Arca

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.