Vanity Fair 對攝影師 Todd Gray的專訪，他拍了很多早期（1974-1983）的Michael的不為人所知的照片。 Off the Wall 和 Thriller期間的照片. 很多都從未見過。
----------------------------------------
1980年在拍攝以Michael和Danny Kaye為明星的狄斯奈樂園電視片時,我為Michael拍了一系列不同的照片.當時的唱片公司的經理要求我把Michael儘量拍得陽剛些.
Michael 在Delta航空公司的貴賓室候機. Delta公司的代表送給Michael一個機長的翅膀形狀的徽章,他別到了他的帽子上.
1974年在Hollywood的錄音室, Jackson兄弟和Stevie Wonder一起錄製他的歌 “You Haven’t Done Nothin’.” Michael對那些與錄音或Stevie Wonder的才能無關的事顯得毫不在意.
Michael向我展示他剛剛裝修完的私人影院, 配有紅色天鵝絨罩的座位. 我覺得他的藍色毛衣和那深紅色很相配, 要他坐下假裝在看一部電影. “哪部電影?" 他問道.我說"隨便哪部都行." 不過Michael堅持說:" Todd, 如果你想我做出相應的反應,你必須告訴我要假裝看哪部電影." " O.K., Charlie Chaplin的喜劇如何?" 我建議. “哪一部?” Michael問道:"他拍了那麼多." 我的頭腦變的一片空白, 我的助手叫道: “摩登時代." Michael 回答 “O.K., 哪一情節?” 忍無可忍地, 我說:"Michael, 那是喜劇,你笑就行了." 當時有點晚了,我們都有點累而且頭暈腦漲, Michael 卻覺得很開心. " 好的," 他說, "如果你想要我笑,你得說個笑話. 不過剛剛你要我裝作在看電影,你得告訴我你需要什麼?" 最後我終於投降, 扮了個鬼臉, 這把他惹笑了.
幾乎在每場音樂會前, 都會在後臺化粧室開會, 討論演出場地可能影響演出效果的細節部分. 每個場地有不同的聲效, 混音間位置和座位分佈, 每個都有不同的l建設法規. 每場演出都必須對建築的要求做出相應的細微的調整. Michael也利用這個機會改進演出或指出前一場秀的不足之處.
1983年,我在Michael在加州Encino的家中拍封面. 他剛剛完成對其的全面翻修,將其變成他夢想中的家, 包括電影院, 動物園, 後院有Disney的景點. 這成為Michael的試驗場, 是他數年後在Santa Barbara的Neverland的迷你版本.
1980 Michael 在一個Los Angeles一個慈善活動的後臺等候, 這是許多演出之一.
1981年, 歌迷們在Omni Atlanta迎候Jackson兄弟們.
Michael 享受一些閒暇時間.
---------------
照片背後的故事：
睡美人的照片背後的故事：
在巡演途中， Jackson們會將旅館的整一層樓都租下來並加以保安護衛，但那層樓的每一個房間是不鎖的，這導致了一種俱樂部般的氣氛並充滿了各種惡作劇。在這張照片中，我剛剛走進Michael的房間，用我相機閃光燈的閃光喚醒了他。Michael發誓說他會報復我如此無情地驚醒他。 在我用閃光燈喚醒Michael的幾天後，在演出開始前，Michael指示我在他表演 “She is out of my life”時到舞臺的左前方， 他說他會做一些特殊的表演，希望我能拍下來。他沒有告訴我他會做什麼，只是叫我“準備好就行了。”在那段歌表演的中間，他走向舞臺的邊緣，在我面前停下，我們彼此交換目光，他稍稍點了一下頭，示意我準備好，突然跪下，痛苦的哭喊：“我很孤獨，誰能上來觸摸我，我需要你，靠近我 (I’m so lonely—will somebody please come and touch me? I need you, come to me. ” 一大群的女孩子們情緒激動地往前沖，我被夾在女孩們和舞臺中間，無法拍照。我向上看去，Michael眼睛發亮地得意地壞笑。演出結束後在轎車裏我說：“你認為你很可愛哼，我幾乎都被壓扁了。”Michael回答道：“你在說什麼？” 我：“你知道我在說什麼。Michael， 你讓我站在舞臺的前面，然後叫上一大堆女孩把我壓向舞臺。” Michael:“你瘋了，我不知道你在說什麼？”在我進一步的逼供之下，Michael終於說：“Todd, 我沒有計劃作這些。神靈驅使著我，我想也沒想就做了。”
書中還有另外幾張同一系列的照片。
當我和Michael在巡演巴士的後座翻閱攝影圖集時，他會指出他特別喜歡的圖片。他尤其喜歡經典好萊塢肖像中那些投射到明星們臉部的燈光。“這些光線很神奇，”他耳語道，“這張照片很神奇。看她的眼睛，它們顯得那麼無辜而美麗。Todd，我想要你像這樣拍我。”。他還告訴我他想用20世紀早期攝影師Lewis Hine拍的那些工廠童工的類似的表情拍照。
在一個較晚的午後時分，也就是攝影師們所指的“神奇小時”，這時候光線有一種溫暖的光暈，而且太陽的角度能產生比較深的陰影， 我們在Atlanta的Peach Tree旅館的總統套房拍了這組照片。在整個拍攝過程中，Michael儘量不看相機和鏡頭，他在45分鐘的拍攝期間只笑了 一兩 次。我們很少說話，不想破壞那種魔力，我很少作手勢指示他，當我覺得拍到特殊的東西時，我會點頭哼哼。
後來，當我向他展示這次照片的樣片時，他要我每張都洗兩張放大的照片，這很不尋常。一般來說，如果一次拍攝中的一到兩張照片被選中，就算成功了。我被驚呆了，“每張照片洗兩張，那是144張…..”Michael回答：“我會數數，我要自己留一套，另一套送給Diana (Ross)。Todd，這是魔術( This is magic)。
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollyw ... 0910?printable=true
I’m with Michael!
After landing an assignment shooting the Jackson 5, the author was told that Michael Jackson wanted him to be his personal photographer. The result: a trove of images, taken between 1974 and 1984, that reveal the future King of Pop’s quiet, soulful side. Related: Gray’s exclusive photos.
By Todd Gray
WEB EXCLUSIVE October 23, 2009
Excerpted from Michael Jackson: Before He Was King, by Todd Gray, to be published on November 6, 2009, by Chronicle Books; © 2009 by the author.
