Fine Art Photographer & Director: Tony Kelly – Visual Fantasy & A New Language Of Photography

Alain, tell me.

Such a great pleasure to be sitting with you today.

Likewise. At the Badrutt's Palace.

In in your town, St. Moritz.

In my local, in my town. Exactly.

I always say I'm an outsider, but I'm a very regular visitor here. Which I guess makes you an insider for a town like St.

Moritz. I'm an insider outsider. And

I've been very welcomed here to the town, which I'm always grateful for.

From everybody, I guess.

And it's always been um I don't know, been made feel very welcome, and that's helped a lot.

Given me the encouragement, I guess, and the energy to do what I do here. So, I

hope it's a two-way thing that I throw a few eyes on this town, also, through my pictures. We call the insider outsiders

pictures. We call the insider outsiders in between us. They're the coolest people usually.

Absolutely. I I was a Joan Rivers the great comedian, she said that she's always been an outsider, and she was never invited to a party in her life.

And her maid or one of her assistants asked to borrow a dress from her to go to the Vanity Fair Oscars party.

She said she was never invited to it.

But I do like to maintain my perspective as an outsider. Kind of I would say a tourist, you know? I would say I'm like in a helicopter hovering and just plucking different elements I see in

places, particularly here. Um and it's important for me to be a tourist. So,

that's probably the reference to the outsider. Yeah.

outsider. Yeah.

Maybe a an outsider is curious, an insider is nostalgic.

Yeah, I like that as well. That would be accurate. Around the world with your

accurate. Around the world with your host, The Star Guy. We welcome you back to The Star Guy podcast, sharing stories of excellence with those in the know,

for those who just know.

I maintain my helicopter perspective and just plucking my And you make others curious through your work.

Yeah, and that's always something. I

mean, I I shoot for myself, essentially firstly. I always say like if I'm

firstly. I always say like if I'm entertained by the pictures, there's a decent chance Yeah. the rest of the guys and people will be because I'm very hard

to like I'm I'm very high level of visual stimulation or, you know, movies or whatever it is.

So, that's generally what I do is I shoot for myself. Once I have a smile on my face when I look at the picture, which it's always about a smile on the face, or I get a kind of a visceral reaction, that then I'm like, "Okay,

this can go." I feel that with your work. I feel the smile on the face

work. I feel the smile on the face energy. That's what we want. I I feel

energy. That's what we want. I I feel this this positivity, this glamour.

It's I was as I was saying before the cameras turned on, it's actually a feeling I get while watching an old James Bond movie.

Yeah. It's this moment in time that you wish you could be a part of. Yeah. It

feels mysterious and dangerous, but fun and colorful. It's this There's There's

and colorful. It's this There's There's a fantasy I present, but it's a familiar fantasy. Yeah. And I think

fantasy. Yeah. And I think with all fantasies and with all like James Bond, the reality behind the making of is very different to the final product. Absolutely. I have friends that

product. Absolutely. I have friends that are in the golf club in Ireland that say to me, one one of my best friends, he said, "You know, a lot of the guys think you don't actually work. You just tend to be traveling around and you stumble

across a girl skiing over some kind of an area in a Lamborghini."

And I like that in a way that they think I don't work because we don't stop working. You know, the the grind

working. You know, the the grind and the amount of effort and energy and financial investment into what I do, it's movie production. It's the level of my movie production.

And I like that people think it's just Yeah.

"Oh, it just happened to be skiing in like St. Moritz and they saw this." So,

like St. Moritz and they saw this." So,

Yeah. I like that, but it is to the aim of my work always, it's not to create a political statement or a movement. It is to essentially make people have to put a

smile on people's face. And I always equate it to when you're in a bar or a restaurant and your favorite song comes on. I wouldn't

just say a song like Donna Summer's or David Bowie and it's last dance or I feel love or there's a visceral response to that. You

you don't even realize it, but you're already tapping or it can be the band or the pianist playing so and that's the goal with my work is to create that visceral

stimulation and good make put a smile fun, you know, it's as simple as that.

Three-letter word, fun. And the fact that you're making it look easy, I think is a is a good thing. It's how

difficult. And of course, of course, but all the things that seem effortless are usually the most difficult. You I mean, the Italians have said that forever about their own cuisine. Yeah. And

that's any creative listening today can relate. When it looks effortless, there

relate. When it looks effortless, there was likely lots of effort behind it.

It's a it's a it's really um like I've been sitting here for 2 weeks waiting to take a picture.

And that's the moments when you get frustrated and you're like, well, cuz the the thing about the pictures, I already have the picture, it's already done. So, I tend to kind of go backwards

done. So, I tend to kind of go backwards from there. I kind of backstep from

from there. I kind of backstep from there where it's like I know there's a picture that I'm waiting to shoot of two ladies sitting on the wing of a plane with a Ferrari F40 parked in front of

the wing with the pilot disassembling their ski rack and another pilot carrying their bags as they're upstairs and they're on the wing being served lunch sitting on the wing of a

nice whatever it is, a Global Express, whatever. But, that's already done in my

whatever. But, that's already done in my head. It's the very same words. Yeah,

head. It's the very same words. Yeah,

yeah, absolutely. And it's like but it's like if Timer it's feeds me and I feed it, you know, it's like exactly. It's

this ecosystem. But,

that's already done in my head. So, like

I'm like, okay, where's the picture?

But, I've got to wait. And then when it snows, there might be four days of cloud and then the jet schedule We have to jet possibly on this Thursday, but it's it's um

the weather's not looking Well, I I I need blue skies always. So, there's like I need about 3 ft of fresh snow, blue skies, no wind, and there's all these elements and they do come together, but

they come together maybe five or six days a year per winter.

So, it all sounds very fancy and that, but the grind behind it is quite is quite exciting. But, it's I love what I do and

exciting. But, it's I love what I do and it's what I was born to do, I guess. I

love it, man. I love the the bright blue skies and those moments you capture.

Yeah.

I think that in a very different way with a very different language, we try to communicate sometimes a similar story, I'd say. Yeah. As you

said that before we turned the cameras on as well. The same visual language.

Yeah, very similar language.

Yes, elements.

I think it's this uh there's a a sense of playfulness. Yeah. There's a sense of

of playfulness. Yeah. There's a sense of um an '80s way of telling stories as well.

Absolutely. I'm very much inspired by James Bond, but also of Peter Sellers.

Yeah. Of

uh Louis de Funès and that era of film. Yeah.

And the level of absurdity that went into those movies.

Freedom.

And the freedom. Freedom of

storytelling. Same as the advertising of that era as well.

