Arca

MH: For whom did you take the picture and what camera did you use?

KC: Nikon F3. NME

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: I went to photograph U2 for a cover feature for the NME. It was the start of their tour at De Kuip – better known as Feijenoord Stadion – in Rotterdam. We had two days with them – but stayed for an extra day in order to watch the show properly. It’s difficult to understand the scale of a show like theirs when you are shooting it. Bono is very professional. Maybe he has a great memory, or maybe he has an excellent PR who gives him a fact sheet about the journalists he’s about to work with. Whatever it is, it works. He greets you like he missed you since you previously worked together and he told me that he loved the photos I’d recently taken of Bowie. I took lots of photos during the sound-check and he’d occasionally break off from it in order to pose for me. He also invited me to wander around on stage with them during the sound-check rather than leaving me to shoot from a distance. At the end of the actual show, Bono had a quick costume change in a tent side-stage in order to assume his then alter-ego of Macphisto – his parody of the Devil. I asked if I could take a shot of him changing and was told I could shoot him once he was made-up and ready. I had to wait by the tent , then when I was called in, I had approx. 15 seconds before he had to leave to go back on stage. I had no time to check exposure or anything, it was pretty dark in there, too – I just had to set the camera and shoot – and hope for the best.

MH: I don’t really know much about your musical taste yet. Do you like U2? Is it important to like the music (literature, art etc.) of the person/group you’re shooting?

KC: It helps if you like the music or art. It’s not too important though. I appreciate professionalism much more. I love working with creative people even if I don’t always love what they do. I’m lucky in that I often work with people whose oeuvre I like – but it doesn’t matter too much. Sometimes it helps if you aren’t a huge fan of their work. I found it very difficult to shoot Bowie the first time I worked with him for instance – because I’d idolised him when I was in my teens. I’m not a fan of U2, yet I’ve probably seen them more than any other live act. I appreciate their live act and have been known to enjoy it – despite my misgivings. I don’t own any of their recordings though.

MH: Bono was at that time already someone really extremly famous and successful. More famous than most of the people we’ve shown on the blog so far, would you agree? Is there a difference – does Bono behave differently? Is there more pressure on you? More pressure from e.g. his management, from his PA? From the record company, the magazine?

KC: I don’t think of him as one of the most famous people in the world. I first went to see U2 when they played a small club in Manchester – so I’ve grown up with him really. However, he is very famous, I agree, and yes, I suppose he does behave like a Very Famous Person at times. I’m sure it’s easy to lose a sense of who you are when you have a team of people who do everything for you – including having someone to wear your hat if you don’t want to wear it for a few minutes. There is more pressure on me as a photographer – but I don’t tend to treat people that differently. I’m pretty respectful to everyone I work with, and I expect a certain level of respect in return.

MH: I’ve been asking you about the things you discuss with your subjects – do people ever inquire about your profession? Have you been asked about your camera? Have you been asked whom you photographed last week?

KC: Actors are usually into the hardware. They often ask about cameras. They baffle me with their talk of the latest Canon XR3i Turbo and so on. They will ask how it compares to the latest Nikon GTS Spider. I have to tell them that as I don’t work in a camera shop, I have no idea what they are talking about. Occasionally people ask who I’ve recently photographed. The skill is to keep the answer brief. I know they’re not really interested, so I don’t really tell them very much.

New York City, October 1983

MH: For whom did you take the picture and what camera did you use?

KC: A Nikon F3. I took it for myself. It wasn’t commissioned.

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: Well, Quentin Crisp famously kept his name in the Manhattan phonebook so I just rang him. I was in New York with a Manchester band – Quando Quango – it was part holiday really, rather than work. I went to Crisp’s apartment with a friend (who was also a photographer). She told me that I should take him a gift for agreeing to pose for me. So I bought him some flowers on the way to his building. When I saw the doorway to the apartment block I knew it would make a good frame for the photo. He came downstairs and insisted on holding the flowers for the shot. It’s quite a flirtatious photo. I knew I wouldn’t have much time so I ensured I got the photo I wanted almost immediately, then I took some less successful images. Once I know I’ve got the picture I want, I’m less interested in shooting just for the sake of it.

MH: Would you call the flowers he’s holding an ›accessory‹? How important are accessories when shooting a portrait?

KC: Yes, they are an ›accessory‹. I think sometimes an accessory can work. I didn’t buy them for him to hold in the photo – but he cradled them and used them as a prop. I think the sitter is often happier if they can think about something other than focussing exclusively on the camera. In this case: a bunch of flowers.

