PaperCity Magazine

November 2012 - Dallas

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Markus and his customized Mamiya Leaf "Mammoth" camera, August 2012 time. Soon after taking up photography, I was at Wilhelmina, where we met. She had just arrived to the city, and there was a need to have her shot immediately. I was there and given the opportunity. That was the beginning. Signature style. I would like to think it is like the title of our book, that our style is iconic. I feel it's sophisticated and glamorous. We always want to produce work that is as fresh today as when it was shot, even if that was 15 years ago. I would like to think our work has a bit of a classic appeal to it. Indrani winning a RED camera at the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival, July 2012 "I GUESS YOU COULD SAY I AM AN ARTIST, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT IS REALLY THE RIGHT WORD. I'M CONSTANTLY REDEFINING MYSELF. I LOVE DIRECTING. FILM IS A HUGE PASSION OF MINE. I GUESS YOU COULD SAY I'M A CREATOR." — Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri Dita Von Teese, 2009 You and Indrani. Well, we are completely opposite. We have very different backgrounds; she has a more intellectual point of view. My upbringing was much different. I grew up completely focused on music. While we are very different, there is strength in the creative tension between us. And we have no barriers. We each speak our minds and work very well together. Any differences we have are always settled, and the process and our team help to create amazing work. The book. We've been solicited by many publishers over time, but we wanted to make the right book with the right people. We've done that and been able to create something that's accessible to everyone. It's a worldwide release, and we've created something wonderful that is beautifully produced, is 224 pages and will cost only $16. Why now. Because it is a way to tell our story. To focus on our work and make a statement. Following the TV show [Double Exposure, which ran on Bravo in 2010], I felt it was necessary to show that we take our work seriously. Also, perhaps it's the beginning of a new chapter for our work. Dream shoot. The more you photograph, the more you realize there are so many amazing people that you haven't shot. I would love to shoot Madonna, the Obamas, Brad [Pitt] and Angelina [Jolie], Nicki Minaj, to name a few. Kate Winslet, 2006 Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri India as muse. I think a lot of my influence comes from my background. Being Indian, where our culture celebrates women as the iconic feminine idea, has definitely influenced my aesthetic approach. End game. My goal is to bring out the divine spark in the subject I'm photographing — the thing that transcends the physical being. It's about getting to know the subject, finding what makes them extraordinary. We tend to know the things that make them famous. I look for something that is unknown and try to bring it to light. "I WANT TO PRODUCE WORK THAT HAS AN 'ICONIC' EFFECT. TO CREATE IMAGES THAT SHOW THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CAMERA AND THE SUBJECT. TO CONVEY THE FORCE AND STRENGTH IN THE PEOPLE I SHOOT AND CAPTURE THE Beehive, 2006 Daphne Guinness, 2011 You and the camera. I've always loved photography. I began as a model but always wanted to be the one taking the pictures. I'm fascinated by storytelling and making films; it was always a goal of mine to create images. I also love the people we meet, seeing different parts of the world, learning new things. MAGIC INSIDE THEM. TO Fashion versus art. I guess you could say I am an artist, but I'm not sure that is really the right word. I'm constantly redefining myself. I love directing. Film is a huge passion of mine. I guess you could say I'm a creator. FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE AND JUST CREATE AN IMAGE THAT CAPTURES THE MOMENT." — Markus Klinko You and the subject. I want to let them be comfortable, let them breathe, let them laugh, let them dance. Find ways that capture the essence of who they are. STYLING/PRODUCTION DESIGN BY GK REID FOR GENGHIS KHAN. FOR COMMERCIAL DIRECTION, REPRESENTATION BY AERO FILM. Why you're not an accountant. Well, I grew up in a traditional home. Both parents were accountants. They kept waiting for me to become an accountant or something more traditional. But I've always wanted to create art and things that help transform people. Cinema calling. I would really like to make a feature film. I will definitely continue with photography. But I have several projects that I'd like to make happen. I would like to explore taking some of my photography into the realm of fine art … an interesting intersection of pop culture and art. On your collaboration. It has changed quite a bit over time. When I began, I was very shy. Markus was always confident, and I would whisper to him that we should do this or that. As we've grown over time, you could really say that we've almost switched roles. We both definitely have our voices heard now, but it's a creative process, really, involving our entire team, and it works very well. When I met Markus, I went home and told my friends that I had just met the man who would be my best friend. We do come from different viewpoints, but we're both connected with the same spirit. We are very different. He's Swiss — very precise, orderly. I come from a very different background; I believe that chaos is a natural part of the world, that there are multiple truths to many things, and that you must embrace the journey that life takes you on. But we're a kind of strange organism that works so well together, almost like a monster with two heads (laughs). We truly appreciate one another. Key to success. I think it's about passion. Giving 1,000 percent all the time, making sure everyone is happy. The team helps us create a vision, and then we find the sparks from the people we photograph. Behind the lens. There have really been dramatic changes in the photography world. There are millions of amateur photographers now as equipment has become so widely available. In addition, the magazine industry went through a decline, with the Web taking over, so it seems like there has been a shift to of quantity over quality. We've responded by really focusing on what we do. Creating production value without the need for a big budget. Being more flexible and creating sets that are less complex. We really are a team that comes together to produce spectacular images. Fame game. Yes, celebrity can be a dirty word. Everyone wants to be a celebrity now. It doesn't matter what business you're in. I think there is a new appreciation for being famous, even being famous for being famous. But it's not as easy as it seems. In fact, being famous for being famous is one of the hardest things you can do. What we do is look for the special qualities in celebrities, and that's what we try to capture. On Icons. Why now. To me, it's so interesting to see the similarities and differences in the images we've produced. We've been working for almost 20 years, so there are so many intriguing people we've photographed. And I really think it just makes sense for us now. We want to give fans who've been exposed around the world to our work a chance to see more. Cause that matters. I created a school in India to help underprivileged children. I'm really focused on education and women's empowerment, which I believe go hand in hand. Casting Daphne. I worked with Daphne on a photo shoot for Keep a Child Alive, a nonprofit that serves those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. We had a great connection, and I felt she would be perfect embodiment of the character for my film, The Legend of Lady White Snake. Photography and charity. For me, charity always comes first. I use the money and the notoriety of my work to fuel what we do with my charitable school in India (seeschool.org) and for other causes. On Rembrandt and Man Ray. I get excited by Eastern philosophy, stories and myths. I studied anthropology at Princeton and have a real interest in people and culture. I love the work of Rembrandt, the way he portrayed the depth and emotion of his subjects and the details and richness of his work. And I like the work of Man Ray, as well as the surrealist filmmakers of the '20s.

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