Exactly. Freedom. And and I see that in just this I haven't even seen the image cuz you haven't taken it yet, but the two ladies sitting on the wing of the plane, that's just iconically '80s to me.

Absolutely. You know? Absolutely. I'd

love to dive into why you chose that as your story to tell. As in that that that particular image? No, this this entire

particular image? No, this this entire category for Ah, I guess it goes back to with respect here to my country then and well is I grew up. It It It

started in Ireland. I grew up in Ireland and Ireland's weather growing up there was quite mundane and gray.

I want to be very clear, the people are very warm.

They're in this tropical even. It's

true. Um but the weather and whatever gift, if we want to call it or sensitivity, let's call it perhaps then I I have different theories which I can go into in that about gifts and talent

and all that, but definitely a sensitivity. I was always drawn uh to

sensitivity. I was always drawn uh to blue skies and warmth and sunshine.

And the rain was difficult for me. So at

an early age I kind of would always gravitate towards I want to go to Spain or I want to go here.

Years later I moved to Spain and I used to listen sorry back when I lived in Julio Iglesias as a kid driving around in my car with Julio on and he sang of palm trees and

tanned brunettes and beaches and this really inspired me. And And my last book I did Miami by Tony Kelly I dedicated it to Julio and thanked him for the And also his way of living life.

His living life and and and it was something that really inspired me and it was James Bond if it was So these kind of tropical tropical like these fantastical kind of

backdrops were definitely something that called me at a young age and I explored those places and ended up living in Spain for quite a while. So it was definitely

developed from this kind of we'll say less than tropical climate but the the the hunger to explore these places and you know, as an artist you're

you're you're testing different things and I used to shoot I had this great mentor in Spain who was a fashion photographer cuz I really thought I wanted to be a fashion photographer.

And that did not go well because the stylists were always pissed off at me because I wouldn't give a about the clothes. I just shoot my story. There'd

clothes. I just shoot my story. There'd

be a girl driving a car and you'd just see her head. And they were furious, but the editors were always happy because the pictures were were There was a story.

But um this great mentor I had, Jose Manuel Ferrater, I start taking pictures because I had a press photography background and then I moved into fashion. I was like, this is it for me.

fashion. I was like, this is it for me.

And I start taking pictures of a girl with this black background in black and white with water thrown over it with a studio light. And he just looked at me.

studio light. And he just looked at me.

He was like, this is this is like What is this? He said, you have a very strong

is this? He said, you have a very strong background cuz I'd covered war in Afghanistan. I'd been in Africa. And he

Afghanistan. I'd been in Africa. And he

just said, you have a unique background.

Continue telling those stories, but stick a model in there. And it was those lightbulb moments where I was like, wow. I already have

wow. I already have the basis of the skills. I just need to develop them more.

And and I just continued and continued and continued grinding away at that.

And again, you tested at nighttime in Paris or a gray day in Paris.

But then there was these sunny days with the blue skies and it was just again that visceral, which is where I kind of it's had mentioned like I shoot for course.

The same as you. You entertain for reviewers and the same for me. I shoot

to entertain my collectors or clients or just people who appreciate my But the first person on that queue was me. Yeah. You know, when I saw those blue skies and

I had this camera. It was a point and shoot from Canon and there was this dynamic color setting you could put on it and everything became really saturated and contrasty. And I remember

taking a few snaps at that time with this on a fashion shoot. I was like, Jesus, I like how that looks with the blue sky and the pink and all that.

And from there, literally, I just developed it more and more because it stimulated me and it entertained me.

And it's like anything in art. You just

kind of you find your way. Yeah. There's no

theory.

I'm going to try to pull the theory out of you cuz I think that there there even though it's effortless to you Yeah.

I mean, it's not effortless at all, but even though it's second nature to you.

Yeah. I think that there's a lot that people who are inspired by your methods can learn from. There's instinctual

theory. There may not be technical theory, but there's definitely instinctual theory and that theory is summarized in photograph what you love. Mhm.

Photograph you know, sing what you enjoy. Yeah.

enjoy. Yeah.

And if you do that the camera is a magic wand, Mhm. you

know? And

and I'm I won't say I'm paraphrasing, but definitely that was said to me by a guy in Hollywood who was a great His name is Gregory McKnight. I have to mention him because he's an absolute diamond. And I was having a conversation

diamond. And I was having a conversation with him and he just said to me, I was already doing it. That was the thing. I

was photographing cars and skis and whatever.

But that's what I say to people, you know? Stick to keep it simple. Yeah. And

know? Stick to keep it simple. Yeah. And

photograph, record, sing, uh paint what you love.

Because then it's in your world and then it's in your universe and and definitely that is and it's definitely um served me well. Absolutely. You know,

the thing is when you shoot all the stuff you love, you're like, what else do I love?

What else do I love? Absolutely.

You know? I think we're we're we're definitely very different storytellers. But one

thing we share is I think as well is starting with the story we want to deliver. Yeah. And then backtracking to

deliver. Yeah. And then backtracking to how we can put it together.

You go backwards. Which which is quite rare I think in the going forward. Yeah, it's but that's I

going forward. Yeah, it's but that's I think that's a gift. I say gift again. I

use that word carefully, but that's um definitely an advantage when you can see it that clearly.

And I like I've I see that print already of the ladies. I can smell it. I can

taste it. I can see the texture of it. I

can even see the nuances in it and the the different kind of um the the textures, I guess.

But I see the expressions, the clothes, everything.

I'm like, "Okay, where's the snow? Where

is the sunshine? The jets Yeah. can be

there. So, it is definitely you're stepping you're moving you're progressing, but you're kind of going, "Okay, now we go back to step one." I

always say we go to the shoots um after spending 3 weeks, my wife Joanna, she does all the the production.

And we've done 3 weeks of production and we're at zero.

We spent a lot of money and then we're then I start working, you know what I mean?

So, but it is it is definitely is that similarity of like, "It's done. Now we have to do it."

"It's done. Now we have to do it."

We're from the We're on there.

But when I look at your work, I get that James Bond feeling we spoke about, but I also really get a taste of St. Moritz Yeah.

in a big way. And I think St. Moritz gives me that

St. Moritz gives me that similar feeling to those '80s movies where there's this time machine feeling, there's this fairy tale and dreams come true Yeah.

for grown-ups feeling Yeah. Yeah. with a beautiful exposure to

Yeah. Yeah. with a beautiful exposure to the elements, that the snow in your pictures, but also luxuries and and the the craziness with the cars and the planes.

I think this is a really special place.

Oh, absolutely. I'm I'm a big fan of St.

Moritz. I know you are, too.