MH: Is there a difference in shooting a young person compared to taking a photo of an older person?

KC: Yes, I think so. Young people are more naturally ›pretty‹, I guess. A photograph of someone older tends to assume more character. It depends on the individual though. Some people aren’t comfortable with growing old – hence all the surgery they have in order to repel old age. I’ve photographed several people who’ve had ›work‹ done to their faces – and I find it baffling. I’d much rather photograph someone who is comfortable with the way they look. Unfortunately, we love our rock musicians to look young and pretty – not old and ravaged. If they die young, so much the better…

MH: Your memory, I’m referring to all your answers to my usual second question, seems to be really good. Do you need the actual photo to be able to think back or would it work without a photo as well, e.g. would you be able to answer a question like: »Do you remember the day you met Quentin Crisp in New York in ‘83« as detailed?

KC: I don’t generally need the photo as an aide-mémoire, although occasionally I can be completely baffled by the appearance of a sheet of negatives that I have no memory of shooting. It’s usually of a band I’ve photographed that sank without trace though. I’m yet to find a Joy Division shoot that I’d forgotten about…

De Montfort Hall, Leicester, 16 January 1980

Hotel Subur Maritim, Sitges, Spain, 11 March 1990

MH: For whom did you take the picture and what camera did you use?

KC: NME. Nikon F3

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: I’d been in Barcelona for a couple of days with the band and then we went to Sitges by the coast. They’d been out all Saturday night and I didn’t have much hope for the 14:00 start I was promised. Sure enough the band didn’t start to surface until 18:00. The light was dropping at street level and I thought that the roof would be the only place  with decent light. They were also supposed to be shooting a video that weekend, too – the camera man ended up shooting stock whilst I was shooting the band for my NME session – which is hardly ideal for either party. I decided to shoot Shaun and Bez under the first three letters of the sign HOTEL – HOT. I thought it’d perfectly capture the zeitgeist. It was the ›Summer of Love‹ and so on… It was only as I started to frame the shot with HOT above them that I realised what the next letter of ›hotel‹ was. I asked Shaun to stand on the letter E for a few frames and immediately I was excited by it. I knew I’d captured a seminal moment. As long as the exposure was perfect I’d have a great defining image. I had to wait for three days to get the film processed – and a very nervous three days it was.

MH: Was Ecstasy’s impact on Manchester, its music and its club culture really that huge?

KC: It’s impact was massive. Thousands of column centimetres have been written about it. This one photo can maybe tell a similar story.

MH: Was it difficult to get up on the roof of the hotel? Did you ask for permission? Is it sometimes better to just not ask for permission?

KC: Often it’s best to get as many shots as possible and claim you have permission – or even ask for permission once you’ve started shooting. At least you’ve got part of the session in the bag.

MH: Have you ever been threatened by someone who didn’t want you on his premises?

KC: I don’t know really. I don’t really take much notice. I’m usually pretty careful about where I shoot and if someone starts to complain I’ll ask the record company PR to sort it out.

Spike Island, 27 May 1990

MH: For whom did you take the picture and what camera did you use?

KC: NME. Nikon F3

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: Everything. The whole day out. A Stone Roses gig was an event. Most people who were there remember it for the poor sound quality. However, the sound on stage was great. The band were buzzing as were the crew and friends who were watching from the stage. We couldn’t believe the negative response from people who we spoke to later.

MH: This concert is often referred to as the ›Woodstock for the baggy generation‹. Did it actually feel like that?

KC: Well, it was on a much smaller scale and it was only one Sunday afternoon and evening – so no, not really. But it was an event.

MH: Does one get a buzz from standing on stage in front of more than 20.000 people even if you’re not the one performing?

KC: Yes, definitely. Because you are sharing a special moment with the band, you really understand how it must feel to be adored in this way. It’s a great feeling.

MH: Some parts of the photo are blurred, several arms become one. To me it looks like algae. What do you see?

KC: I wanted to capture the excitement of being in a crowd and the excitement you feel when you are in a band and you are looking at the stage. I shot it on a slow shutter speed to capture the movement. It looks like some people are being sucked into this incredible amorphous mass.

London, April 1991

MH: For whom did you take the picture and what camera did you use?

KC: NME. Hasselblad 500CM.

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: It was their first NME cover. The cloth is gold Sari material. I wanted to exaggerate the trash aesthetic of the band. Nicky Wire (with ›Culture Slut‹ on his chest) and Richey Edwards were the two most distinctive members of the band and I made the decision to concentrate on the two of them rather than shooting a full band shot. I didn’t feel the other two – James and Sean – added anything to their look at that time. It was virtually unknown to not put the lead singer on the cover.

