The choice of clothes, I think I now I have a question mark about - some fashion-oriented people seemed a little offended or something. Or maybe it’s in my paranoia mind.

What’s your perception of it?

I dressed her in thrift store found clothes, and I didn’t mean to imply that when you get old you have to dress like that…I don’t mean that at all. It was just some kind of fantasy about that specific character.

But people didn’t perceive that, and I think it’s also we live in a culture where consumerism promotes the new fashion.

Where did you get the idea to do Kickstarter for the book?

Nicola Schwartz of Pocko just called me out of the blue, “Okay, we need to raise money, are you comfortable doing Kickstarter?” And I said no, and then he said, “I’m going to ask you, you gotta do it.” (Laughter) I said, “I’m thrilled that you’re thinking about turning the project into a book, but that sounds like the least thing I would love to do. I got a knot in my stomach when I heard the word “Kickstarter.”

I thought that the KS video was very good.

He wanted us to have a video by the end of that week! (Laughter) So right away I just called up a friend who’s a video guy and we talked about what we could do to make it work. It felt really out of my character, to be honest.

But it worked well, because you addressed your discomfort in the video.

When you were out shooting the project in full make up and costume did you get any funny reactions from people?

When they don’t realize that I’m wearing make-up, or think that I’m just an elder person, they won’t even look at you, really. It’s funny, sometimes when you’re walking down the street, I guess I realized how much of the unspoken eye contact we do. Even with women, checking out of each others fashion or something, like, “Oh love those shoes,” that kind of thing.

Did people notice that you were wearing special make-up when you started taking pictures?

Well, in the summertime it’s just running around, dragging this suitcase full of clothes and a camera, and you do sweat, and the latex starts bubbling.

Do people actually respond?

They’ll be staring at you.

Has doing this project prepared you for getting old?

It’s certainly made me think about it, and I now how sensitive this subject matter is. At the time, I just did it because I wanted to do it, I don’t know why, but I really wanted to do it.

Are there a lot of older Japanese people in New York?

Yeah, yeah. I’ve actually have been, have taken a ikebana class. It’s a Japanese flower arranging sort of thing.

In a sense you’ve embraced your inner old person.

Ikebana is not for old person! There you go, I caught you! It’s not for old person.

What’s the average age for that class?

Okay, it’s older. (Chuckling)

I’m not the one to even talk about it because I’m just learning right now, but it’s kind of deep what they’re trying…you’re make that face!

No. Arranging flowers is very difficult.

It’s very difficult!

I have a serious question for you - are you going to be alone when you’re old?

I don’t know. I mean, I’m with my husband and my son right now. This is still a fresh idea to me, I wake up in the morning and sometimes I’m just like, “Oh my god, there’s these people here that I live with and I really care about them and I love them, but wow how did I get here.” Because I think I spent so many years just being on my own that’s my comfort zone.

So I’m still like, “Why are there just people around, I’m home and there are people around.” (Chuckling) But also there’s something tells me it’s a good thing to do, so I am choosing to do the family thing.

Images: top three images by Kyoko Hamada, from “I Used To Be You.” Bottom image is a bts shot of Kyoko beginning the process of becoming the book’s character, Kikuchiyo-san.

Hook, and his BooksAt the recommendation of friend and...

Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:54:41 -0400

Hook, and his Books

At the recommendation of friend and photographer colleague Tim Soter I read two of Peter Hook’s music memoirs this summer. First, the epic Substance: Inside New Order; covering the full span of the band’s career from the day after Ian Curtis’s death until the present. The group had always been press-shy and mysterious so getting a frank and truly inside take is fascinating. A lot of the book deals the relationship between Hook and lead singer/guitarist Bernard Sumner, and as the book was written as they are in a personal and legal battle it can be quite biting. It’s certainly interesting reading but it can be depressing as well.