Yeah, of course. I'd love to know why St. Moritz for you. I I go back to

why St. Moritz for you. I I go back to what you said for a second about this timeless feel of those movies. Yeah.

What's really interesting for me about those movies, if we touch on that, is there was a timeless feel when you watched them the first time and there's still a timeless feel today.

It wasn't with nostalgia or a kind of a retrospective uh view on it. And that's something magical when you can create that. Um

it's like I we were watching The Wolf of Wall Street last night and I was like, "What a masterpiece of a movie." And I was saying to Joanna because obviously I'm very sensitive to acting cuz I

direct and I shoot a lot of a lot of shoot. Regularly I direct videos as well

shoot. Regularly I direct videos as well and it's like I'm so sensitive to if an actor has given 80%, 82%, 86%, or 91%.

And I watched that movie last night with Joanna and I was like, "It has that nostalgic feel. It has that Even though

nostalgic feel. It has that Even though there's there's this kind of um I suppose melancholic It's like an oxymoron, isn't it, in a way? It's like

this happiness and thing, but it's a very sad story behind the whole people and thing.

But when I watch DiCaprio look at the thing, I'm watching the movie and parallel I'm observing their act. I'm out of the movie and I'm in the movie and I'm out of it and I'm in it.

And I just think those movies and the Bourne masterpieces like absolute That movie last night I I had to concentrate in it because then I'm studying the way, you know, he's directing or they're

acting and I'm like online looking up behind the scenes stuff of different scenes and stuff.

But um there is this nostalgic, fantastical, and very luxurious feel about this place. Uh I I came in here the first time it was

October.

I drove up from Milan. I'd never been here before years ago. And it was gray and windy and it was like it was raining and I was like, "God, what's the deal here? This is

Where's the Where's the Where's the glitz?" What time of year was that?

glitz?" What time of year was that?

October. There was no snow. It's like it was the mid-season mid In between? Yeah, transitional season.

In between? Yeah, transitional season.

Yeah. And then I came back in winter. Um

how I first came back in the winter to shoot was I had this idea again done in my head of a lady on the Ferrari on the Thule roof rack

skis ready to rock um and I called um Ronnie Castle and I said Ronnie I need a Testarossa but there's a catch

I need to uh put a roof or a ski rack on it and he was like of course no problem no problem and I said but then we need you know I always do it in kind of stages when I have to add something You ask really slowly.

When it's like the private jet I'm like we need the private jet and they're like yeah sure no problem. It's never no problem it's like it's a lot of expense.

I'm just kind of fast forward. And I'm

like but we need to have a girl on the wing and they're like okay and I'm like Having lunch. Having lunch. I'm being

Having lunch. Having lunch. I'm being

served her lunch and I'm like and there's another girl.

So you know the same I was like we need the girl on the ski rack in the skis as the car is going like Julier Pass. Basically

skiing the car skiing the car. And he

was like Ronnie we can do whatever we want.

And I was like and I said where do you think we should shoot it? He said

somewhere it's you'll find some great spots up there. So it was Ronnie that brought me here in the first place. How

many years ago was this? 2020

I believe five six years ago I think it was.

And um we shot it up at Julier Pass. I came up and kind of scouted and then I was I had a very different feeling about this place cuz I was like

number one you have Alpine roads open all year cut no through the high Alpine Julier Pass the Bernina Maloja more Julier and Bernina is where I shoot cuz it's really high and that's unique you

don't have that in most ski resorts you have a road that goes through the village and then you have a lift. Here

we're going above the lift in the car and I found Julier Pass and I fell in love with it. I was like this is what and it's totally Bond-esque it's the Very. Ronnie sent that car up here

Very. Ronnie sent that car up here on point everything. I was just like, "Wow." So, it was essentially

"Wow." So, it was essentially his, I suppose, encouragement to come here.

What I was remembering him saying to me, I was like, "Can we do the ski rack here?" And he did Then he said, "Tony,

here?" And he did Then he said, "Tony, we can do anything you want."

I love that. He's been He's been a huge support of what I do and a great um friend. We're very close friends, but

um friend. We're very close friends, but he's just been a great a great support over the years and I'm very grateful for that. We had a great episode with him on this podcast.

It was yeah, terrific. He's a natural.

He is. Yeah. And I'm excited for his Concorso d'Eleganza. I mean, it's the

Concorso d'Eleganza. I mean, it's the greatest event of the year, really, isn't it? I think it makes the anything

isn't it? I think it makes the anything else wipes everything else out. As I say that, uh and the thing about Ronnie is he's in the middle of it. He's such a humble person. Yeah. Very discreet and humble.

person. Yeah. Very discreet and humble.

There's no bravado, there's nothing. He

just gets it done and he's a focused pro, Yeah. and I think people around

pro, Yeah. and I think people around Everyone's inspired by him. I agree.

him. Bravo to Ronnie. Bravo to Ronnie.

In the center of St. Moritz,

we have the Badrutt's Palace. Yeah.

Where we're seated today. My local. We

recorded a great episode of this podcast with the managing director of the Palace, Richard Leuenberger.

And we've said this, he's the mayor of the town.

And this is the town hall. Badrutt's is

the town hall.

in it. We're sitting right right in the center of it. You spend a lot of time here. I do. Can you

here. I do. Can you

paint a picture of what that looks like in practice? Okay. I would say so like

in practice? Okay. I would say so like there's so many layers to this um the first thing would be I come here a few days a week.

Um it would be my local.

I say local as in we dine here and it's a fancy local.

The most important thing here for me are the staff.

From the porters to the maitre d's, to the ladies who work in there and the gents who work in there, to the from from the front to the kitchen to the to the chef.

I've got to know quite a few of them naturally over the years, and they've obviously seen some pictures that I shot with the Palace early on.

They're the reason I come here. And I

think that the Richard and his team do a phenomenal job firstly of who they have working here. And there's just a

working here. And there's just a They're rather proud to be a part of this place. But

this place. But I takes me 10 minutes to get to the restaurant out of me wanting to talk to the staff. And

it's funny I I travel a lot, and I just gravitate towards the guys here.

The people who turn the wheels and keep such a magnificent establishment not moving, not operating, growing and getting better. And it's

just so wonderful this place. And

I would say it all goes back to the Palace, you know. It's like it's an institution, and it's a special place, but it's again, you know, in Miami, we live next door to Faena

Hotel. And I have this It's these two

Hotel. And I have this It's these two places. I have this relationship with

places. I have this relationship with the staff there. It's just something familiar, you know? Something home. It's something

you know? Something home. It's something

Cuz when you're traveling a lot, it's like it's lovely to see familiar faces.

Another thing is when they're wonderful people.