MH: Richey Edwards went missing in 1995 and was ›presumed dead‹ in 2008. He was the ideological head of the group. Who is he in the picture? Did you discuss with Richey the band’s (socialist and existentialist) views and ideas?

KC: I talked to Richey a lot – but only in the way I talk to bands generally. I’ve worked with the Manics at different stages of their career. I may include a few more shots of Richey over the coming months. I’ll discuss those then.

MH: Whose idea was the ›Culture Slut‹ slogan? Were they serious about that or was that just to wind-up people? I mean: were they having a laugh? It’s interesting to compare the power of the slogan to the ›Czech Post‹ in the Pet Shop Boys portrait (see below).

KC: They were into slogans and tragic Hollywood blondes and all the kind of obvious imagery young people grow up with.  I wrote ›Culture Slut‹ on Nicky. It was often part wind-up but also part of their image. They were also very into The Clash – hence the similar style of dress in the early days. Combat fatigues and slogans… Prior to my taking the photo Richey took a school-style drafting compass out of his bag and scratched HIV crudely into his neck. However, because he was doing it in the mirror, he wrote it in reverse. It was clearly intended to be provocative, but the impact was lost by his schoolboy error.

MH: The two have injuries on their necks. Or are these marks you get from sucking on the skin? There’s a nice German word for that: ›Knutschfleck‹ (›snogg spot‹).

KC: ›Love-bites‹ in English. Yes. They both went to a club the night prior to the shoot and asked girls to give them love-bites to accentuate the trash aesthetic.

Prague, 10 May 1991

MH: For whom did you take the picture and what camera did you use?

KC: NME. Nikon F3

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: It was the first time I’d photographed Pet Shop Boys – apart from on stage. The trip to Prague was memorable. Pet Shop Boys are obviously very image-conscious and are keen to protect this image. The poster shot for the tour was a photo of Chris and Neil standing against a grey background each holding a large bunch of red roses. The Czech promoter thought it was a boring shot so he cut around them and placed them in a basket in a cartoon sketch of a hot air balloon with the words ›Pet Shop Boys‹ on the balloon. It was so anti-design it was hilarious. I managed to get a copy and asked them to sign it. For my NME shoot I just wanted to locate the session in Prague – without it looking too touristy.

MH: Having text ›inside‹ the photo is like having the caption within the image. What are your thoughts on this?

KC: I used the side of a train carriage as the background for this shot. I wanted it to be clearly located in the Czech Republic and I liked the graphics / typeface. Sometimes if words are used in a photo in can be too literal. I don’t think it is here – because the band has no connection with the Czech Republic other than the fact that we were there on that day. I’ve occasionally been asked to get my subject to hold up pieces of paper containing pertinent words or even questions. I’m not sure it ever works. I think a photograph can be more subtle than that.

MH: You must have taken many photos of Tennant and Lowe over the years. People often say they behave like a double act. What do you think?

KC: They are a double act. No. We haven’t worked together very often.

MH: Do you prefer shooting with black & white or colour film? What are the main differences to you and what made you choose a colour film for this PSB image?

KC: I don’t mind. I’ll use colour if it works for the session. I use black and white if I think it’s necessary, too. Once the NME was printed in colour they invariably wanted the session to be shot in colour. I like to use colour in a monochromatic way if possible. You don’t need every colour in the spectrum to make an interesting colour shot. Black and white is perceived as being grittier and more archival. I’m not convinced. I think colour can be used in a similar fashion. It depends on the circumstances. Most publications – certainly music publications in the UK – were printed in black and white until the early 80s. Hence the lack of colour shots from the punk / post punk era. Newspapers, too, were generally published in black and white. Shooting in black and white requires a different understanding of light and shade. That’s not to say colour is easier to use, but it has more latitude.

Zurich, 13 April 1995

MH: For whom did you take the picture and what camera did you use?

KC: It was taken for the NME with a Nikon F3.

