I have been thinking a lot lately about Quincy Jones. I spent the day with him at his LA home back in the late 90’s. John Kennedy Jr. asked me to photograph the most generous philanthropists in Hollywood for George Magazine, and Quincy was on the list. His home was a temple of cultural history - evidence that this legendary game changer had consistently defied musical and racial categorization. The list of his collaborators is extraordinary - Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Herbie Hancock, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. Just think - it was a Quincy Jones recording with Sinatra and Basie that became the first piece of music ever to be played on the moon. Just think - it was a Quincy Jones recording with Michael Jackson that became the best selling album of all time. All my heroes broke social barriers but did so with artistic merit, love, and optimism. I call it, GREATNESS OF HEART. But honestly, it takes faith and unremitting zeal to step out and fight for racial fairness and dignity. So I asked for some advice,“What did you say to the old guard, the outdated power brokers who were unwilling to give your talent a chance?” Quincy’s glowing smile morphed into the face of determination. He replied, “Not one drop of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me.” I had tapped into this man’s FORCE FACTOR. This close up picture was taken one second later. Eventually, it was time to hug this legend goodbye - I couldn’t help feeling emotional. Quincy put his hand on my shoulder and said, “man, you must be a musician.” It doesn’t get better than that. Qunicy Jones is featured in my new film called AMERICA, WHAT NOW? Visit my YouTube channel to watch the film and subscribe for more. Link in bio.

I photographed the Little Rock Nine in front of their gothic high school where they once shaped American's conscience. The lady in the middle of the group wearing a dark shawl is Elizabeth Eckford. Many years ago she was attacked by an angry mob of white mothers as she clutched her school books on the way to class. Honestly, it's one of the most shameful sides of America an immigrant like myself could ever see. Now, decades later she stood with her friends in front of my camera. For a brief moment I lost my concentration and allowed myself to focus on the photograph and not the people. “Excuse me my dear, would you mind lowering your chin a little?” I asked. She replied, “Young man, don’t you ever ask me to lower my chin - I hold my head up high with pride because of what we did.” At that moment they all raised their chins to her level and then they held hands and I took the picture. Elizabeth, we are in awe of your courage and compassion. Little Rock Nine are featured in my new film called AMERICA, WHAT NOW? Visit my YouTube channel to watch the film and subscribe for more. Link in bio.

Wynton Marsalis is a legendary trumpeter, composer and teacher. He is a true ambassador for classical music and jazz. I worked with Wynton many times to help him in his mission as Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Spending quality time with this extraordinary musician was always a great privilege. Our photo sessions usually took place at the recording studios at Lincoln Center, New York. One day after the pictures were done, I asked if I could try an experiment. Wynton was sitting on my applebox and I crouched on the floor by his feet holding a microphone. I asked the crew to turn off all lights–there were no windows, the room was now pitch black. All our senses focused entirely on audio. I could hear Wynton breathing. “Where does the music come from?” I asked. Wynton sighed, then whispered, “It doesn’t come from me, the sound, it’s there already–it exists.” He paused, then continued, “It’s the same sound everywhere. Everybody is playing the same sound, but everybody hears it in a different way.” I then asked Wynton to describe the creative process. "It's a consciousness," he said,” you’re attracted to it–when you tap into the joy of it, you tap into the pain at the same time.” Wynton played a beautiful phrase on his trumpet, bending his last note as if to echo his words, “Tell me about America?” I asked. “It’s always now.” He replied. “It’s always now. The future cannot be known, only the present can be known and there is no such thing as the past. I’m always hopeful that we will reach the promise of our humanity.” Wynton is featured in my new film called AMERICA, WHAT NOW? Visit my YouTube channel to watch the film and subscribe for more. Link in bio.

I’m so excited to have started my own YouTube channel amidst this fast-changing media landscape. I wanted to talk to someone who is breaking patterns and shaping new paths. Johnny Harris is an independent journalist with a highly successful YouTube channel. His investigative films are fast-paced and visually dynamic. He visited my New York studio a few months ago for one of my dialogue films [click the link in bio to watch]. As he sat on the apple box he said, “Opening yourself up, to be curious and to ask questions—it’s an opportunity to invite something in—a channel for understanding. It’s a fire that roars inside of me.” Johnny’s YouTube films use bold maps and diagrams to explain complex geopolitical structures. He told me he’s dyslexic and these strong visual devices help him make sense of a complicated world. I, too, am dyslexic and I’ve spent a lifetime trying to simplify visual chaos in my portraiture. Instantly we understood each other. Despite Johnny’s meteoric success, I felt I caught him at a philosophical crossroads that day. He had been thinking a great deal lately about the importance of human connection—a new area he wanted to pursue in his films. I asked, “Does power reveal or does power corrupt?” He replied, “I don’t know. I think you know more about that than I do, since you look at the people’s eyes. I don’t, I look at the big systems.” Johnny reflected for a moment, “We live in a world where facts are thrown around all the time and it changes no one’s mind. I think it’s going to take something more—a full spectrum of human emotion and cognition in order to unite people who disagree.” He took a deep breath, then continued, “And that’s what storytelling can be.” As our session drew to a close, I asked Johnny about judgement, “I think judgement is a shield—a way of shielding yourself from the vulnerability of curiosity—be skeptical of that feeling! The feeling of certainty. An open mind is power—the power of ‘I don’t know’ is a superpower.”

