When I was reading my NY Times in bed the morning of 21 June I was startled by a photograph taken by Valerio Mezzanotti on the front page of the Arts section. I had to look at the photograph more than once and its excellence “forced” me to read about the Italian band Måneskin.
It has become obvious to me in the last few years that art direction of the hard copy and of the digital version of the New York Times can be different. I even wonder if the person making the decisions for one and of the other is different.
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| Gary Cramer and the Works - Photograph Alex Waterhouse-Hayward |
Upon inspecting the on-line version I did not find the photograph that had so attracted me.
My entry into rock photography began with my longstanding relationship with Vancouver Magazine’s Les Wiseman who had a monthly column called In One Ear. It may have been sometime in late1977 that I photographed my first rock band. I did not use lights and I had no idea of what I was doing. To this day, that photograph and another of Art Bergmann with his Young Canadian are my favourites. After that my rock photographs became more elaborate, more pre-planned, more complicated and more lit.
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| On line NY Times photograph of Maneskin |
Looking at Mezzanotti’s photographs I could give him some advice to keep it simple but I will not. I am sure, that unlike me, he knows better.
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| Young Canadians- Photograph Alex Waterhouse-Hayward |
As for me it is nice to be surprised by a photographer in this century who is developing a very good personal style.
