A simple amusement<\/i>.<\/p>\n
I was reading Vanity Fair, a must-read for photographers everywhere, when I came across one of those questionnaire interviews with a famous person. At least he must be famous, because he is in Vanity Fair, right?<\/p>\n
What on earth would I answer if asked these amazing questions? Ah! I know. You have to rig it. Betcha that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how they do it. The subjects get to ask their own questions.<\/p>\n
So that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what decided me to do my own Q&A as a photographer (mostly):<\/p>\n
Who Inspires You:<\/b> Cartier-Bresson, Erwitt, Penn, Parkinson<\/p>\n
Favorite discovery:<\/b> Digital imaging<\/p>\n
Best gadget ever:<\/b> Those clip on eyes for the old Leica M mount 50mm DR Summicron<\/p>\n
Best camera you ever used:<\/b> Leica M2<\/p>\n
Best lens ever used:<\/b> A tie. 90mm Leica Apo-Summicron-M Asph\/Canon 85mm f\/1.8<\/p>\n
Best picture ever taken:<\/b> Darling, there are so many it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s impossible to say.<\/p>\n
Most capable camera you ever used:<\/b> Canon 5D which I use to this day. A jack of all trades and master of most.<\/p>\n
Favorite photo venue:<\/b> The streets of Mayfair, London, preferably on a sunny day<\/p>\n
Favorite watch:<\/b> Any Patek Philippe; an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for sports wear<\/p>\n
Favorite champagne:<\/b> Bollinger NV<\/p>\n
Jeans:<\/b> Levi 501 button fly. The classic.<\/p>\n
Favorite writing instrument:<\/b> The Bic Cristal ball pen. Another classic.<\/p>\n
Shirts:<\/b> Brooks Brothers and L L Bean<\/p>\n
Suits:<\/b> Paul Stuart, Madison Avenue<\/p>\n
Favorite restaurant in the whole world:<\/b> La Grenouille in Manhattan, but only if I have a gorgeous brunette to accompany me. On my own it would be any McDonald\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s whose stock and food I adore.<\/p>\n
Most exciting location you have ever dined in:<\/b> Windows of the World, 107th floor, World Trade Center, north tower.<\/p>\n
Favorite car:<\/b> Ferrari. It has avoided me so far and somehow continues to do so.<\/p>\n
Photographic ambition:<\/b> A biography of the best of the best in photography, made as a movie documentary, with a highly opinionated voice-over by yours truly, of course.<\/p>\n
Greatest fear:<\/b> That soon 51% of US voters will be working for the government<\/p>\n
Favorite leaders:<\/b> Churchill for his courage, Reagan for his optimism, Thatcher for her determination, Golda Meir for her guts.<\/p>\n
Favorite actresses:<\/b> Rachel Ward, Claudia Cardinale, Eva Green.<\/p>\n
Favorite actors:<\/b> Who cares?<\/p>\n
Favorite city:<\/b> Beverly Hills. A focus of vapidity in a sea of pollution.<\/p>\n
Least favorite thing to do:<\/b> Commercial air flight.<\/p>\n
What you do to relax:<\/b> Read women\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fashion magazines \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Vogue, VF, Bazaar, Elle. Walk my dog. Watch Formula One. Read philosophy.<\/p>\n
Person who irritates you most:<\/b> Anyone in, or running for, public office.<\/p>\n
The greatest crime in a free society:<\/b> The Income Tax.<\/p>\n
The greatest influence on you as a photographer:<\/b> Caravaggio<\/p>\n
Painters who mean most to you:<\/b> Caravaggio, Giorgione, Mantegna, Ucello, El Greco, Gericault, Corot, Manet, Degas, Seurat, Rothko<\/p>\n
Favorite music:<\/b> Chopin when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m depressed. Mahler when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m really depressed. The Rolling Stones when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m recovering.<\/p>\n
Favorite dog:<\/b> Any Border Terrier, but especially mine.<\/p>\n
Favorite musician:<\/b> Horowitz<\/p>\n
Favorite composer:<\/b> Chopin<\/p>\n
Favorite woman:<\/b> The one I wake up next to.<\/p>\n
Favorite cat:<\/b> I hate cats. <\/p>\n
Favorite photo:<\/b> The one I haven’t seen or taken yet.<\/p>\n
Favorite photo you have seen:<\/b> I suppose it has to be The Great Brailowsky. HCB at his luminous, spontaneous best.<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\nPhew! That was fun!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A simple amusement. I was reading Vanity Fair, a must-read for photographers everywhere, when I came across one of those questionnaire interviews with a famous person. At least he must be famous, because he is in Vanity Fair, right? What on earth would I answer if asked these amazing questions? Ah! I know. You have … Continue reading Q & A<\/span>