Buffalo Joe's
Big Timber, Montana – 2023
“This is one hell of a saloon. Nicolas Cage recently held court here in a scene from the 2023 movie The Old Way. I was visually drawn to the two-tiered structure and the staircase connecting one to the other and I knew it could offer another layer in which to tell a story of life in a wild west bar.
I don’t think I am saying anything original when I say that focus is the key word in the vernacular of photography. Focus should deliberately include or it should deliberately exclude . When working in minimal light conditions like this old saloon, the starting premise is to know that 90% of the frame will be out of focus and to be excited rather than worried about it. It is an advantage not a disadvantage.
I think this photograph is made by the very limited depth of field not hampered by it. The cowboys in the back are pivotal to the story, but they can have anonymity as they are contextual. Meanwhile the girls and the wolf must be sharp as they lead the story. That was the hard bit, as the wolf has a spring in his step.
The two saloon girls were directed to have a look of menace and that’s exactly what they gave me. It’s difficult to play that look and keep your femininity and hats off to Brooks Nader and Holly Graves. All 20 people in the saloon did great and that’s what makes the frame sweat.”
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 56” x 85” in (142.2 cm x 215.9 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 100” in (180.3 cm x 254 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 37” x 56” in (93.98 cm x 142.2 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 71” (132.1 cm x 180.3 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Montana Baby
Big Timber, Montana – 2023
“As we continue our journey across the length and breadth of America, there is one place that we keep returning to with a frequency that hints at a very strong bond. That place is Montana. For film makers it offers so many canvases on which to tell stories; from majestic “Big Sky” scenery to marooned saloons where the walls talk of the olden days.
Over the years we have established deep friendships in the state with locals who can help either as extras or in logistics. I feel we have the full tool kit here and it shows in our work.
I am not alone in feeling a visceral sense of belonging when I step outside Bozeman airport. As the great American writer John Steinbeck wrote of Montana:
“For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it’s difficult to analyse love when you’re in it.”
This photograph, taken with American model Brooks Nader, makes me smile. It’s The Crazy Mountains in the background and as all those who know Brooks will testify, she operates just outside sanity. But she is smart, adorable and the camera loves her.”
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 56” x 98” in (142.2 cm x 248.9 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 113” in (180.3 cm x 287 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 37” x 65” in (93.98 cm x 165.1 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 80” (132.1 cm x 203.2 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
The Girl with the Golden Gun
Paradise Valley, Montana – 2023
“Mae West was the star of many a giddy western. The Hollywood legend, known for her breezy sex appeal and her lighthearted bawdy double entendres, gave us so many great quotes, two favourites being “is that a pistol in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?” and of course “between two evils, I generally like to pick the one I never tried before”.
Brooks Nader is a modern-day Mae West and she was perfect for our wild west shoot in Montana. Playful, intelligent and sassy, Brooks is such a joy to work with and the camera loves her. My direct was to style her as a dolled up saloon girl with authority and attitude, as well as carrying her usual level of sexual provocation. As directs go, that was probably one of the easier ones Brooks has been given.
The idea for this shoot was to play with both the interior and exterior of the saloon because that would widen my narrative and give a fuller sense of place. As interior design photographers know, this is never an easy task, as the light differential is material.”
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 56” x 73” in (142.2 cm x 185.4 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 88” in (180.3 cm x 223.5 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 37” x 49” in (93.98 cm x 124.5 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 64” (132.1 cm x 162.6 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Team Jack
Los Angeles, 2022
I have no familiarity with any of the protagonists in the infamous Johnny Depp, Amber Heard trial, I simply watched on indulgently like everyone else. It was free theatre and we binged on every little detail that was thrown our way. I wonder whether subconsciously we were drawn to this saga of misbehavior and excess because it offered a forgiving comparative against which to judge our own weaknesses. We have all done some bad things in our lives but hell, these guys set a high bar. Watching the trail was cheaper than going to the therapist and arguably more effective.
As an artist, I warmed to the idea that the little details in the accusations could all be incorporated into a single image; references such as the jar of blow, the ‘mega pint’ and the bed sheets. But I also needed a full cast and courtroom. A small idea gained momentum and then there was no going back. I never imagined telling this story until it was too late to call it off.
Johnny Depp – or rather a spitting image of Johnny Depp – was a prerequisite for my frame and I always saw him attending court as Jack Sparrow. This option offered pantomime with a twist of reality. If Jack was in attendance, I felt some of his friends and foes from the Caribbean should be there to lend support. In the face of such court room adversity, battle lines should become blurred and there would be a call to put down arms. The treasure hunting, piracy and sea sovereignty could wait until this nasty domestic issue was put to bed. Team Johnny was a unified front.
My leaning was that my camera should prioritize on the real star of the show – Johnny’s lawyer, Camille Vasquez. She had a presence and style that needed to be celebrated at
the front of the frame. Brooks Nader – a regular lead for us – was perfect for this role as she embodies the same attributes. I told Jack to wear a look of studied admiration for his lawyer as I felt that connection was important to amplify. Their relationship is integral to the way history will tell the story.
What fun we had that day in Los Angeles.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image size: 54” x 102" in (137.16 cm x 259.08 cm)
- Framed Image: 69” x 117” in (175.26 cm x 297.18 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image size: 37” x 70" in (93.98 cm x 177.8 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 85" in (132.08 cm x 215.9 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Cloud Nine
Aspen, Colorado, USA – 2022
Sitting proudly at 11,000 ft up in the sky, Cloud 9 is the infamous Aspen mountain bar/restaurant that hosts riotous parties during the winter season. The ski run down the hill is often complicated by the amount of alcohol consumed before revelers are reunited with their skis.
Aspen is Shangri-La to both seasoned visitors and residents and Cloud 9, with its dramatic location and reputation for glamour and excess, is a part of the jigsaw making Aspen the most famous Ski resort in the world.
My plan was to film up at Cloud 9 and style it in 1970s clothing as a nod to a period when Aspen really established its reputation as a bohemian paradise for the chic and the celebrated.
I booked two great girls – Brooks Nader – a high energy, live-wire who has worked with me over the last couple of years and then the wonderful Brazilian – Alessandra Ambrosio – the queen of fashion shows and modelling for the last 15 years. She is a joy to work with and has a fun and unassuming disposition despite her fame. There are few models working today that are as loved and respected as Alessandra.
The only problem was that we needed to shoot early in the day before the slopes opened and the day was fixed. We woke up to a blizzard and freezing temperatures.
I think adaptation and flexibility are core to what we do. Perhaps my middle name should be changed to “PLAN B”. I saw the snow as an opportunity not a threat and worked the conditions into the narrative. It was the right call.
All those familiar with Cloud 9 will, I think, smile when they see this photograph. Alessandra was magnificent, as I knew she would be.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 56” x 96” in (142.24 cm x 243.84 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 111” in (180.34 cm x 281.94 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 37” x 64” in (93.98 cm x 162.56 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 79” in (132.08 cm x 200.66 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