I will confess to scanning the book immediately to see if I got a mention (nope). In the summer of 1985 my friends and I went to see the New Order Toronto show. I was just beginning to get serious about photography and brought my 35mm camera with me, hoping to shoot for my “Rock Stars Footwear” series. I snuck backstage, and after chatting with the lead singer of A Certain Ratio for a minute moved over to approach Peter Hook. He was sitting on a couch, reading. He looks up at me, stone faced, “Who are you?” “I’m Chris Buck, I’m shooting a series of photos of Rock Stars feet.” “Get out,” he says. Excitedly I plea my case, “Oh, no, it will just take a second, I just want to get a picture of your shoes.” “Get the fuck out now, “ he says with a growl. And, so I did.

The other book, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, is strangely less depressing (given that it ends with the lead singer killing himself that’s a statement). I suppose that it’s because I knew that it was coming. Also, it’s kind of a love letter to a bandmate vs the hate-filled screed that the New Order book is.

Nevertheless, both books are great summer reading!

Top Image: Anton Corbijn’s portraits of Joy Division, and New Order.

Second Image: On page 283 of Peter Hook’s Unknown Pleasures he describes working with photographer Anton Corbijn (and how the pictures in the top image came about).

Bottom Image: Chris Buck pictured with Bernard Sumner (after a shoot with his side project Electronic) in 1991. Buck wearing a Love Will Tear Us Apart t-shirt in front of his family home, 1986.

Obvious SummerGreat fun shooting with Captain Obvious (an actual...

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 18:16:59 -0400

Obvious Summer

Great fun shooting with Captain Obvious (an actual person - Brandon Moynihan - who celebrated his birthday on set with some delicious cake) for Hotels.com. It’s my first shoot with a proper brand mascot (is that what you call them?) and I look forward to many more.

I was especially pleased to be working with creative Dave Federico of J. Walter Thompson again. We did a set of TD Bank ads and I was impressed by his clarity and confidence. Funny advertising is always a challenge, and these ads featured a more broad humor but Dave handled it with genuine style and finesse.

Entering Marvin’s RoomI was pleased to be invited to shoot the...

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 13:59:15 -0400

Entering Marvin’s Room

I was pleased to be invited to shoot the key art for the Broadway revival of Marvin’s Room. It was great to see Janeane Garofalo and Lili Taylor, both of whom I’ve shot with before, and are featured in the Uneasy book (so I brought copies for both of them!).

A big thanks to Tom Coppola and Frank Gargiulo of Spot Co for a super fun and well-run shoot - and of course for the fantastic looking final art.

Now I look forward to seeing the play!

Happy 150th Birthday to Canada!At the 150th anniversary of the...

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 12:12:02 -0400

Happy 150th Birthday to Canada!

At the 150th anniversary of the confederation of the Dominion of Canada I’m honoured to feature photos of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau receiving my Uneasy book, as presented my childhood friend and MP James Maloney.

Sun From Another MumArtist Jonathan Sun and I bonded early in...

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 10:10:34 -0400

Sun From Another Mum

Artist Jonathan Sun and I bonded early in preparing for this New York Times Magazine sitting, with a brainstorming phone call, then multiple lengthy emails. He sent many great ideas for locations, and concepts (a few of which directly overlapped with my notes).

We spent a long and satisfying day together shooting too many set-ups for the magazine to use - ranging from highly conceptual to just plain weird. I was very pleased that Mr. Sun was eager to go deep and far-flung with me.

Top Image: Side planking at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.

Second Image: Jonny’s snap of my team at work. You can see that all we brought to this location was the camera, laptop, tripod and a flurry of appleboxes. We didn’t have a permit, we just showed up and started shooting (note the gala event guests arriving in style in the background).

Third Image: Christine Walsh, the photo editor at the Times Magazine specifically requested having Jonny draw his “aliebn” on plexiglass for us, inspired by a 1949 film of Picasso painting on glass.

Fourth Image: BTS of the plexiglass shot. We shot in Jonny’s bedroom, shooting through a dark gray seamless to cut the reflections in the plexi.

Bottom Image: Where the real work is done: making final notes over breakfast before we head over to Jonny’s home. Portrait by Michelle Watt.

Samsung 360 Camera AdsThis is certainly the weirdest, and maybe...

