Chasing Light

Marc Riboud | Gong Li

Rather than a profession, photography has always been a passion for me, a passion closer to an obsession.

-Marc Riboud

Mary Ellen Mark | Seen Behind The Scenes

Mary Ellen Mark’s latest book from Phaidon, Seen Behind the Scene: Forty Years of Photographing On Set, is a beautiful volume, full of genuine, candid moments, posed portraits and a great insider’s peak at the process behind some of the most iconic films since the late sixties.

Whether Mark is shooting portraits of people on the fringe or documenting issues, she brings a lushness and striking empathy to her subjects. Combine this velvety touch with the make-believe machinations of a movie set and legendary figures of cinema, and the results are a surreal anthropologic study of cinematic artists where there is no line between performance and reality.

It’s like looking behind the curtain and seeing nothing but towering giants.

It’s all changed so much. When I first started to photograph, it was really based on individuality. Much more. When I look at photographs now, I think sometimes it’s hard to tell actually who took the photograph.

-Mary Ellen Mark

Now there is a big emphasis on advertising so it requires a lot of studio work. When I first started to work on film sets, you didn’t need to do any studio shots.

-Mary Ellen Mark

I was on that set almost a month [Apocalypse Now], and it was such a luxury. It took away a lot of the pressure to get the material I needed. I can’t stand having my picture taken now. You see a picture of yourself as a young woman and think, ‘I wish I still looked like that.’

-Mary Ellen Mar, New York Times interview

I could never have thought of that pose [above]. I’m not a conceptual photographer. If I’d asked them to do it, it never would have happened. I think I snapped off two frames, and that was it. It was over.

-Mary Ellen Mark, New York Times interview

You used to have much more freedom. You used to really be able to wander the set much, much more. And I work a lot on Tim Burton’s films and when I do go on his set, he does give me a lot of freedom. But I think that often when the film company hires you now, they really just want studio photographs so they can use them for what they call their ‘one sheets’ for advertising.

-Mary Ellen Mark

On Marlon Brando:

I first worked with him in ‘The Missouri Breaks.’ The rule was, before you took his picture, you had to ask his permission. It was so frightening. And if he said no, you felt like a fool. On ‘Apocalypse’ it was easier, but I knew the idea had to be his. So I brought a jar of bugs, set them down.

-Mary Ellen Mark, New York Times interview

‘I asked him if I could come to his dressing room with him, and he said fine, and I took that picture. He was — a kid.’ Later Mr. Penn refused to cooperate on the set of “The Falcon and the Snowman” (1985). ‘I begged him, but he wasn’t in the mood, and it was a terrible situation because it’s your fault. You have to come back with that photograph.’

-Mary Ellen Mark, New York Times interview

With directors who love still pictures, you still have access. They don’t mind you being there. And you learn how not to be intrusive. You just take cues of where you can be that’s not going to be disturbing.

-Mary Ellen Mark

Regarding the contributions written by the filmmakers in this book and the absence of writing by herself:

I always felt as a photographer, what is really interesting about my photographs are the subjects and not myself.

-Mary Ellen Mark

I just think it’s important to be direct and honest with people about why you’re photographing them and what you’re doing. After all, you are taking some of their soul.

-Mary Ellen Mark

Regarding the absence of any images from Arthur Penn’s “Alice’s Restaurant” in the book:

That was the first film that I worked on. And I looked at the pictures and I didn’t really think that I did as well as I should have on that film. It was the first one. I wanted these pictures to all be of a certain level. Although it was a wonderful film to work on, I almost wished it had happened a bit later when I was more experienced.

-Mary Ellen Mark

Reality is always extraordinary.

-Mary Ellen Mark

The obsessions we have are pretty much the same our whole lives. Mine are people, the human condition, life.

-Mary Ellen Mark

She was an innocent 15-year-old who was madly in love with Don Johnson. She was just a little kid with a little baby voice, but her mom trusted me. Now everything has to become this big production. I could never get a picture of that intimate morning now.

-Mary Ellen Mark, New York Times interview

People like Johnny Depp – he’s amazing, and he’s really cooperative – can make the picture for you, but you have to be able to move very quickly. You have to be on top of things, always, and know when to try to catch a picture.

-Mary Ellen Mark

Mary Ellen Mark | John Belushi

I owe it all to little chocolate donuts.

-John Belushi

John Belushi – January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982.

Leica Sighting | Blood Diamond

In the movie “Blood Diamond”, Jennifer Connelly portrays a journalist and occasionally breaks out her black M6 Classic and a 35 Summicron to take photos. Annoyingly, the sound editors dubbed in the sound of an SLR firing instead of the sound of a Leica click.

Yes, I am a geek.

Ireland | Cong

Being a huge fan of John Ford’s “The Quiet Man” since I was a kid, I could not wait to visit the village of Cong in County Mayo where they filmed much of the movie. The tiny village is dominated by tourist traps for fans of the film but off the main strip, things settle down and the quaintness of life in western Ireland takes over.

Drive about an hour north of Galway on Route 334 on the Circular Road and just enjoy the scenery.

Shot with a Nikon F5, 35-70mm Nikkor, and Kodak Tri-X 400.

Anouk Aimée | 8 ½

Anouk Aimée was so stunningly beautiful that when Fellini cast her as the long-suffering Luisa in 8½, he famously cut her long eyelashes, added freckles, and clothed her in unglamorous, de-sexualized costumes.

I do not think it worked.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery | Cinespia

One of the great treasures of Los Angeles is the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and its summer film series Cinespia.

Yes, it sounds creepy, like the opening scene of a zombie movie. Everyone assumes that you will have to walk over graves in the dark, lean against headstones to watch the movies as your friends slowly disappear in the night, one by one. This is not the case at all. There is a great lawn near one of the buildings where you can spread your blankets and pillows and picnic under those perfect summer nights in Los Angeles.

The selection of flicks is eclectic, alternating between classics and cult movies. Beware of the really popular films because the line at the entrance and parking will be horrendous. Each night features a guest DJ before and after the movie and it is a great festive evening. Go grab your wine and pesto pasta and throw pillows and get in line. You will not be disappointed.

Hollywood Forever is also well worth checking out in the daytime as many celebrities reside within its fences and there are many tragic stories to be stumbled upon and discovered.

These dolls were arranged in the hedges next to a series of children’s graves.

I do not know if this is still the case as I have not been there in a couple of years, but near Johnny Ramone’s statue, a gang of extremely territorial ducks and geese reside in the reflecting pond. Since there are no other graves or markers nearby, they really appear to be Johnny’s guardians and they are mean fuckers. In this image, you can see that they waddled all the way over from the water just to come chase me off.

And yes, they did chase me off. Fuckers.

There are two quotes on the side of the statue:

Please come back.

-love, Vincent Gallo

As good a friend as there ever was.

-John Frusciante

Giant Robot | Tokyo Gore Police

Issue #61 just came out with my images from the New York Asian Film Festival. Here is the Tokyo Gore Police spread:

Giant Robot | Sion Sono

Issue #61 just came out with my images from the New York Asian Film Festival. Here is the Sion Sono spread:

David Hurn | Hard Day’s Night

From the Magnum Photos archive:

LONDON—The police restrain fans who line the railway bank in hopes of seeing the Beatles as their train passes through on its daily trip, during the filming of A Hard Day’s Night, 1964.