Master of Puppets

Makeup artist Kazu Hiro is experiencing a well-deserved renaissance, thanks to his masterful work on the film Maestro. Photographing him for The New Yorker was daunting, to say the least - this is someone who has elevated the face to the level of art, creating uncanny busts of Jimi Hendrix, Abraham Lincoln, Frida Kahlo, and of course, Salvador Dali.

I had prepared for this assignment with excitement, developing some creative lighting approaches, but upon researching Hiro, I couldn't resist the moving story of his difficult upbringing. It was powerfully vulnerable, and human. My new goal became to unite the dynamic visuals with his relatability as a man.

Hiro himself seemed camera-ready: slim, handsome, and enigmatic. But when I suggested that filmmakers must constantly ask him to appear in scenes he responded with a hard negative, and a bit of horror. He replied, “It’s never happened.” 

Nevertheless, he was a fantastic sitter - cooperative, and delivering star charisma.

Top Image: I put the subject in the hard sun of the skylight, then added a soft fill strobe on a low setting. BTS shot by Hudson Fega.

Second Images: My two favorite Hiro portraits from the day.

Bottom Image: Hiro gets playful with Dali (with me channeling Philippe Halsman as best I can)