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: I’d met (socially) and photographed Courtney a few times by this point. We enjoyed working with one another. The record company had found a large warehouse space for us to use as a studio and I turned up at the appointed hour. Needless to say, with several people in the band needing make-up, there was a rather long wait until we were able to do some band (Hole) shots. I insisted on Courtney having her make-up done first. That way I could shoot her whilst waiting for the rest of the band to be ready. To be honest, I’m more comfortable shooting single portraits – and the solo shots were more important, but the band weren’t to know that. Courtney wanted to do some shots naked  under a large coat – and she kept teasing me and her press officer by opening the coat as I was about to take a photo, knowing that the NME couldn’t and wouldn’t use a shot like that. Frances Bean was around (with the nanny) and Courtney asked me to take some photos of her with her daughter. There are some lovely shots where Courtney is making faces at the camera and Frances Bean is imitating her. It was as if they were using the camera as a mirror. The whole shoot was in daylight until finally the band was ready. The band shots were lit with studio flash units. It was pretty much a whole day shoot. I felt privileged that Courtney was prepared to give me so much of her time. Most bands would give you an hour maximum in a similar situation.

MH: You took the photo in Zurich and not in the UK where you were and are based. Back in the days record companies often paid for the travel costs of a magazine’s photographer. This has obviously changed. Did you enjoy the travelling? Was it harder to find the right location when you were abroad? Or are you basically so experienced that finding a good location is never a problem?

KC: I loved the travelling. I went to the USA on almost 100 trips in 15 years – mainly for the NME. I also visited every continent I think. The thing to remember when shooting abroad is that the light is so different to the light in England. This might seem obvious to the casual visitor, but if you are shooting on location – on film – it’s always best to shoot a test roll (of film) before embarking on the session. Light in New York City is very blue, light in Berlin is a kind of grey-green. Light in Manchester is uniformly grey with a hint of blue. One of my editors at the NME always wanted picture postcard shots of the location. He never understood why anyone would go to San Francisco (for instance) and not take a photo of the band by the Golden Gate Bridge. I once explained to him that it was like shooting every band session in London in front of Buckingham Palace or similar. He remained unconvinced.

MH: Were you to converse with her? Was Kurt Cobain an issue? He died almost exactly one year before (on 5 April 1994) you took the photo of his wife. Did that have an impact on the photo?

KC: Of course Kurt was an issue – he was her husband, he committed suicide. It’s not something one can ever forget. Unfortunately, I’ve worked with a lot of musicians who’ve died young: Marc Bolan, Ian Curtis, Michael Hutchence, Richey Edwards. Rock ’n’ Roll attracts the tragic romantic poets. Kurt’s death didn’t impact on the photos. I’d photographed Courtney several times prior to this session. We had a very long emotional conversation about Kurt a few months earlier. Professionally, Courtney is a lovely person to work with and is one of my all time favourite subjects.

MH: Now that might be a silly question but I’d like you to answer it anyway: Are Americans different to the English when it comes to having their photo taken? Does your own nationality play a role? Is there a difference when shooting someone from your own home town compared to someone from London – or Paris or Dallas or Tokyo or Moscow?

KC: Not really. I try not to work with people whose music I don’t like – although inevitably that happens sometimes. People are people. It’s sometimes difficult if you meet on an unequal footing. Most bands in the UK know my credentials and understand that I’ve worked with their contemporaries or their heroes. This makes it easier for me. It becomes difficult when the band or artistes have no idea who I am. Then you are just an irritant who is stopping them getting on with their lives. But a good PR will let the band know that they are going to be photographed by X who has recently had a book published »and here’s a copy of it« and »he/she has also shot all those photos of Echo And The Bunnymen that you love so much« or whatever. It’s fairly grim when you are just ›thrown to the lions‹ – and unprofessional.

Cambridge (England), 24 May 2008

MH: For whom did you take the picture and what camera did you use – now that the Nikon died?

KC: Well, I still have three Nikon F3 bodies. I bought two together in the early 80s and I’ve added to the collection since. This was shot on a Canon EOS5D. When I added a digital camera to my bag, Canon were way ahead professionally. I imagine they’re all good now though. I’d happily let Nikon prove their worth by sponsoring me… It was shot for The Financial Times.

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: It was shot in 2008. Public Enemy was touring the album »It Takes a Nation of Millions…«. I went on tour with them for three days. Norwich, Brixton Academy and Cambridge. Ah, the glamour…

MH: That’s a classic Chuck D gesture, isn’t it? His hand in front of the camera – did he dislike having his photo taken? Or does that gesture mean: »Me against the media?«

KC: Chuck D – yes. It doesn’t really mean anything . It’s a framing device. He knows it works well so he does it. He’s very professional. He knows what he’s giving you and you have to work with him in that way.

MH: To me, Chuck D basically looks like he did in 1987 – or 1993. He looks young! Is he someone you’ve met on a regular basis in the past thirty years? How do people age in your eyes? I mean: Is that something you think about? The age of the people you take photos of?

