A lot of your work is centered on this “outtake moment.”
I just feel like they’re the real moments. I’d rather take the photograph when someone’s not paying attention, ’cause they’re in their natural posture, their shoulders are relaxed, and their expression, and to me it becomes more of a real photograph.
Is this something you started out doing?
I was always a fan of the document, like photojournalism, which is just really trying to capture people the way they are in a real situation. When I started to get jobs shooting musicians, I tried to wait for that off moment when they weren’t really paying attention. I always found that the photographs I loved were the ones that were least directed. Even in a portrait situation, when it’s a very direct photograph where you want the person looking into the camera, I’m just trying to get the moment that feels the most real and relaxed.
How do you make those shots happen?
I always have my camera around my neck. Provided it’s not a woman who hasn’t put on her makeup or something, I’ll shoot a couple shots right away to let them know: I am here to shoot pictures. I’ma set the tone there, but if you’re not cool with it, let me know. If they said to me, “Wait a while, I’m not ready yet,” I would honor that.
How does that work with hip-hop?
It comes down to the individual. Some people really understand that idea of shooting loose and capturing the document. There are certainly some rock acts that you point a camera at and they’re gonna strike their pose that they’re comfortable in, that they’ve seen a bunch of times, like, I know I look good doing this pose. I think that holds true for any genre of music. But I’m always trying to go a little bit beyond that. Not to say I won’t take that photograph and it won’t be chosen for the project, but in the end, I’m always trying to get past that for myself, personally.
You might also like
More from Photography
NEW YORK CITY HALL UNVEILS INSTALLATION COMMEMORATING “HIP-HOP’S GREATEST DAY”!
Photo Installation Celebrates Iconic Moment When Hip-Hop’s Greatest Talents Gathered in Harlem for a Legendary Photo Shoot NEW YORK – The New …
Hip-Hop’s Greatest Day — In Living Color by Ben Osborne
To be associate editor of SLAM magazine at age 23 was one thing — an incredible thrill and a job …
A Great Night In Hip-Hop. Paying Tribute to Hip-Hop’s Most Iconic Photo at Fotografiska NY
Please join XXL veteran journalists and contributors on May 9, 2023 — Sheena Lester, Datwon Thomas, Bonsu Thompson, Larry Hester, …
2 Comments
[…] Barron Claiborne’s stirring, nigh-surrealist shots are almost always all about the eyes. Danny Clinch’s superb take on reality relishes in the candid, unscripted moments; Anthony Mandler’s panoramic […]
this photo more than caught my eye while looking at what I think is a great magazine. full of astonishing pieces, this one though for several reasons stays in my head.