Namesakes Series Origin Story

Shortly after I setting up a website utilizing only my first and last name I received an email congratulating me on doing so. This seemed like an odd correspondence until I saw that the signature was from a “Christopher Buck.” I was intrigued. I had never met someone even named “Buck” before, except in my immediate family, and this man held my full proper name.

I replied right away to learn more about him, and he wrote back that he sold Georgian era furniture in Kent, England. That sounded pretty cool, but to be honest I had to look up exactly what and where that was. But I was hooked, and so began the “Chris Buck’s Chris Bucks” photo series.

I’m used to feeling prepared and in control on my photo shoots so the first meet up with another Chris Buck threw me. He answered the door and introduced himself and we both laughed. This was awkward, and delightful – I’d stepped into some parallel universe where a different version of Chris Buck stood in front of me. Despite all logic there was an instant camaraderie between us. He’s like family, but more so, because he’s me.

Feeling empathy for him I guide the session gently, keeping the set ups low key and unprovocative­. This lead to a very nice afternoon together but terrible and boring photographs.

It took me a while to realize it but I needed to do the hard work of going deep with myself, and my new friends. From then on I began each sitting with a little speech about how I’m not going to protect them, or take care of them. I would bring the more conflicted and troubled parts of myself to the sessions, and worked to bring them to these places too.

Now I was free to be me, and as Minor White said, “All photographs are self-portraits,” and especially when the sitter is also named Chris Buck.

Top Image: Pictured with the original “Chris Buck” who emailed me from his antiques shop in Kent, UK.

Second Image: A portrait of Chris Buck of Kent.

Third Image: This is sort of what it looks like when you do an image search of “Chris Buck.”