I did a Playboy cover!

I got to do a Playboy cover! Chelsea Handler poses for the Christmas issue of Playboy, out now.

I shot the cover on white with fake snow on the ground. We did yet another take on the old Coppertone ad (because every photographer has to do that at least once in his lifetime).

For the inside shots we (or rather Rudge) build an office set to stage an office party. The office workers are Chelsea's staff writers, plus two special guests that Hugh sent. On day 2 we shot on location to watch Chelsea and Chuey prepare their Christmas dinner.

Kansas Jayhawks

I shot the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team (in Kansas) for a ESPN cover. Our vehicle of choice was a U Haul and we hit a Home Depot to built the set. It must have been the 150th Home Depot I've been to.

Tracy Morgan

This shot was laid out to be a double spread with headline and article on the left page. My stylist Rahel had this outfit put together on a hanger, but we knew our chances were slim. When Tracy walked into the studio he picked it out immediately, it was his favorite.
Tracy claims he has a black belt in Karate
the bling is not his, he borrowed it (from me, I bought it on Canal Street)

Naked Athletes

Over the course of the summer I shot athletes from various disciplines to be featured in ESPN sensational body issue, out now. So much problem solving: naked, but no bits and pieces, no cracks, nothing suggestive, nothing homo erotic (and then I had to shoot a bullrider). Many thanks to Catriona, I had lots of fun. I traveled to LA twice, to Washington DC, to Las Vegas, to Calgary, to Edmonton and to South Carolina. Here we go:

LPGA golfers Sandra Gal, Christina Kim and Anna Grezebien taking a break in the bunker. These girls were GREAT!
Carting in Calgary
Metal Mulisha members in the California desert at the Metal Mulisha compound. Blue pants was too shy. Also, the shot is real, no tricks.
DC United and their trophies
Free kick against DC United
Edmonton Oilers slightly oily
Skier Kristi Leskinen on Mt Baldy near LA
Poker players Scotty Nguyen, Jennifer Harman, can't remember and Daniel Negreanu in Vegas
Bullrider Shane Proctor

fakes

I've been shooting celebrity impersonaters around the country this summer for a personal project. Most of these people make a living as lookalikes and often not only look the part but often sing, dance or speak like their originals. The George Bush guy does a very funny speech.

lots of nudity

I've been shooting lots of naked people with rather amazing bodies all summer. I can't talk about it and can't show you anything yet for another 2 weeks, but please check back in, I should have it posted in about 2 weeks.

new work: Jay Leno has a new job

Jay Leno has a new job, which proves that there are still jobs to be found in this recession. In these pictures I wanted Jay to celebrate, roll up his sleeves and go to work. The offices here are actually the ones his new show moved into on the NBC lot.

Ashton Kutcher has a huge following and deals with his stardom in a very lighthearted and unpretentious way. A week before this shoot I got to chat with Ashton on the phone a couple of times to discuss ideas. I was impressed with his involvement and creativity. In the above shot he has already signed hundreds of autographs and lost track of where he places them.

Ashton is known for his Nikon ads. I could not help but pick up on that.

Ashton signing autographs deliriously. I shot the pictures on the table when Ashton first showed up for our photo shoot in Atlanta. I edited these shots during an outfit change. One assistant spent the next couple of hours printing as many pictures as possible while I continued to work on other set-ups. I then shot the above picture at the end of the day.

Ashton Kutcher is the most "followed" person on twitter

new work: hot bands

Vampire Weekend, Phoenix and Grizzly Bear shot for the Hot Bands issue of Q. Each picture had to feature fire. It is tricky to get permits around New York for this kind of production, so I decided to imagine the flames while shooting the bands, then later had fun with it at my farm upstate where I could freely burn anything I wanted without getting arrested. Gasoline, rubber cement and lighter in one hand, camera in the other, I shot all the flames I needed for making these shots work.

The real housewives of New Jersey Danielle and Caroline took housewife drama to a new level. Shot on location in New Jersey at Caroline's family business, a wedding location.

I've been going to lowrider car shows around LA and shoot portraits of some insanely perfect cars and their owners.

new work: not afraid of reds

I've been shooting redheads as a personal project

new work: Dead Weather

Jack White has a new band and a new home: Dead Weather shot in Nashville for Q magazine

new work: ESPN covers

On their last issue ESPN did a double cover, the front cover with a hand holding up tickets and the question: Who is the No 1 franchise in American sports? The hand in German (mine), but the two fingers are Mexican (Rene's). The sky and tickets are all genuinely American
when you peeled the first cover with the hand and tickets you get to the 2nd cover, and the winner is...the Angels. In this group portrait are the owner of the team Arte Moreno, 4 top players, the manager, administrators, vendors, groundskeepers, parking attendants, etc. We were shooting on the grass at the stadium in Anaheim and got permission from Arte himself.

new work: Wired cover

I shot Google CEO Eric Schmidt in London for the UK edition of Wired Magazine. Apparently he was hanging with Prince Charles before he came to the shoot.

new work: Pitchmen, Glee, Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie shot for Parade in the studio in LA. The pictures ties to explain why Hugh is so cool.

I shot the ads for a new show on Fox called Glee at a high school in Long Beach

Pitchmen for free credit report, oxy clean, the swivel sweeper and shamvow as exhibits at a museum of natural history, shot in Miami on a set build by myself, Rene and Jamie. Shamvow Vince Offer got arrested the night after the shoot for hiring a hooker for $1000 and beating her face in. The story was put on ice. Three weeks later the king of infomercials Billy Mays bumps his head on a plane and dies the same day in his sleep. The story was killed.