Bryan Adams as photographer: celebrities love to pose for him

Photo: Multimedia Art Museum

Armen Apresyan Jul 4, 2012 16:13 Moscow Time

Bryan Adams is not only a well known musician and composer, but also a recognized photographer. Editors of glossy magazines all over the world consider it a great honor if they can get just a single photo from Adams, since top-class celebrities love to pose for him – even those who are usually camera shy.
At various times such stars as Amy Winehouse, Victoria Beckham, Sting, Louis Bourgeois, Judi Dench, Lindsay Lohan, and many others have posed before Bryan Adams’ lens.

This summer muscovites have the chance to get acquainted with Adams’ work with the exbition “Bryan Adams. Exposed” that has opened at the Moscow Multimedia Art Museum.

Adams personally opened his exhibition in Moscow, telling visitors that “he has been doing photography as long as he could remember.” It all started as an ordinary hobby and then turned into professional activity.

It is hard to say what attracts the visitors more: the photos themselves or the personality of the cameraman, who is known for his legendary ballads such as “Heaven”, “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” from the movie “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”, or “All for Love” from “Three Musketeers”. At first sight it is not easy to see something special in Adams’ photos: even the sophisticated eye will find it hard to notice an unusual concept or some highly artistic idea, but his photos are indeed fascinating. Maybe these photos somehow soak in the energy of the author whose music won the hearts of millions all over the world and who can easily carry away even the most demanding audience.

Probably one of the key merits of Adams the photographer is his skill at negotiating with both the most “scandalous” and the most recluse representatives of show business, such as Tommy Lee or Mickey Rourke. In 2006, Adams was awarded the prestigious German Lead award for his series of photographs of Mickey Rourke. Adams likes to talk about his work on the series, saying that he and Mickey “had a great time then.” Rourke “exposed himself perfectly well then,” Adams noted.

Bryan Adams has brought 50 pieces to Moscow. They are just a small part of the musician-photographer’s archives, who has promised to make his admirers happy with his new photographs in the near future.

Who knows, maybe next time Moscow will see a “Russian series”, as Bryan Adams never leaves his camera behind. Even at the opening ceremony he was armed with one, ready to capture the moment.