I purposely take 10 minutes to get to my seat cuz I know them, and they're friends, and I remember last year when the Palace closed after the season, I walked down the street, and there was a gang of people outside

cafe up the street, and I One of my Tony, and then I missed the Kelly.

I said, "Who's this, love?" And then I walked over. I said, "Wait, I reckon And

walked over. I said, "Wait, I reckon And it was the entire staff of the Palace out having their end of season coffee or jar, whatever they were drinking or whatever they would say.

And it took me a sec to kind of refresh because I'm so used to seeing everyone in this formal attire on the pa- you know, the the the sports the guys out front and and I sat there with the mallet and I

was just like they've become friends and they're people who I really value, you know, because they do put the smile on the people's face, you know. I have the same in Miami and and then find a hotel

where we spend a lot of time as well.

And there are two places so I'm very grateful to have this cuz you feel home.

Absolutely. And it's the people who work here, you know.

And I think it's it's a great representation of something I actually see that's unique to Swiss mountains but also to to St. Moritz in particular.

St. Moritz in particular.

Yeah. There's

these generations of families that have been coming here Yeah. and this

beautiful community Yeah.

that people can quickly become a part of Yeah.

understand and contribute and share the values of the very very clear up here. Yeah. In these

hills. Yeah. If you're positive and you're respectful and you come in here and you contribute Yeah. and you have you have, you know,

Yeah. and you have you have, you know, good intentions in my case I've definitely been welcomed here. But and I I said that at the start

here. But and I I said that at the start I am an out- I never regard myself as a local out of respect for the locals, you know.

Um but it's definitely if you contribute and you're respectful and you do what you I think you'll be welcomed, you know.

Absolutely. And I think we need always people who will come with positive energy and positive attitude and want to contribute. I think that's it. But to go back to the Badrutt's

it. But to go back to the Badrutt's Palace like they really they it is the town hall, Yeah.

you know. And I shot Richard was very generous with Anne-Sophie as well. There

I I stayed in a hotel up in the town in our early days here.

Um it was up above at the back of the air and my store.

And I looked down one morning I opened the curtains and I just saw the roof the roof of the tower with this kind of 60° slightly curved pitch on the roof

and I just saw the bond scene of the guy skiing down there.

And I immediately called to Anne Sophie who's always been she's major support and has set up a lot of the pictures or helped me kind of uh

um produce and get these pictures we shot up here. And

I said, "I have this idea of two guys skiing down the roof the tower roof."

And she was like, "Okay, let me see what I can do." And she's always been she is like huge huge help and support here. And she came back and said, "Okay, Richard said we can do

it." Wow. So, we harnessed two guys

it." Wow. So, we harnessed two guys onto the roof and I mean it was like this.

And um it was probably the most difficult picture I've ever taken in my life. Wow.

And we stayed here at the Palace where we're shooting and I always remember Joanna comforting me one evening uh as I was in tears sitting in the corner of the room with this beautiful

view over the over the lake, but I really it was the first time I was in tears in my work from work because I had that the weight of the palace behind me.

We had like basically these very qualified very talented skiers on the roof and it took a few days to set up and I started to doubt if I was going to get the picture which never happens.

Yeah. Never. I always know I have like two or three plans and I can get it somehow, but this was one that I was like, "I'm in trouble here. This is

a thing."

And the next evening we got the picture.

It's one of my proudest pictures. It's

called First Descent and it's two gentlemen skiing down in palace uniforms uniforms. These beautiful Napoleonic uniforms. Yeah. But the palace has been

uniforms. Yeah. But the palace has been a it's it is the headquarters here, isn't it?

I love that. And

we spoke that some of your your customers are some of these St. Moritz

icons that live in a very particular way. Very

discreet people.

Very discreet people.

bravado again. A deep appreciation for the outdoors and the mountain. Yeah.

These deep family ties and family values.

And that's St. Moritz. St. Moritz, of

course you will have this circus that comes through here. Uh you know, various moments and people coming here to party and stuff. But the true core and the

and stuff. But the true core and the spirit of St. Moritz that I know that I've been I guess welcomed into.

Uh I'm very grateful for that. Very

discreet people. Very elegant people.

Class. Like real class, you know?

There's no discussion of wealth or asset. Like it's just It's a different

asset. Like it's just It's a different world. And I think right now in society

world. And I think right now in society when we see how um with social media, with which I love by the way. I don't want this guy hacking

the way. I don't want this guy hacking on about social Wonderful. It's given a voice. It's given a platform to so many

voice. It's given a platform to so many artists. And

artists. And um but I think it's refreshing to come up here and see that discreet attitude where people are not talking

about that. And they have it, you know?

about that. And they have it, you know?

They've done it. Yeah. And I love that.

It's very refreshing and very relaxing to be around. And that's the spirit of town. I mean

town. I mean I I go back to my early days here. I I

took that picture and the following day I went driving around. I was like wait a minute, there's an airport here also.

And there's a lake. And there's a helicopter. And the town were very

helicopter. And the town were very supportive of my pictures in those days and still today where I can fly a helicopter or take a helicopter up landed on the mountain.

Obviously only for official photo productions.

And it's like it just goes back. It's

like a James Bond set for me.

And I'm really grateful for that, you know? That that I don't take for

know? That that I don't take for granted. And I got actually speaking of

granted. And I got actually speaking of James Bond, one of my big influences was Willy Bogner of Bogner ski wear Mhm. who

shot who was also a pioneer of these techniques where he cellotaped or or connected 80 cameras to this helmet, this big metal

helmet he had constructed.

And he skied down the mountain, so he had like this kind of which is honestly now like a GoPro on a stick. But he shot the James Bond scene of Roger Moore that chase where Roger Moore is out skiing

the the bad guys.

And he was a huge and he shot that here.

Well, he shot a lot of stuff here. So I

felt when I started shooting here I was kind of I won't say stepping into his shoes, but definitely trying to take up or taking it up where somebody else had left it off and I think my initial picture of the Ferrari

people appreciated that because it was like ah, they were familiar with you know, kind of a luxurious action visual language or upside of images and

I was I was very very proud to have shot that stuff and continued to shoot those actiony and all the inspired pictures, but Samaritans is a great uh it's my winter studio. I love that. It's a great place

studio. I love that. It's a great place to be. I feel like there's a growing

to be. I feel like there's a growing appetite from people who like me in many ways love that story and that James Bond energy we've

spoken about so much who may have never even experienced it.

Like for me it's it can't be nostalgia.