I had an extraordinary day with Cillian Murphy in my New York studio back in 2012. The man has a gentle soul, but when he activates his concentration he reveals a mighty and formidable power. I’m always prepared to earn my sitter’s trust, but with Cillian there were no walls or barriers. He was an enthusiastic collaborator from the start. His body movements were elegant and this created fluidity in my final images. I had just rewatched one of my favorite Sam Peckinpah films, THE WILD BUNCH and I guess that rustic aesthetic influenced the styling for our session.    I often talk to my subjects about music–cultural references and inspirations unearth many truths about our character. I discovered Cillian has a deep-rooted passion for music and our conversation was soon dominated by The Beatles. Then, Cillian told me that he had recently been listening to GOD–a song about self-reliance by John Lennon from his first post-Beatle solo album. Lennon himself described this song as “a concept by which we measure our pain.” I thought it might be interesting to record Cillian reciting the lyrics for me. As I sat at the actor’s feet in the middle of my studio holding the microphone, the room fell silent. I’ll never forget the way Cillian reinterpreted John Lennon’s words in one single take. His delivery somehow foreshadowed Thomas Shelby’s chilling power in Peaky Blinders.    Go to my YouTube channel [link in bio] to watch the short film I made honoring Cillian–wait for the last moment when those eyes burn the lens.

Dear friends, breaking news! Today is FILM day. I’ve just released this month’s film story on my YouTube channel. Please go to the link in bio to watch. In 2013, I went to a pro-immigration march in Phoenix, Arizona. I saw families—mainly women and children, carrying banners and chanting slogans—all campaigning for human rights and immigration reform. I saw a mother holding hands with her three-year-old daughter called Evelyn. Evelyn was wearing a white t-shirt with FREE MY DAD painted on the front. There was something magical about this little girl—her audacious spirit—her cheeky character. Evelyn was a U.S. citizen and so was her mother, but her father was not. He had been caught without papers and was now in a detention center awaiting deportation. This family was now torn apart and faced a very uncertain future. I asked her mother if I could photograph the little girl. She kindly agreed, but when Evelyn saw my assistants, camera equipment and lighting, her mood changed—she hid behind her mother’s legs. Now, I saw a frightened child, and it was not the picture I wanted to take. I realized that I would have to earn Evelyn’s trust. So, I cancelled all other plans for the team that day and sat on the curbside playing balloons with her for hours. Eventually she turned to me and said, “Picture.” We had connected. The portrait I took of Evelyn is of a bold and confident three-year-old U.S. citizen. One of her hands is clenched, still holding a deflated balloon in her fingers. I turned to her mother and said, “I think I have taken one of the most important pictures of my life.” She smiled as she turned to her daughter and said, “Evelyn, the man said you did good.” Evelyn looked at her mother and said, “If I did so good, does that mean Daddy can come home?”

Friends, today is film day and I have a good one for you. Please go to my YouTube channel and have a peek (link in bio). I photographed Jacob Elordi in New York. He arrived practically in disguise with a hoodie up and sunglasses on and he had a beautiful golden retriever called Layla by his side. This photo session was a dream. Jacob was humble, charming, and levelheaded. He was intrigued by my old portraits of Heath Ledger who had been a great inspiration to him. When I photographed Heath, he was struggling with life. He was such a sweet man and supremely talented yet troubled, weary of fame and the weight of celebrity. Jacob and I had a long heartfelt conversation about the trappings of success. This honest and soulful exchange helped us connect as people and as artists. Photographing Jacob was easy. He moved gracefully. He was agile and physically expressive. As the session drew to a close, I asked, “What do you value most in life?” He pointed to an elegant lady with dark curly hair standing at the back of the studio with Layla the retriever. She was surrounded by Jacob‘s PR team and a few Netflix executives. “That is my mum,” he said proudly, “she’s a saint. She’s my best friend and my hero.” At that point everyone on set gave Jacob‘s mother a cheerful round of applause. Here’s to the mums in the world. Jacob, I salute you.

