Chris Farley, 1994
The assignment to photograph Chris Farley came at a crucial time. I had made my choices without commercial concerns in the early years of my career, but had now run out of money.
I had maxed out my credit cards and had to make some changes to become relevant in the marketplace. I bought a strobe kit and set about learning to light properly, I started shooting more color film, and joined with photo agent Julian Richards. These changes lead to jobs, but also increased client expectations.
We had two hours with Chris Farley, and the magazine, Month To Mouth, had a long list of asks. Of course I was happy to hit the mark for the client, as I was appreciative for the job, but I also trusted my instinct to put aside a few minutes, likely 15 in this case, to do a set up just for me.
A couple of months after Chris Farley died I found myself flipping through the contact sheets of the session. I found this setup, which at the time I shot it, I read as being too serious. Being who he was (sweet, fun-loving, and hilarious on our set), the pictures were unnecessarily dark and moody. This was me putting my style, my anxiety-filled world view, onto someone who it was totally inappropriate for.
Looking back through them I found a couple frames which were graphically strong and, I think because he had died in a tragic way, the pictures showed a Chris Farley who was dramatic and kind of sad in a way that was no longer pretentious, but actually telling.
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The story, and additional images, from the Chris Farley portrait have not been shared on the blog before. The celebration of the 10 year anniversary is an invitation to reconsider the value of the blog. What other sessions and stories would you like to see shared in this space?
Top Image: Chris Farley, May 10, 1994
Second Image: Chris Farley contact sheet.
Third Image: A scan of one of the notebook pages in preparation for the shoot. The prop stylist, Tanya Twist, was asked to bring a number of items, the crown was something extra that she took the initiative to include.
Bottom Image: The print of Farley that was shown in Chris Buck’s professional portfolio in the mid-nighties, before his passing.