I wasn't born yet. So for me it's actually it's actually a deep curiosity about this time that I I never lived through but that I think has so much beauty Yeah. and this incredible

beauty Yeah. and this incredible timelessness. I think I think it really

timelessness. I think I think it really did. Yeah. I don't think it's a

did. Yeah. I don't think it's a it's a fact. Like it really was beautiful. I when I moved to West

beautiful. I when I moved to West Hollywood in Los Angeles um I chased this nostalgic just what what you'd said about you weren't born yet.

I wasn't around in the golden days of Hollywood and when I moved there I lived there for 13 years and I shot and directed quite a bit of stuff there.

I immediately went to Beverly Hills Hotel, Sunset Tower, Chateau Marmont, chasing that era and I never found it, which in a way was kind

of great cuz it was left to my imagination or the textured walls or the you know the Beverly Hills Hotel still has those Chateau and Tower.

But I always remember being in Jackie Collins, the great author, a great writer, Jackie Collins, who I love her books, Hollywood Wives and all this just unapologetically

coarse description of the shenanigans in Hollywood. She's brilliant.

Hollywood. She's brilliant.

And I was in her house and she has this sketch on the wall the Polo Club 1970s and it was like Sinatra, like all the greats. It was like a sketch, a cartoon

greats. It was like a sketch, a cartoon kind of and I was like that's that's what I've been looking for for all these years I've been living in Hollywood. I never

found it cuz it doesn't exist anymore.

Yep. And I think there's a there's a beauty to having not ex- not having experienced something that's very um nostalgically

attractive, you know, something that kind of stimulates you or motivates inspires you, I should say. But that

that I think is a beautiful thing. Yeah.

And we get to create that. Yeah,

exactly.

you also you you you know what you have created is in that same uh visual language, we say that again or genre. It's like it is it's it's a

genre. It's like it is it's it's a fantasy and it's it's something very safe and it's it's super. I love what you've done. I appreciate it. And I

you've done. I appreciate it. And I

think this sort of light-hearted humor and You have to keep it fun. I think so, too. And I think it's um

too. And I think it's um the the media capital of the world is the US and I think the US's storytelling of things either

fictional or uh news-based are especially recently rooted in extreme points of view.

Yeah.

And I think the '80s was far more nuanced. Where you the humor didn't have

nuanced. Where you the humor didn't have to be a laugh-out-loud joke. Could be a chuckle. Yeah.

chuckle. Yeah.

And the news didn't have to be uh intense and polarizing. It could

actually be just informative.

And I think the day that magazines start putting celebrities on the covers changed everything cuz it politicized publicists involved. I mean, I lived in

publicists involved. I mean, I lived in a shop in Hollywood for 13 years and I got to a point where I was like, "I won't do celebrities. I do not even want to see a celebrity. I love to appreciate

their talent, but I never wanted to photograph them because you have a publicist standing over you and it's like, "You can't do this. You can't do that." And I was just like, "This is not

that." And I was just like, "This is not for me." Mhm. But that freedom went, I

for me." Mhm. But that freedom went, I think, with the increase in the amount celebrity covers, celebrity endorsements where prior to that, if you think about ads, nobody knew who was in the pictures. You could shoot whoever you

pictures. You could shoot whoever you wanted.

And I would love to see a return in less conservative advertising and less because the ad agencies, the people who who write up the ads, it's so layered and it's so I I listen to it occasionally. Most of the time

people commission me to shoot their their commercial campaigns and it's just like, "What would you like to do?" And I say, "Well, I think this is best." And

it's like, "Okay, go and do it."

Occasionally I'll have to speak to agencies and and listen and just go, Mhm. "With all due respect,

Mhm. "With all due respect, Yeah. the job is for the agencies to

Yeah. the job is for the agencies to keep the client. It's not to actually Yeah. create an award-winning campaign

Yeah. create an award-winning campaign in most cases. With all respect, I'm not criticizing them.

But I would I kind of shoot my pictures as if sometimes they are ads in the '80s, you know? The girl

sitting on the plane, can you imagine the name of the jet company across it?

That's what sells. Yeah. But people are afraid now, you know?

Which is kind of sad. Yeah. The palace,

the guy skiing off the roof, you know? So I operate kind of in

you know? So I operate kind of in between.

Yeah, but I have great freedom there and I pay everything myself. Yeah. I pay for all my own productions. I have full control. Full control. This podcast is

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I think that can only work that sort of freedom to tell your own story can only work when you can actually control the story and do the thing yourself. You know? A lot of

the time it's putting the money down as well. You have to have division in the

well. You have to have division in the first place but you got to put the money down. We're not afraid to do it. We've

down. We're not afraid to do it. We've

never been afraid to spend. Yeah. You

know? And it's like it's a great investment. Yeah.

investment. Yeah.

One of my favorite comedians and and storytellers who I think story tells nuance and comedy and it's again has it all that nostalgic feeling even though it's new is

Larry David. Yeah. I think Larry David's

Larry David. Yeah. I think Larry David's exceptional at this especially being in the US and being in California.

His His art form really stands out among just extreme humor. He has this this nuanced in between Yeah. Cashmere humor I guess. It's It's

Yeah. Cashmere humor I guess. It's It's

very strong but it's kind of coated in Cashmere.

Exactly. You know?

Soft. It's It's chuckle. Yeah. You know?

It's great. I like Bill Burr also. He's

a machine. Huh? I don't know him. He's

like for me the greatest of them all.

But he's a machine gun. There's no

Cashmere to it. But he's a visual genius. It's all very visually driven

genius. It's all very visually driven but he's like He's really He's a real genius.

How did your relationship with the camera begin? It's a great question.

camera begin? It's a great question.

There's pictures of me as a five or six year old holding this camera. I had this grand great aunt that came from She was a living in America and she'd come home with all like nice clothes and furs and she'd give us

all these gifts and cameras and stuff.

And I just gravitated towards it, I guess. The actual camera, I didn't care

guess. The actual camera, I didn't care about taking pictures, but I felt the camera was very empowering. Mhm. It was

like an accessory. And that stayed with me years later. I thought it was cool if you had a camera, but I wouldn't take pictures.

Today, the complete opposite. I've no

real love I'm not a technical Mhm. guy

and I don't really The cameras are tools. I'm not a guy I rarely will take

tools. I'm not a guy I rarely will take a camera out unless I'm working.

But that was this kind of relationship at the start and my my mother would always tell Yeah, it's cameras, you know, you have cameras kind of and then years later um there

was it's kind of It's really interesting. There was just one day I said, "I'm going to be a photographer."

photographer." There was no you know, philosophical or there was no like kind of a plan. I was just like, "I'm going to be a photographer." There

was a great photographer who was a friend of my parents from the golf club in Ireland who was a brilliant news photographer and sports photographer and he kind of took me under his wing a little bit and helped

me quite a lot, actually. Mhm. And but

it was just this I followed my footsteps, essentially. There were I

footsteps, essentially. There were I just like that's what I'm going to do.

