Lou Reed - Photography and gear

Austerby

Austerby

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Article in todays Independent Newspaper about his new book, Romanticism:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/lou-reed-photographer-1817676.html


"He denies it, but Reed is a camera geek. He can quote camera names and models with an intimate knowledge: "I have a Leica medium format – just the body cost $24,000. I have been waiting around for the M9. I love this camera. I love it that they are digital. I love the Alpa, they're quite the little company, you should check out their website. I use it with a Schneider lens. And the medium format Hasselblad, and they went into Fuji lenses. Why are some lenses so much better than others? What is it about the way they polish glass?" It's difficult to get him off the subject. "I'm not an obsessive," he says. "It's just like guitars."
 
After seeing the (few) images in the slide show I don't think we'd be talking about his work if he wasn't Lou Reed....
 
Damaso said:
After seeing the (few) images in the slide show I don't think we'd be talking about his work if he wasn't Lou Reed....
Click to expand...

We aren't talking about his work. We are talking about his cameras.

Cheers,
Gary
 
Last edited:
gns said:
We aren't talking about his work. We are talking about his cameras.

Cheers,
Gary
Click to expand...

We wouldn't be talking about his cameras if he hadn't published a book of photographs. Personally I have a pet peeve about people who collect cameras and don't really know how to use them. I am not 100% sure this is the case there but the evidence I have seen so far indicates that it is.

Of course if you have the money you can buy whatever your want. I just don't want to be subjected to what you produce! 😀
 
Damaso said:
After seeing the (few) images in the slide show I don't think we'd be talking about his work if he wasn't Lou Reed....
Click to expand...
totally agree. IMHO this is another example of folks going after their daily fix of celebrity BS. I saw Velvet Underground twice in the late 60's. They were nothing to write home about. Actually they were mostly terribly off key and not very accomplished as musicians. But then again I digress, they got in the Rock Hall of Fame because they were so brave to sing about shooting Heroin. Now that's talent.😎 And the sunglasses.😎😎
 
He's also one of the curators for NYPH'10 which makes me wonder a little. It's not that all of his photographs are horrible but they're pretty unimpressive. The fact that he found those worthy to be published worries me a little.
I don't really have a problem with people who spend lots of money on cameras and aren't great photographers. Most Ferrari owners are not racecar drivers either.

So who's the best photgrapher amongst the celebritiesr? Lou Reed? Richard Gere? Brad Pitt?
My money's on Brad Pitt.
 
For me Lou Reed has always been an artist worth keeping an eye on - I like a lot of his work though by no means all of it but he has produced some very interesting material over a very long period of creativity. I don't think he's setting himself up to be a great photographer but he is clearly interested in the visual image and is an effective communicator in getting people interested in what he's doing.

I'd much rather people such as him put out books on photographs that we see and have a good debate about rather than keeping them private - and I do think it's quite something to place one's work in the public domain and allow the rest of us to view and comment.

There were only four photos shown on the Independent website, one of which seems to be regarded as pretty good, the others more routine. By my standards that's a decent hit rate and I'd like to see more before making a call on this collection, let alone a sweeping judgement on his entire abilities as a photographer as others have done.

He likes his gear, as we all do. We also know he could produce similar imagery from other equipment but that's not really the point here.

I look forward to continue to be entertained, intrigued and stimulated by Lou Reed's creativity in whatever field he selects to work in. (and Laurie Anderson's too - another deeply interesting and creative person).
 
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Dear Lou Reed,

Your music stinks and so do 3 out of 4 of your stupid pictures. Possibly even 4 out of 4, but we're still working that out.

Way More Creative And Artistic And Good At Photos Than You,
RFF

ps - can we have your autograph?
 
Amen. Amen. Amen. Love Lou Reed.

Austerby said:
For me Lou Reed has always been an artist worth keeping an eye on - I like a lot of his work though by no means all of it but he has produced some very interesting material over a very long period of creativity. I don't think he's setting himself up to be a great photographer but he is clearly interested in the visual image and is an effective communicator in getting people interested in what he's doing.

I'd much rather people such as him put out books on photographs that we see and have a good debate about rather than keeping them private - and I do think it's quite something to place one's work in the public domain and allow the rest of us to view and comment.

There were only four photos shown on the Independent website, one of which seems to be regarded as pretty good, the others more routine. By my standards that's a decent hit rate and I'd like to see more before making a call on this collection, let alone a sweeping judgement on his entire abilities as a photographer as others have done.

He likes his gear, as we all do. We also know he could produce similar imagery from other equipment but that's not really the point here.

I look forward to continue to be entertained, intrigued and stimulated by Lou Reed's creativity in whatever field he selects to work in. (and Laurie Anderson's too - another deeply interesting and creative person).
Click to expand...
 
So who's the best photgrapher amongst the celebritiesr? Lou Reed? Richard Gere? Brad Pitt?
Click to expand...

Not having really delved into the work of a lot of them, I do have to say that Matthew Modine's stuff in his diary from Full Metal Jacket is pretty good.
 
Paddy C said:
Don't forget...
Seal
Karl Lagerfeld
Bryan Adams
Viggo Mortensen
Matthew Fox
Wim Wenders
etc. etc. etc.
Click to expand...

I'd strike Lagerfeld from that list as he's not a celebrity with a camera but a working commercial photographer. Ok, ok, he mostly shoots for Chanel, i.e. hires himself but it's still professional. As an "art photographer" I find him terrible.
Also I'd strike Wim Wenders as he's a director and as such photography is part of his trade (to some extent).

We could add John Mayer to the list aswell. Also, I once saw Audrey Tatou use an M8 at an interview. She couldn't get it to work, though, so I don't know if I'd put her on the list 🙂
 
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