In January 1980, I received a call saying that Michael Jackson had specifically requested me to photograph him at Disneyland, where he was taping a television special celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Magic Kingdom . When Michael was not on the set performing, he took every opportunity to explore the park. The moment the director would release him from the set in order to prepare the next shot, Michael would grab my arm and say, “Come on, let’s hit some rides.” Off we went, the two of us accompanied by a Disney security person, who ushered us through secret passageways, making certain we never waited in line. Michael, who was 21 at the time, loved Disneyland, and while sitting next to him on the rides—the Matterhorn, the Pirates of the Caribbean —I joined right in with his screams and laughter. We really had fun.
Not long after this job, I got another call from the Jacksons ’ manager, Ron Weisner, asking me to shoot Michael at a charity event. He said that Michael had instructed him to hire only me when he needed a photographer. Then Ron asked me, “What’s up with you and Michael?” I answered, “We just get along, I guess.” (I had first met Michael in 1974 while photographing the Jackson 5 for Soul Newspaper.) I asked Ron if Michael had given him any indication as to why he wanted only me to photograph him. He said Michael told him, “I like Todd because he doesn’t talk much.” And that’s how it began. I was Michael’s photographer and friend for the next four years. It was the ride of my life.
From early on, I saw how dedicated Michael was to work. He worked nearly all the time and rarely seemed to relax. A great deal of time was spent in the recording studio—the Jacksons’ intense focus on creating a flawless product helped make them the success that they became, and Michael was clearly the most focused, hardest-working member of the group. While in the mixing booth, making technical adjustments and working the board with the engineers, he would whisper instructions to his brothers about a vocal arrangement, whispering not because the instructions were secret, but because he was shy and didn’t like to yell out his ideas.
In the spring of 1981, Michael and his brothers began rehearsals for the Triumph Tour, which would travel to 35 cities in North America . When Michael found time to relax, he loved to leaf through photographic books. He especially loved books about 1930s Hollywood glamour, richly illustrated children’s books, and coffee-table books on photography. Michael would usually hole up in the rear of the bus, while the others spent their time together in front. I also preferred the quiet at the back, and I would sit down with him while he was engrossed in reading.
My photographs of Michael, from 1974 to 1984, show him as the engaging, charming, youthful person he was before the insatiable demands of his extraordinary celebrity bore so heavily on him. As I reflect, I realize now that this was the time before he was King.
沒有留言:
張貼留言