And that's it. And that's what I did and still doing today.

And you you just kind of gravity, I guess, you know? And I just People say, "How did you get into photography?" I say, "It kind of got

photography?" I say, "It kind of got into me more so, you know, that way."

It's all like a But I always worked my ass off and I never was afraid to just give it everything, you know? Still to

like I'll always will. Mhm. You know?

But it was just I guess it was just like meeting somebody at meeting a girl at meeting a partner. It's just it just It was a

partner. It's just it just It was a natural romance, I suppose, and it turned into a marriage. Yeah. You know?

Do you think that relationship and that marriage can exist as easily today with iPhones and iPhone photography.

I love the question. Um

I also love that you're you you when you ask you're sensitive to all of this. You

know, you get it.

Thanks. It's not

vacant You know what I mean? You get it because you can apply it's applicable to your own career.

Um I think I'm so happy for young artists today.

When I went into fashion Mhm. which was like I hated it.

Mhm. which was like I hated it.

But it was just it they were like things I could play with. It was like a Christmas tree for me.

You had to be in with the editor. You

had to be you know, you had the Mario Testinos the Lindberghs, the the Demarcheliers who were the top guys. Mhm.

And unless you were in that, you were just outside. And I was always a guy who

just outside. And I was always a guy who they would hire for very specialist gigs. They would want to shoot a party

gigs. They would want to shoot a party or they would want to shoot with this and I'd shoot the the story. It would be in one of the main magazines, Vogue or whatever it was. And I'd be like, "I've made it now." And then you wouldn't hear

from them for about 2 years.

Mhm. And they were like, "We wanted So you were absolutely reliant on being a part of that team. It would be like in athletic terms, you have to be on the Olympic team.

And that was like difficult. I was younger than those guys

difficult. I was younger than those guys and they really had it sewn up. Testino,

I mean, what a brilliant photographer.

Brilliant, brilliant. All those guys, Demarchelier everybody.

Lindbergh um you know, Sorrenti still brilliant. But

they had that scene sewn up. So unless

you were in that and you were a favorite of one of the great editors you were outside. Today that's complete opposite. And I'm grateful for I say

opposite. And I'm grateful for I say grateful again. I'm delighted for young

grateful again. I'm delighted for young artists who are starting their career.

They never need to be published in any magazine. A magazine is obviously in a

magazine. A magazine is obviously in a different place than it was then. So

they create their own platform. They

create their own genre of photography.

They create their own world.

You know? And I think that that's a great time to be alive. It's a great time to be an artist. Great time to create.

Is there a lot of absolute horse out there? Yes. Yeah.

there? Yes. Yeah.

Crap.

Is there a lot of Is there more horse out there? Probably not. We're just

out there? Probably not. We're just

seeing more of it because we're more exposed visually daily to horse.

Is there some absolute dynamite out there of great talent? Yeah.

Yeah. I agree. And I'm It's It's beautiful to look. It It We see now the the these um people who don't really do anything and they just post pictures of themselves

knocking around events and you know, holding handbags and stuff. I mean,

that's fine. I don't Whatever. That's

bubblegum, you know? But what I love is to see I'm flicking through Instagram and I'll see people I'm like, "Wow, that's beautiful." That person wouldn't

that's beautiful." That person wouldn't have a sniff Yeah. at being on the cover of Vogue magazine or think possibly not.

Maybe I'm wrong. Yeah. But that person today has an audience of half a million people. Mhm.

people. Mhm.

And it's like it's fantastic. And that

to me inspires me. And there's stuff I see, you know, as an artist, my my trajectory was Helmut Newton was a great inspiration. I used to

inspiration. I used to go to jobs with Helmut Newton books and I'd be flicking through the pages looking for elements and one day I no longer did that.

And I was like, "Where do I go now?"

And then I realized I didn't need that any more. I was making my own ideas. And

any more. I was making my own ideas. And

then there's this moment where you pass in your career where you're like, "There is no There are no references." Yeah.

You're You're the one creating the references for other people. Mhm.

And I get letters from people saying, "Oh, I did my thesis on this or I did, you know, on your work and stuff."

And it's like, it's a great moment, you know? So,

I kind of went a little bit off there, but it's there's just this great visual pool and pool of talent out there and they have a voice, they have a platform, they have an audience. And that to me

cuz I came from a place where you had to really, like, you were lucky if you got 10 pages in GQ or Vogue or whatever. Um

it was like a huge thing.

And today you don't need that. And I say bravo and get out there and do what you got to do, you know, as I said, shoot what you love, pump it out there. And I

I I tell people when they come looking for advice and stuff, just you have a platform that nobody had 20 years ago.

Yeah. Saturate it, you know, do the work and bang it out there. Yeah. It's a

great time.

You know? Fully aligned. And I I love your optimism and I share your optimism.

Absolutely.

I think the market is efficient as well. I think

good content, good work will travel far and will be celebrated and bad work will just fall through the cracks.

Absolutely.

But I still say the um commodity or the the the the the the diamond that is a good idea, an original

idea, some, you know, that is still as powerful, as valuable as ever. And the

thing about hard work, it was Rory McIlroy, the great Irish golfer, who is like phenomenal, beast of a of an athlete, and the mental side of his his performance is like amazing. I

look a lot at Rory.

He said, "Hard work beats talent every day that talent is not working hard."

Mhm. And that just gives me shivers, you know, cuz like I said it to my team here in the in the in St. Moritz, it's just like

in St. Moritz, it's just like I don't care what we create this this winter. I do care, but I'm saying Yeah.

winter. I do care, but I'm saying Yeah.

I know what we're our goals are.

I don't care if we achieve that. What I

do care is we do our best and we leave here saying we gave it 100% because weather you can't control, so. And that

that that really is something I live by.

It's beautiful. Hard work does beat talent.

Yeah. If talent's not working hard, you know.

I like that line. It's a good one, isn't it? You know, it says a lot about it,

it? You know, it says a lot about it, you know.

I mean, you you guys share share that vision, but also, I think Ireland Yeah. Very cool place. Super.

Ireland Yeah. Very cool place. Super.

The people I've met from there, I have dear friends who are Irish.

They share this love for life.

Yeah, yeah. This love for different cultures, different people.

Yeah.

And this celebration of everything in between. There's there's this incredible

between. There's there's this incredible Irish spirit. Yeah. That I'm a big fan

Irish spirit. Yeah. That I'm a big fan of. Me, too. Can you tell me more about

of. Me, too. Can you tell me more about that?