In 2006, I travelled to Madrid to photograph David Beckham. He was playing for REAL MADRID and by now was one of the world’s biggest superstars. That day his family came to visit. Victoria arrived with Brooklyn, who was seven years old, Romeo, who was four and Cruz, who was just a baby. Brooklyn and Romeo charged into the studio wearing football kits, kicking balls, doing headers and other tricks. While Victoria was busy with the children, I started work with David. At one point, Brooklyn ran on set with his football under his arm and hugged his dad’s right leg. Then, Romeo joined his older brother. Then, Victoria also appeared with baby Cruz in her arms. The whole family turned away from us for a private heartfelt group hug. It was a poignant thing to see—this spontaneous moment of affection happening on a giant photography set in front of 60 people. Celebrity comes with a heavy price and often it is family members who also pay. To see this tenderness was very moving and I knew it would make a beautiful picture, especially as this famous family were not facing my camera. But my portraits are always collaborative and I never feel comfortable stealing a moment. If I had taken a single frame, it would have betrayed trust and invaded privacy. So, I put down my camera and took a picture only with my eyes. After the session, I approached Victoria and asked if we could recreate the family embrace I had seen from my perspective. She gently smiled and said, “Thank you for not taking that picture earlier. Today, I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m here as a mother. I hope you don’t mind if I respectfully pass.” I found Victoria’s human response dignified and sincere. Then, sensing my slight disappointment Victoria said, “But David will do a back shot.” So, I photographed David on his own facing away–a man stripped bare, no belt, no designer shirt, no fancy watch. I’m normally drawn to eyes, but when we can’t see the face we search for other clues that may reveal someone’s humanity. In this picture, although David stands alone, we see the love of his children tattooed onto his back. Family is everything. David Beckham, I salute you.

Friends, with the sad news of Bobby Weir’s passing, I want to pay tribute to this great man. So, today I am posting a new DIALOGUE film on my YouTube channel featuring this beloved musician, who was the co-founder of the Grateful Dead. Click the link in my bio to watch.   Bobby Weir walked into my New York studio with an entourage–a crew who were rightfully protective yet, everybody knew something special was about to happen. The atmosphere was respectful and charged. The man looked like a wizard–a thick, hand-knitted cloak draped over his shoulders, a worn leather cowboy hat topped waves of pure white hair, his snow beard was biblical, his piercing eyes were on fire. This was a mystical man. The dialogue started immediately with a warm handshake, “I’m Bobby Weir, I play music and I tell stories.” He continued, “It’s all about storytelling–any artist is first and foremost a storyteller. It’s an urge that we artists have–it’s my escape–I get to step aside, I get to be somebody else and that somebody else is–ALL OF US. IT’S A SHARED EXPERIENCE.”    I asked Bobby about current divisions in our society and after a long, searching pause he spoke, “When people fall into the music, all their tribal considerations fall away and their rooted humanity is what everyone shares. For instance, when Hank Williams sings about loneliness it’s totally universal.” Bobby then quoted from history, “THE SILENCE OF A FALLING STAR LIGHTS UP A PURPLE SKY, AND AS I WONDER WHERE YOU ARE, I’M SO LONELY I COULD CRY. He’s sharing some pain there but it’s something we can all feel.” Another long pause, I waited with anticipation for his thought process to resolve…then he continued, “That’s something worth doing–to empathize with people.” I asked Bobby about the meaning of people power, he said, “I know we are all one. I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it. It’s hard to get that across to some folks–that I am you and you are me, but it’s the truth, I know that. I guess it’s difficult for a lot of people to accept the fact that you really are insignificant–and the more we come to that realization, the more we can accept the fact that we all share a common humanity.” Bobby Weir, I salute you, RIP.

