John Stirratt and Patrick Sansone’s band The Autumn Defense has a new album, Once Around, that Yep Roc is releasing today. I shot promo photographs to accompany the new record; outtake below.
Also, a book of Sansone’s SX-70 photography was recently published, called 100 Polaroids.
Last July I shot portraits of gospel legend Mavis Staples–with another Chicago favorite, Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy–for a Bob Mehr penned feature in the November issue of Mojo. The duo have quite a rapport together that was really fun to document. Tweedy produced Staples’ new record, You Are Not Alone.
This was not the first time working with any of these folks. Before he relocated to Memphis to write a music column for the Commercial Appeal, Mehr lived in Chicago and wrote for the Reader, where we collaborated on a bunch of articles, including a Wilco cover story and a 2004 piece on Staples. The picture below was shot in Mavis’ home for that 2004 article. I want to be like her when I grow up.
I’m excited to have a double page spread in last Saturday’s Guardian Weekend magazine. This was a really fun assignment–not only did I get to shoot Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope (aka Insane Clown Posse) in a swimming pool, but I also had a beer and a chat with the article’s writer, Jon Ronson, who wrote one of my favorite books (The Men Who Stare at Goats). For those keeping track at home, this makes two posts in a row about Welshmen named Jon.
If you’re curious about the way of the Juggalo, checkout this video made by Derek Erdman, whose mom was hip to Juggalos before that topic trended.
(Behind the scenes photo by Paul Kjelland.)
I shot Chris Black, frontman of Dawnbringer, for this week’s Reader. The top picture is the one the Reader published; the photographs below were alternates I submitted.
Not to be confused with the vibraband player who shares his name, this Stan Wood is the one you may remember as someone who doesn’t do reality, but does play in the band onYou. I shot this picture a couple weeks ago at the bacherlorette party of a good friend of ours.
Joel and Ruth of Bastardgeist recently stopped by my studio for pictures. They’ll be playing at the Iceland Airwaves festival next month. Brainlove Records is releasing their debut.
My good friend and, until recently, neighbor Derek Erdman has a big art show this Saturday: Without Wax: 14 Years of Derek Erdman in Chicago (RSVP to derek@nationalheadquarters.org), presented by National Headquarters. Sadly (for us Chicagoans), Erdman moves to Seattle next month.
I’ve been having a good time shooting portraits for Luxe magazine’s “Style Makers” section–I shot one a couple weeks ago, and the portrait above appeared in the Spring 2010 edition. These assignments are a treat for me; the section runs black and white photos, which I love to shoot, and the subjects have been fascinating people in interesting spaces. The Renaissance man pictured is architect, painter, sculptor, writer, critic, and poet Christian K. Narkiewicz-Laine.
Available light shot of Velouria Adore, from a test shoot last week.