Well, I said this before, and it's it's something that gives me great strength in being able to navigate the places I

work and the scene I Mhm. I suppose my work is based in, let's say, you know.

In Ireland, the the the most popular guy is not the wealthiest guy. Mhm. It's the

funniest guy. Mhm. Or the person who's the most animating and telling a story.

And I'm not painting a picture of a lot of Irish people with fiddles sitting around a fire. Not at all. It's a

modern, progressive, very very very um productive, you know, economically.

You industrially, it's a very progressive country. Um

progressive country. Um but the emphasis is not on the car you have or the wealth or what you have.

Irish people don't talk about what they do for a living. They don't talk about their car. They don't talk about their

their car. They don't talk about their new watch or their new They care about that stuff, of course.

This is the materialism in every society, but It's not status, it's substance. It's substance. Very well

substance. It's substance. Very well

said. And that's something I take with me. And when I go back home, you

me. And when I go back home, you immediately plug back into that. I never

lose it, but you plug back into it, or it plugs into you, so to speak, and It's very well said. Actually,

I Ireland is not about status, it's about substance.

Substance. And I felt that. You know,

and you you sit around a table or I I just don't want to say a bar because there's this cliché, but it's probably true.

It's about sit right Let's say you're sitting around a bar um and the the the popular the most powerful or the most attractive

person is the person with the banter, you know? Um and I just I'm very proud

you know? Um and I just I'm very proud to be Irish. I'm very proud of the country it's grown into. Always was,

but it's just something that's like it's very very very progressive. Yeah. You

know, forward-thinking. Progressive in

the in the mean in the in the in the context of like forward-thinking. Yeah.

And and it's um I think it's the big largest English-speaking country in the EU. Oh,

yes. After Brexit, I guess, you know? Um

and they made the most of that, but they're clever people and but the emphasis is always on decency.

Absolutely.

And and and but they're razor sharp, you know? I like I love love the decency.

know? I like I love love the decency.

Decency and the inclusivity. Joanna, my

wife, she's German and she goes over there and her mind is just like she she would live there tomorrow in a second.

She loves Ireland. And they love her, you know? There's this great contrast of

you know? There's this great contrast of the German humor, I guess, and the the the perspective mixed with the Irish and and she has a great great time over there. But I'm very very proud and I I

there. But I'm very very proud and I I always say that when I was an American but I'm like I'm Irish also, you know? I

remember coming back through the Irish immigration back to Dublin the first time with my American passport or third party I'll go through the American and the guy said, "Welcome home, Tony." And

I was like How how do you know that I'm Irish?" And he goes, "Cuz it's written

Irish?" And he goes, "Cuz it's written on your American passport."

funny. Yeah, that's like that's Ireland, you know? There's just that extra

you know? There's just that extra There's that extra spark. Yeah. And it's

something that I'm Absolutely.

very very proud of. Said that four times, so I think So, although today you're really playing the storytelling of fiction in many ways.

You're putting together these fictional environments that of course represent many real world things, but you're in full control.

But you started your career in your 20s by actually just capturing real life as a news photographer.

Which I think on a spectrum is the exact opposite. You know, it's actually

opposite. You know, it's actually waiting for the shot sometimes at a very unfortunate moment.

And using your camera and your skill to show the world something they otherwise wouldn't have access to.

Very different to what you do today.

I'd love to understand it's different than it was.

The the uh the battle can sometimes be the same cuz you're dealing with people. But I

actually went to photography college when I was 17.

And I left after 3 months.

I found it all too hippyish and too artsy for me at that time.

Nice people, friends still some of them today, but my college education lasted 3 months.

I say that um in terms of there's people out there, artists, young photographers, directors, and um you know, aspiring directors who who

think that they have to go through a 6-year or 4-year degree in NYU or whatever, which is a brilliant brilliant course. But

course. But you don't.

You know, and I didn't.

I learned the practical way. So, I guess there's two different ways you can learn. You can learn practical or

learn. You can learn practical or academically and you know, I or theoretically, I definitely learned as I went much more hands-on approach.

Um I left college and I went working for a local newspaper called them.

I was like a a driven always have been driven, but like driven like a train.

And I called them and I said, "I'd like to work for you." And they said, "Well, we just fired our photographer today."

Just one of those. Anyway, I went from there to national newspaper and I was the youngest ever to work at the national newspaper in Ireland, which was for me was like Atlanta in Hollywood. It

was like amazing. And they'd send you out on news jobs and it would be bank robberies to murders to then sports. So, you had this great rounded

sports. So, you had this great rounded training where you could you know, you could kind of use the camera to capture various different scenarios. And that's one of the great

scenarios. And that's one of the great training you receive as a news photographer. You're doing lots of

photographer. You're doing lots of different stuff. You've already got the

different stuff. You've already got the president of Ireland and then you're photographing someone who was unfortunately murdered. Um and you're

unfortunately murdered. Um and you're always you kind of on the you live in it, you know? You're eating your lunch in the car as you're driving at high speed. But

speed. But it was a brilliant master's or degree at least in photography, I guess.

Um and that was my They were my formative years. When I was 20,

years. When I was 20, I then there was this or a 20 years old like in there was this um horrendous situation in Rwanda and the Congo.

And um I asked the newspaper if they'd send me there cuz I wanted to cover this. I was really

this. I was really I had I had a I have a great friend still today, Kenneth O'Halloran, who had been there. He was always a step ahead

been there. He was always a step ahead in those days. And I used to follow in his footsteps, you know? He's still a great advisor today or you know, shoulder, I guess. But he um he had been and I said I want to go and the

newspaper said, "Well, we can't send you, you know?" Uh for insurance reasons. So, I said, "No problem. I'm

reasons. So, I said, "No problem. I'm

going to take some holidays." So, I went to local World Travel, it was called, and I think it was like this kind of exotic travel agency or like far-flung destination. And I booked a ticket to

destination. And I booked a ticket to Rwanda. Wow. Uh hooked up with an aid

Rwanda. Wow. Uh hooked up with an aid agency. 20 years old, my parents must

agency. 20 years old, my parents must have been terrified. Yeah. And I

photographed the very unfortunate horrendous scenes down there. Um

and from there I got a taste for the this kind of news um reportage. So, I did various and then I

reportage. So, I did various and then I was sent to cover the war in Afghanistan years later, twice. I was there from the very start. So, I done a lot of very and

very start. So, I done a lot of very and and then I'd be dispatched to the World Cup to photograph the war. So, I had this varied and very rounded um

um experiences photographing lots of different um events and tragedies and sports events and then and that's the that's the kind of run-of-the-mill for a press photographer. And I was a press

press photographer. And I was a press photographer 100% hand on heart. I was

in um when I look back when you're on a job or you're on assignment and your camera breaks, you don't have anybody there. Now I have dudes standing there who I can hand it

to and I have a team and I have and it's amazing. But I still learned how to kind

amazing. But I still learned how to kind of make things happen. And I would go back to that night on the palace on the tower on the roof of the tower. I was in

a bit of a situation, but I channeled I guess or I channeled into those resourceful days where you're you're on your own. Your camera breaks, you fix it you find someone buy you know, find steal one if you have to, but

just make it cuz I always we always live by this matter. It's nothing else matters only the picture.

