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C all him a living legend. For that is precisely what photographer Bruce Weber is. With a career that spans four decades, the 70-year- old mastermind has won his share of wild acclaim, controversy, and fame. His work has filled the pages — and often the covers — of the world's most revered publications. From Vogue to Vanity Fair, Glamour to GQ, Weber's iconic images have defined brands and permeated pop culture. Who could forget his provocative ads for Calvin Klein Jeans in the '90s, or those sexually suggestive teens for Abercrombie & Fitch? Without Weber, would the aristocratic air of Ralph Lauren even exist? At a time when fashion photography is more digital than ever, Weber is a purist. Mentored by pioneers Diane Arbus and Lisette Model, he works exclusively with film. His camera preferences are a Pentax 6x7, Lecia 35mm, or Rolleiflex. Yet his visual genius is not limited to print. As a filmmaker, Weber has directed seven motion pictures. In 1989, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Let's Get Lost, a documentary he directed and produced about jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. Most recently, film has crossed into fashion, with Weber producing short video campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Versace. In between summer shoots, Weber talks to us about wanderlust, his prized National Geographic collection, and a good laugh he had with a certain Duchess of Devonshire. Rural Pennsylvania and wandering parents. I remember several occasions growing up when my parents would just take off for a couple of months to Europe. My sister was packed off to her Catholic boarding school — which was a little strange, considering we were Jewish — and I was left in the care of our housekeeper. During these times, it was really my grandparents who looked after me. They conveniently lived next door. My grandmother played the piano beautifully, and my grandfather traveled quite a bit, working as he did in the tobacco trade. I think I really caught the travel bug from my grandparents. They would show me photographs from trips they had taken to Switzerland and Italy. Travel has never been a means to an end for me as a photographer. It's always been more important for me to just lose myself in the experience and fantasy of a place. Photography genes. My dad was constantly taking pictures and making little 8mm films in both black and white and color. He was very curious about people and took the most extraordinary photos of my mom. Another big influence was my great uncle. He was a real adventurer. He traveled all over the world and took great photographs and had an amazing collection of old National Geographic magazines. When he passed away, he left them to me. I think my other relatives were a little jealous. They got the money, but I got the magazines. Influencers. When I was at NYU Film School, I needed some extra money, so I started working as a model for photographers like Richard Avedon and Art Kane. It was great to work with them, because I could ask them all my questions. I was so curious about the places they traveled, all their stories. When I met Avedon, he had just done an amazing story on location in Ireland with Anjelica Huston. Those pictures made a big impression on me. To this day, when I run into Anjelica, we talk about them. Or there was the story he did for Vogue with Jean Shrimpton and Jeanloup Sieff in Greece. These sittings weren't just about Greece or Ireland. They were both about a couple in love, on a boat or riding bicycles in a strange land. The feeling between the people was most important — it made the place come alive in my mind. And the location made me see the people in the photos like I never had before. Dick's photographs made me want to go to Ireland and Greece to find my own story there. Lion around. I've always been pretty lucky with animals in photos, and they've made for some unforgettable experiences. One time, I was on assignment in Hamburg, doing a story about designer Jil Sander. She lives in the most extraordinary house right on the lake — it had been previously owned by Aristotle Onassis. It looked like a beautiful cake — the decoration was so simple and elegant, just like Jil's clothes. She and her partner Dicki had done such an amazing job with it. As we were driving to meet them, we passed a circus, and I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if there was a lion in Jil's backyard?' When we arrived, I brought up the idea with her. Jil looked rather worried, but agreed. The lion eventually arrived, and his trainer was this super-skinny guy who didn't look like he would be able to do much if anything went wrong. But we just went for it. The lion wasn't terribly friendly, so Hamish Bowles from Vogue and Jil and everyone stayed in the house to watch out the window as my assistant and I tried to get the lion to cooperate. But we somehow got through the day, and I thought, 'Well, the lion worked out, why not 43 (Continued on page 142) © CHRIS DOMURAT Bruce and Tai, Hollywood, 2012