i like to tell stories

i photograph so many business guys, yet i have little understanding of what they do. sit in an office, have meetings, have multiple conversations and 4 monitors on your desk with seemingly endless information on whatever you need, the moment you need it. it really is an art onto itself, and i have met some of the best, even if how it all really works is a serious mystery to me. i understand, respect and admire what it takes to do what so many of these guys do and the gravity that lies with each decision they make, but that’s all i understand about it.

i didn’t know too much about the subject the day i made these. sometimes i look a ton, other times, i don’t look it all. we got to the location and were told this room and this room only. the PR did a good job in a way, many other articles were laid on the table for my reference of what he looks like and what he was about. it was clear right away, i should of known more about why i was there. in front of me in this room i had to shoot in, were at least 4 different portraits of my subject to be, all shot by a photographer i had heard of, that you have heard of if you’re reading this, all made in this very simple little conference room. now it was my turn, make something, make something better or different or more interesting then those that made his portrait before, in this very room. you have 1h to set up, and 15 min to shoot, GO.

so i made 3.

james was great. really nice, very calm in front of the camera, a good story teller himself as it turns out too. go rent Enron, The Smartest Guys in the Room, give him a listen. he was interviewed throughout the film, on the good side, he spoke of the experience of being included and being a part of the film with great affection. i can safely say that of me, my assistant and james, he was definitely the smartest guy in the room that day i made these. we shared our stories of identity theft and $ stolen, as i had HSBC give away all my money to someone in romania that very morning, somehow, sharing this random inappropriate info with him, made my day better. thanks james. james chonos, president and founder of kynikos associates.