Seth Rogen & “Nice Hands”

For The New York Times Magazine it quickly became clear that the value of Seth Rogen was his child-like enthusiasm, that after a year of Covid stress, lockdowns, and fear, we could all use some levity. The editors realized that what they wanted – needed – was his distilled joyfulness. But how do you put the Seth Rogen giggle in a photograph?

Flowers. Flowers!

The cover was executed with a mix of real and artificial flowers slipped through chicken wire and tied in place from behind. A hole in the middle was cut out to allow Seth to get his head (and lion’s mane of hair) through.

I enjoy shooting with celebrities. My years of experience gives me many tools and lessons to pull from, but it’s my paradoxical excitement for the popular culture and a dispassionate relationship with the specific sitters that makes me good at this. I relate to the photo subjects as people, and collaborators, not as stars, or pop avatars. Being fully present on set with the talent is central to my practice.

At one point we were shooting a wider in-studio set up and Seth was struggling with what to do with his hands. I told him a funny story about how my then 6-year-old daughter came home from school and filled us in on a posing trick. It had been school portrait day and the photographer instructed the children on how to set their hands gently, but perfectly, across each other. It was called “Nice Hands,” she told us.

So I encouraged Seth to try this approach, and it strangely worked, and we returned to it multiple times when stuck for what to do with his hands. Thank you anonymous school photographer!

Top Image: Seth Rogen, for The New York Times Magazine cover.

Second Image: You can photograph Seth Rogen laughing, but it’s just not the same.

Bottom Images: Left: Rogen as a gentleman farmer; Right: Chris Buck goes floral (not the first time). Photo by Ben Travers.