I Call Bullshit

If there's anything I dislike more than celebrity photos, it's celebrity photos that pretend to be something more. Last sunday's NY Times Magazine, for instance, had a series of photo-based stories about 8 Hollywood celebrities, with photographs by Magnum photographer Paolo Pellegrin, that were full of such BS.  We all like pretty pictures of pretty people, of course, but let's not pretend that it's anything more than eye candy.

This one of Kate Winslet at the Chelsea Hotel, e.g., was described by Lynn Hirschberg, the magazine's 'editor at large', as possessing "emotional truth" and capturing something essential about Ms. Winslet:


Please.

I'm skeptical of all claims to "emotional truth" in portraiture, but when the subject is a world-famous actress shilling for dollars and awards, it's just pure BS. I can just hear the direction from the photographer / publicist / Harvey Weinstein's rep: "Katie hon -- go to that red wall, in the light, and look ... wounded ... haunted ... like you're longing for something that you can't have.  Put on that wife beater, and easy on the makeup for this one. ... Gorgeous.  Katie sweetie you're beautiful."

By the way, Pellegrin's photograph reminded me of this one by Nan Goldin of her since deceased friend Cookie:

Cooke at Tin Pan Alley, 1983.

I prefer the Goldin.