PARIS — Thumbing through “Emotion in Action,” Lou Reed’s first book of photography, it’s clear the rocker is fascinated by heights.
Reed climbed to the tops of buildings, mostly in Manhattan, to capture snow-swept streets and frenetic skylines. He stuck to the high ground in his travels as he snapped endless sunsets and dramatic rock formations for the tome, published by Gerhard Steidl and Karl Lagerfeld’s 7L. “I’ve been in a lot of bad weather on top of a lot of different buildings,” jokes Reed, calling from his home in New York. “I like the view. Things look so beautiful.”
“For one picture, I was standing on a cliff,” he continues. “There was a typhoon raging all around and I almost fell off. But I lived to tell the tale.”
Related Articles
He might be known as one of the most influential musicians of his generation, but Reed has also long harbored a passion for photography and has collected cameras for years. “I love the mechanics of photography,” he says. “It’s like how I love the technical side of amplifiers. I really get into the tech end of amps and all the accoutrements that go with it.”
You May Also Like
Yet the singer and songwriter never considered making a book of his photographs until Steidl approached him last year after spotting a handful of Reed’s pictures in the art review Parkett.
The images featured in the book were made over a period of about 10 years, from solarized views of Venice to brooding pictures of graveyards, elephants, owls and eagles. “The book is a window on to a side of Lou Reed that most people don’t know,” says Lagerfeld. “Most people think of the wild side of Lou. But the book shows that he has a very interesting emotional side, too.”
Reed’s book is the latest in a growing number of photography books created by celebrities. Dennis Hopper published his photographs recently, as has Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane. Rocker Bryan Adams and model Helena Christensen have also stepped to the other side of the camera.
“The line has blurred between the professional and nonprofessional photographer,” continues Lagerfeld. “Photography isn’t about technique anymore. Vision is what matters now.”
With typical understatement, the rocker maintained his vision is simple. “I travel around a lot and I see a lot of beautiful things,” says Reed. “I’m a very active photographer. I look through the viewfinder and I get lost. I forget about the world. I feel that I’m in my own private movie theater.”