Dear friends, today marks the cycle of time–one year ends and another begins. As we reflect on our recent losses and wins, let’s also regroup and upgrade our commitment to improving the state of the world. What better way to bring in a new era than to celebrate one of my all-time heroes–Angélique Kidjo. Angélique is one of the greatest musicians of our time, as well as a fearless advocate for human rights, especially the rights of women and girls. Now that I have my own YouTube channel, I am proud to share the full version of my first music video I made for Angélique’s beautiful song, CHOOSE LOVE. Go to the link in my bio to watch the film. We have been friends for many years after meeting at Davos, of all places. Spending time with this extraordinary human being always lifts my soul. On set in my New York studio, we had one of our heartfelt conversations before filming began. I asked her about communication, she said, “Music is a universal language–it has no color or boundary. With only 12 notes we are able to express infinite emotion, but we can only do that when we are humbled enough to receive inspiration.” Our conversation then turned to making art. “It’s everything,” she said, “it’s breathing. If I don’t breathe, I die, and if I don’t sing, I die. That’s all it is. There’s no art without generosity.” The song CHOOSE LOVE is a defiant call to action. To fight against oppression and divisions. “Tell me about judgement?” I asked. “I’m not judging,” Angélique said, “it’s not up to me to judge. It’s not up to me to make you feel guilty–I’m not here for that. I’m just here to be a pathway through my voice. Because if you feel good in your body, in your mind and in your soul, you won’t spend your time judging anyone.” After filming, Angélique was charged with creative energy. “You have to stand for something, or you will fall for everything.” She said, “Me, I would die for my freedom. Because if you don’t have freedom you can’t create. Being silent is not part of my soul.” Angélique Kidjo, I salute you.

Dear friends, breaking news! Today is FILM day. I’ve just released this month’s DIALOGUE episode featuring Madeleine Albright on my YouTube channel. Please go to the link in bio to watch. Madeleine Albright was the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State. She used her platform to advance progress for women and girls globally and was the subject of my first DIALOGUE film in 2016. When she arrived on set, I gave her a copy of my book of world leaders. As she turned the pages, she smiled and said, “I know him, I know him, I know him—this is fun…I know him.” The ice was broken between us. But when she sat in front of my camera, our conversation became more serious. I asked her why so many leaders fall from grace. She replied, “I think what happens is you have people around you who are constantly telling you how brilliant you are—you get so completely isolated.” She continued, “I think compassion is essential. If you don’t have compassion, you shouldn’t be in any leadership role. Diplomacy depends on putting yourself in the other person’s shoes, but it’s also fundamentally important in human relationships.” Our dialogue then shifted to women’s empowerment. “I think every woman I’ve ever met has had the same experience—you’re in a meeting where you’re the only woman, and you think to yourself, ‘Well, I won’t say anything because somebody will think it sounds stupid’ and then some man says it, and everybody thinks it’s brilliant. And you’re really mad at yourself.” She paused, looked down at the floor, then lifted her chin and said, “There’s plenty of room in the world for mediocre men. There is no room for mediocre women—and so you have to work very hard.” Years later, I was invited to attend Madeleine Albright’s funeral in Washington, D.C. After the service, there was a small gathering for friends and family. As I walked into the reception, I was surprised and deeply moved to see my portrait framed on an easel. I had given her the print years before. One of her family members came over to say hello and whispered in my ear, “It was her favorite picture—she always used to say you caught something special in her eyes.” Madeleine Albright, I salute you.

This project is called WARMER TOGETHER. At a time of great uncertainty, it’s important to value companionship and today’s post celebrates the talented people who came together to tell a heartwarming story. Bob and Al were magical that day, they trusted me and brought genuine kindness to the set. I was in the presence of greatness. Only Moncler could have made this ambitious dream come true. They have a vision and I am very proud to help bring it to life. Working with Gary and his team at WeSayHi is a privilege. We have such history now going back many years–always striving, always reaching for the impossible. Thank you for your support and unrelenting creativity. For the main stage visuals, we recruited the epic talent of Kate Arizmendi. I remember our first zoom call with Gary; I was drawing thumbnails of two stick figures walking onto a set from above. Kate literally brought my diagrams to life. She was stoic, patient and inspiring. For music, we turned to my friend, Tobe Nwigwe who brilliantly reinterpreted Bill Wither’s song LEAN ON ME. Tobe and his wonderful wife, Fat, brought their entire universe to the set that day—an extended family who radiate love and respect. Tobe, thank you for creating a soundtrack that reconnects us with our humanity. For styling, I called on my dear old friend, David Bradshaw. David was one of my first champions back in the early 90’s in London. He’s a legendary connoisseur of style and I needed someone of his stature for this epic work. He did us proud. Finally, I must thank my own wonderful team at Studio Platon. Our merry band once again rekindled the spirit of optimism. On the day of the shoot, I remember calling a crew meeting before Al and Bob were to arrive. I remember seeing a look in everyone’s eyes. All of us were in the deep end facing a mountain. I reminded everyone that they had been recruited because of their extraordinary talents and I called on them to deploy those gifts with full commitment. We were all in this together. No hierarchy, no ego, no attitude, just a desire to do great work that leaves the world with a smile. To all those who made this happen, I salute you.