Monthly Archives: March 2009

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Shooting Victim: Kobe Bryant

March 29, 2009 – 1:22 pm

Disclaimer: Shooting Victims is a portrait series by Benjamin Reed. No subjects were harmed in the making of this photograph.

Everybody knows Kobe. Hate him or love him he is the face of the NBA around the world right along with Lebron James. This was evident when our players went to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Chinese fans hounded Kobe and the rest of the players with cameras and pens in friendly riot like fashion. Naturally I was excited to meet him.

Friend and Photographer Jay Clendenin was in the middle of a portrait series on Olympic athletes when he asked me to come to Vegas to help photograph Kobe right before the team would leave for Beijing. Having grown up a basketball fan my entire life and playing in high school (before I got cut) I was going with a great amount of respect. There was nothing I was going to do to portray myself as a loser. I thought.

We drove to a Las Vegas high school where the Olympic team was practicing. You got the feeling it was a secret practice. Friends and family were allowed to attend the practice but not many others were there along with stars of the league. Lebron James, Dwight Howard and Jason Kidd but it was Kobe who commanded the most media attention. Reporters seemed to swarm around him like flies.

Jay and I set up outside of the gym in an adjacent cafeteria. We built two sets. Jay wanted to convey an Olympic theme and had the idea to place a flag over Kobe’s shoulders. We also set up another backdrop for backup…always a great idea in case the first doesn’t work out as planned. We came a few hours early to make sure everything would go smoothly.

Kobe was eventually escorted to the cafeteria and were told 10-15 minutes to shoot.

He walked in the cafeteria. "Wooo." he said referring to the temperature change between the rooms.

Jay and I both smiled, introduced ourselves and shook his hand.

It’s always exciting to meet someone of celebrity status but you always mask it to maintain your professional composure. It turns back into a career.

Jay began shooting Polaroids to test the lighting and make adjustments for his 4×5 camera. I would step in with a digital for digital capture. It was a good flow. We really didn’t say much during the shoot other than adjustments he should make. It was more quiet than other shoots by comparison. Partly because we both had tremendous respect for the subject but also because we were really getting good shots.

We quickly moved to the second setting and began with the same type of flow. Polaroids, digital capture, 4×5.

"You got it?" Kobe said.

We were wrapping up and the gym door opened with one of the entourage telling us the shoot was over.

"Yes sir!" Kobe said as it ended.

He thanked us. We thanked him. Jay first. Then me. That’s when I made myself sound like a loser.

I held out my fist for a fist bump and said, "Bring home the Gold."

"Yes sir!" Kobe said again.

I smiled and laughed as he walked away. I was partly joking but it was partly my inability to filter my thoughts.

Jay walked over. "Ha ha. What did you say…ha ha."

"I said bring home the gold, man. I was getting bored."

Whatever my justifcation was, it wasn’t enough for Jay to let go.

We drove back to Los Angeles and he reminded me hourly, "Bring home the gold baby, ha ha ha!"

A friend called him. "You’ll never guess what Ben said to Kobe, ha ha," he said. "Bring home gold baby!"

A few months later I got a package in the mail from Jay. I smiled when I saw it was a gold T-shirt that says, "Go for the GOLD."

So in honor of the experience I had my friend Annie Pomeranz shoot a portrait to cement the story in history…with the addition of Ugg boots.

By Benjamin Reed | Posted in Celebrity Photographer, shooting victim | Tagged Kobe Bryant, Olympics, portrait, shooting victim | Comments (6)

Shooting Victim: Travis Barker

March 18, 2009 – 6:56 pm

Disclaimer: Shooting Victims is a portrait series by Benjamin Reed. No subjects were harmed in the making of this portrait.

Before the Plane Went Down…

I can still hear the beat in my head. It was powerful, mesmerizing. It made me deaf and that was okay because it was worth it. When I visited former Blink 182 drummer, Travis Barker, I asked him to sit down at his set and start playing as if I wasn’t there. He put on his head phones and began to beat the living hell out of the drums for 10 minutes. It was difficult to photograph because I wanted to get into the beat…the beat I can still hear in my head.

Just before Travis walked in I met a little guy named Chris. Chris was unbelievably nice and accommodating. He wore a chain around his neck and his hat to the back. He approached me and shook my hand, "I’m Chris," he said. "Can I get you anything?"

"Benjamin," I said. "I’m cool man, thanks for asking."

Chris went around and made sure everyone was fine. He then came back and asked if I wanted a smoothie, he was going to be making a run to Jamba Juice.

"Really?" I said. "Yeah…sure man. I like the protein berry shake."

"Anything else?" he said.

"No, that works" I said. "Thanks so much."

Chris left for the smoothies and I photographed Travis on the drums as I began looking back and forth at his publicist who would cover her ears and smile back. It was beautiful chaos and he commanded the set.

When I realized I couldn’t hear anymore I also realized I had enough to work and called a wrap. It really was incredible.

Chris walked back in with my smoothie and a fat cookie. I usually don’t get treated this well on celebrity shoots. Personalized snacks? This was great.

I gathered up my gear and listened to Travis talk about his hip hop collaborations and future projects and Chris saw me out the door. We chatted a bit more as he moved his SUV from behind my car so I could drive off. We shook hands again, I thanked him for everything and finished my cookie. It was an unusual drive back for me. I usually don’t remember anyone else on the set but my subjects, but Chris really stood out to me. People had respect for him in the studio, you could see it and feel it in the room.

HEADLINE:

4 Dead In S.C. Plane Crash

Former Blink-182 Drummer Travis Barker, DJ AM Both Critically Injured

I couldn’t believe what I was reading. It was all over the news wires, television, radio. I immediately began recalling the photo shoot, the adrenaline, that drum beat, the sweat. I kept reading articles to figure out what happened, why it happened…and that’s when I learned who Chris was.

DJ AM and musical partner Travis Barker were the only survivors of the crash, which took the lives of Barker’s close friend and assistant, "Lil" Chris Baker, and the Blink-182 drummer’s bodyguard, Charles "Che" Still, as well as the pilot and co-pilot.

Lil’ Chris, the nicest guy on the set, the guy who bought me a smoothie and a cookie, a 29-year-old just like me, was dead.

It was terrible news. I didn’t know him well at all. I didn’t even know his role in Travis’s life but he was one of those people you meet that you never forget. You hate to see the best people go out like that. It tends to put life into perspective. One of those ever so often reminders to be like Lil’ Chris Baker and live your to the fullest.

By Benjamin Reed | Posted in Celebrity Photographer, Personal, shooting victim | Tagged Blink 182, Chris Baker, Crash, Lil' Chris, Travis Barker | Comments (5)

Reportage

March 18, 2009 – 4:58 pm

I recently met with an art buyer at one of the premier agencies in Portland, Weiden + Kennedy. I wanted to get a feel for some recent trends in advertising work and was pleased to hear reportage was back in the mix. I’ve been inspired to return to the gritty realism of reportage I developed as a documentary photographer while keeping the same cinematic style that has defined my work over the past year. A new gallery awaits you on the portfolio site.