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 14:42:09 -0400

Samsung 360 Camera Ads

This is certainly the weirdest, and maybe the most exciting ad shoot that I’ve ever been a part of. R/GA asked me to shoot a Facebook based campaign using Samsung’s latest 360 camera. Initially, I didn’t grasp the appeal of the technology, but once I actually got shooting with it I learned pretty quickly how to maximize what it did best - and the results were magical.

We’re used to pointing our camera at an isolated view, picturing a person, object or environment, but with a 360 camera you essentially place the camera into the middle of a visually interesting space, so that all around, and above and below can be captured. When this is done well, the appeal is beyond novelty and becomes a game changer!

The creatives had three ideas approved for us to shoot, and thankfully, they were not only curious and visual, but each was distinctly different from each other. As the ads were made to be viewed on Facebook, I invite you to go there and properly experience them (they were posted May 9th, 2017): https://www.facebook.com/SamsungMobile/

So great to work with such a fantastic team on this job, many of the key players are pictured in test shot at the R/GA offices: Left to right: Dan White (senior art director), Ahmer Khan (photo producer), Simon Gibson (senior copywriter), Kristen Walsh (art producer), Aldo Padila (senior experience designer), Matt Wilkins (digital tech), Jared Lawton (prop stylist), and myself.

Happy Good World Anniversary!We met 15 years ago today, at the...

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 11:53:54 -0400

Happy Good World Anniversary!

We met 15 years ago today, at the bar at Good World, on the Lower East Side. This photo was taken by then intern Alana Cundy to mark our engagement a few months later.

Here is the witty write up in the NY Observer by Anna Jane Grossman:

http://observer.com/2003/04/countdown-to-bliss-157/

Race Expectations FlipAs a photographer, you never know what...

Thu, 25 May 2017 16:26:47 -0400

Race Expectations Flip

As a photographer, you never know what will resonate with people - Michele Bachmann, Chris Farley, Trump - and now this recent shoot from Oprah magazine.

When the issue hit the stands with my pictures on race, I wasn’t prepared for was the level of interest and passion they received. Upwards of a dozen interview requests came in from all over the world, including CNN, Mic.com, Flare, NextShark, and The Huffington Post. Becoming a spokesperson for race in America was not a role I was seeking, but I was honored to be part of this provocative and relevant conversation and I hope this came across in the finished pieces.

One thing I told each reporter was that the concepts for the pictures came from magazine and production teams. A couple stories reflected this, but many did not, so I want to do so here.

Photo Director Christina Weber was the primary driver of the aesthetic on set, and I was grateful for her input. Photo Editor Scott Lacey was my main point person and a joy to work with. As well, we were lucky to have Art Director Jill Armus, whos suggestions always make the pictures better. I was so thankful that master Prop Stylist Jared Lawton and his fantastic team were available to work on this job - it made all the difference. Always a pleasure to have top Wardrobe Stylist Stephanie Tricola around, and I’m also aware of the valuable expertise of Hair Stylist Mark Anthony and Make Up Artist Hiroshi Yonemoto. Of course I’m held together by my top-notch photo team: Michelle Watt, Sharone Zobali and Benjamin Travers. A note of thanks to Claudia Galindo and Picturehouse for the beautiful post work on the images. Much respect to the talented talent in front of the camera, whose performances really brought this story to life.

Curiously, I learned more about race, and the various takes on it in America, from reading the comments on the various social media platforms than from the shoot itself. The dialogue was fascinating, and I think, good and healthy.

UNEASY Nick OffermanWhen asked for an Uneasy blurb Nick Offerman...

Tue, 16 May 2017 10:11:16 -0400

UNEASY Nick Offerman

When asked for an Uneasy blurb Nick Offerman delivered, times three! Which witty offering from Offerman do you think that I should use?

“If you like your photographs riddled with mystery and charisma, here is your favorite book.”

“Chris Buck has a way of taking us with him as he peers inside his subjects. I hope you can’t see either of my breakfasts.”

“Here is a magnificent work of art in book form, full of pithy, charismatic and attractive people. I am also pictured.“

A fitting way to end the 30 posts for 30 years UNEASY blog post series - I hope that you’ve enjoyed it!

Purchase UNEASY here: chrisbuckuneasy.com/buy-now