DAY 75

PORTRAITS

Musicians

MARK KNOPFLER, MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER

Getting to photograph Mark Knopfler, founding member of Dire Straits, was a lucky break early in my career. The shoot took place at my home studio in London, and for six hours I was the happiest photographer with an easygoing houseguest who happened to be one of the world’s most famous guitarists.

That said, it could have easily gone wrong, as the music I was playing when Mark arrived was not at all to his liking. Upon asking him what I could get him—a cup of tea, some juice, something to eat—he replied quickly, “Just turn that @#%* off right now!” as he pointed toward my stereo. Quickly, I changed the music to a new jazz CD I had bought and immediately Mark relaxed. We listened to it for the rest of the shoot, putting it on “repeat all” at his request.

It was then I learned one of the most important rules in studio portrait photography: Make your subject comfortable, and you will be too. This portrait was made toward the end of the session, and he obliged my request of holding his guitar in a “Possession” portrait pose that I had shot years before. —SA