KC: I photographed them for one of their first NME  covers in 1988. I’ve photographed them five or six times since then. Chuck D was always grateful to the NME for putting P.E. on the cover and he’s pretty relaxed with me. I enjoy working with him. We’re all ageing so it’s not something I worry about. I wouldn’t ask a bunch of 50-year-olds to do the kind of stuff they’d do in their 20s. I’m happy to take a fairly straight-forward portrait of anyone. Sometimes that’s what’s required.

MH: Have you sometimes asked people to take of their hat/cap or glasses? Is it possible to force someone to take these things off? Would you in theory say: »Take off your hat or I won’t take a picture of you?«

KC: Occasionally I have to ask singers, band members to take sunglasses or hats off. But if that’s their signature, then I generally don’t. It’s difficult photographing people with sunglasses on for a cover shot, because the editor generally wants eye contact. But I’m usually happy to work with whatever obstacles are in my way.

London, Primrose Hill, 14 April 1993

MH: For whom did you take the picture? The camera is a Nikon F3, right? Did you really use it for 20 years? Isn’t that amazing?

KC: The photo was taken for Vox magazine. A short-lived monthly »from the makers of NME«. Yep. One of my cameras was worn down to the brass in part. It’s still the best model I’ve ever used. It was so intuitive. I knew every scratch and mark on it.

MH: What do you remember about the shoot?

KC: I’d already asked Björk if we could take the photos on Primrose Hill. Some of my favourite images by other photographers have been taken there. Bill Brandt’s 1963 shot of Francis Bacon is possibly my favourite portrait of all time. I have a lovely David Bailey print of Marianne Faithfull on Primrose Hill and Gerard Mankowitz shot the Rolling Stones there, too.

MH: How important is the location for you? We’ve already discussed the Morrissey photo where one could say that the location was very important. With this image I’d say that it basically could be any bench anywhere in, erm, Britian. Is this bench typical for the beautiful Primrose Hill area, so could you say that a Londoner would immediately recognize it? I’m asking because I know Primrose Hill and I know that quite a lot of famous people live there. So, what I mean is: Does the bench maybe say more than one would first imagine? Is it saying that Björk had already made some money in 1993 and was living in a posh area of London? Or is that me overinterpreting?

KC: Location is sometimes important. I realise I could have probably shot this photo in any park in Britain, but I enjoy the knowledge that’s it’s taken in a part of London where some of my favourite photos have been taken. I’d taken an earlier shot of Björk – in The Sugarcubes days – lying on a bench in a park in San Francisco. This picture is a reference to that one, too. I like the idea that there’s some kind of lineage to a series of photographs. The next time I photograph Björk, it will have a similar theme.

MH: Someone sitting on a bench, looking dreamy – isn’t that a subject that we all know too well? I like the photo, I’m just trying to wind you up. Could you say something about ›typical poses‹? How someone should or must avoid them – or not?

KC: Well, I tend to let my subjects more or less do what they want. Occasionally I direct them, but I’m happy to shoot the personality they want me to see. If I don’t feel it’s working, or if I don’t feel we’re connecting, I might make a few further suggestions. Ultimately I want you – the viewer – to see Bjork in the picture. I don’t want it to be an over-stylised photo of what could be anyone – I’ll leave that to other people with cameras. Obviously sometimes it’s impossible to get the kind of shot you want. Then maybe you have to fall back on a few tried and tested poses, locations etc. Ultimately you are only limited by your imagination.

MH: When we met a couple of months ago in Manchester you took a photo of Bernard Sumner for us and he was someone you had already shot in the 1970s. Is it sometimes maybe more difficult when you’ve known someone for such a long time having already taken e.g. 20 different photos of her or him? Or is it easier?

KC: It’s not really easier or harder. It’s different. I first photographed Björk in 1988. She’s very beautiful. We always had a good professional relationship. One year I wanted her to be photographed with Evan Dando for the NME Christmas issue. Evan had recently been wearing floral dresses on stage. I thought it would reference the great British pantomime tradition of cross-dressing, if Evan wore a dress and Björk wore a man’s suit. She was happy to trust me and run with the idea – even though, at the time, she had no idea who Evan Dando was. It’s different whoever you photograph – unless, as mentioned earlier, you are the kind of photographer who has one technique and who, maybe by default, makes every band look similar. This kind of picture  tells you nothing about the subject and everything about the photographer. But ultimately it’s a vacuous style, masquerading as art.