CASS BIRD
INTERVIEW BY MANDY-LYN ANTONIOU
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CASS BIRD
MODELS: FREJA BEHA ERICHSEN AND DARIA WERBOWY
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Mandy Lyn Antoniou: What kind of camera do you use?
CASS BIRD: I like to use a lot of formats: Graflex 4×5, Leica M7, Leica R8, Olympus OM-2, Contax 645, Mamiya RZ67, Yashica T4, Contax T2, Canon 1Ds Mark III.
MA: You got your start in commercial and editorial work by pitching a story to the editor of a fashion magazine; in effect finding a way to share your work and story with a wide spectrum of people. Was that just for exposure, or did you intend for it to be somewhat subversive?
CB: At that time I enjoyed using mainstream media as a platform to broaden and expand a definition of femininity and beauty.
MA: Your skill in shooting women in an intimate, loving way is, to me, totally unparalleled. You shoot men equally well, but do you find it more difficult to shoot men and connect with them on the same level?
CB: Unparalleled… wow, that’s quite a compliment. I don’t think I can agree with you but thank you. Ironically, I didn’t start shooting women until recently. It was a lot easier for me to connect and shoot with men. I experienced a greater vulnerability shooting women. It wasn’t until after I got pregnant and had a child that I experienced a sense of ease and connection when shooting women.
MA: One of my favorite things about your photographs is that with each person you seem to have a really unique and earnest connection. Even when the tone is serious, there’s that sense of comfort and trust that’s inspiring as if you’re only ever photographing your friends. Do you take steps to cultivate that?
CB: I like to know very little about my subjects before I shoot them. If I’m shooting a celebrity I don’t research them beforehand. It’s imbalanced to know more about someone than they know about you. I rely on the moment and connecting. I am sensitive to the energy in the room, and I like to create an environment where people feel disarmed and at ease.
MA: Do you choose your subjects or do they choose you? And if you had to choose what would that subject need to have for you to want to shoot with them?
CB: It’s a combination of both. I always look for the qualities in the subject that have an irreverent beauty, and strong features.
MA: I’ve heard you say in the past that you admire photographers who exhibit a lot of control in their process. How would you describe your process, and how does it differ between your personal and commercial work?
CB: I do everything I can to avoid process.
MA: At the Global Feminisms exhibition in 2007, you said that for you photography is an outlet, as much as it is a replacement for verbal communication. How did you discover photography as a means to communicate in that way?
CB: Like most photographers I have ADHD and Dyslexia, which is quite common in my field.
MA: Your series “Immaculates” and “JD’s Lesbian Utopia” are unfolding adventures into what might be unfamiliar territories for the viewer. Was your decision to take these visual adventures based on a personal journey, or just to document a community that you identified with?
CB: “Immaculates” was conceived from a project of exploring children from same-sex families. It was before my wife and I were starting to plan making a family of our own and we were really at a loss for gay family models. That was what inspired me to explore that. JD [Samson] came up with the title “Utopia” and yes it was to explore the gay and lesbian community.
MA: What are you going to do with your summer?
CB: The summer is almost over. What happened to my summer? Not enough time on Fire Island.
MA: What are you working on right now?
CB: A book project titled, “Rewilding” that will be out in 2012. And potty training my children.
MA: Do you have any other upcoming projects that you’re particularly excited about?
CB: I get excited really easily. Everything is exciting!
