Arca

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.