And obviously humans matter a lot more than the picture, but in terms of a work context um and there's just great strength and

I suppose resourcefulness that I learned from those days cuz you're on your own.

You're with a journalist. They don't

give a about what you're Do you know what I mean? It's like you're on your own and the parallel with today is kind of the environ I I I

one of the main kind of inspirations or moments that kind of pushed me more into what I create my I don't want to be big-headed saying but I do believe I've created my own genre of photography. And that was a goal and if

photography. And that was a goal and if I haven't, I will. You know, I'm on the road to it. But I think I think my pictures are instantly recognizable and that was always the goal.

But one of that came from from the news days where I would be photographing a scenario and my instinct would be like, I wish the girl had a red dress on.

Or I wish the policeman standing beside her was more handsome. Or I wish she had black hair. So, I would kind of

black hair. So, I would kind of have not a frustration, but like a kind of a vision of oh, how this could be better. And that's where those seeds

better. And that's where those seeds started to kind of where they were planted and then started to grow.

And that's where I thought with from the transition from news to fashion. I

remember the first time I ever photographed a model in my life.

It was in for the newspaper. You used to have these fashion pages in the Irish newspaper.

And I the editor told me the photo editor told me, you're going to photograph the fashion today. First time

ever.

I was 21, I think.

And I got in the car with the model, the stylist and whoever else and I drove to this beach in in Dublin on the bay. It

was probably like 45 minutes away. 4

hours later, he called me. He was like, where are you? I said, I'm on the beach doing the fashion. And he was like, well, you're supposed to do it at the back door of the office of the newspaper. I was like, no, but it's

newspaper. I was like, no, but it's fashion and they were like they were pissed off and I was like, so I always had this thing. It was like, this is what I'm going to do and no one's going to stop me. But the creative

freedom I have when I photograph that girl, that model, I still remember the pictures. I was like, I can control

pictures. I was like, I can control everything here. She's beautiful. We can

everything here. She's beautiful. We can

change things. And that's where that seed planted. She you know, um where

seed planted. She you know, um where where the idea of me photographing a moment and kind of it definitely wasn't my it was my

passion, but it wasn't my um it wasn't what I was going to spend the rest of my life doing. You know, I was remember in Afghanistan I spending time with this photographer from New York Times

who was a still today an absolute beast. Like he

is the guy.

And in that moment I was able to see the difference about the difference between where my career, you know, was going and what I wanted to do. And I was like, if you want to I

do. And I was like, if you want to I said to myself, you want to do this, that's what you got to do. Yeah. It

wasn't for me. You know, it wasn't at that time. But the battle the the the

that time. But the battle the the the challenges are similar to be really honest. Like they are similar. You're

honest. Like they are similar. You're

dealing with people, you're dealing with access to places, to airports, to hotels, to venues, and getting the permission of people. And that's kind of similar when you're a news photographer.

in in in parts, you know.

Yeah. Particularly in the conflict places. Absolutely. It's access. And

places. Absolutely. It's access. And

it's to meet, you know, the right people and stuff.

So it's it's worlds away, but there's similar elements and challenges and Yep. you know.

Yep. you know.

I think a lot of the listeners today who are creatives or Yeah. have a creative side they want to channel, or even our photographers in particular, Yeah.

voice a concern about this generation and the time they're born into where there are challenges of this time that are unique to this

time. I personally

time. I personally think that this is the the greatest time to be alive. And there's there's even more opportunity across these categories.

But then again, I'm not a photographer.

So, I'd love to understand from you Well, you're a visual and you're creative, absolutely. I mean, you get

creative, absolutely. I mean, you get it. I appreciate that. You do.

it. I appreciate that. You do.

My friend Alessandro Ristori, Yep. from

the Alessandro Ristori in Portofino.

We had dinner with Joanna and himself and the the band in Armani Hotel in Milano a while ago. And he said to me, "Tony, everybody talks about the dolce vita." He said,

vita." He said, "Now is the dolce vita."

You know, which contradicts a little bit what we spoke about earlier. There's

this nostalgia, but we're talking about cinema. Mhm. You know, it's very

cinema. Mhm. You know, it's very different. Um

different. Um I think absolutely agree with you. Now

is the time to be alive. It's a

Now is the dolce vita.

Alessandro is a very He's quite a deep thinker. And he lives the the

thinker. And he lives the the He lives it, you know? He's a wonderful wonderful guy. Just a mate. I love him

wonderful guy. Just a mate. I love him and the band and Ben, the manager. But he really is a deep thinker and the stuff he says to me when he speaks, I listen. And he said that to me. I was like, "The dolce vita

is now. Now is the dolce vita." He said

is now. Now is the dolce vita." He said we talk about the dolce vita in the '60s. He said, "My father said it He

'60s. He said, "My father said it He told me his father said, 'In the '60s, things weren't great, you know? There

wasn't the access to wealth or to resources that we have today.'"

And I think artistically, economically, um in every way possible, this is a great time to be alive.

And I think the tools we have access to.

Come on. My cameras when I start working in newspapers and stuff were like There was a massive difference between the camera of a professional photographer and the tourist. I can literally go up

to Ruut's photo here in the town and buy myself a setup today and go to work in 20 hours in 20 minutes. And like the guy who's tourist can can buy the same You know, I bought some fancy I've always

kept cameras for me have always been like it's never been my thing. But I bought some fancy cameras recently which kind of put me back a little bit the separation. But I would say if the

separation. But I would say if the luggage doesn't arrive or the cameras get gone missing, I go to a shop.

I just buy a camera for whatever, a thousand dollars. Yeah. Shoot the story.

thousand dollars. Yeah. Shoot the story.

And Helmut Newton used to always say that he said, "I use a tourist camera."

But back then there was a big difference, you know? But they access to equipment, access to You know, you can edit videos on your iPhone.

Actually edit some for you.

And you can just just so much freedom, creative freedom. And there's so much

creative freedom. And there's so much accessibility to to equipment, to platforms, to everything. It is a brilliant time to be a creative. I

agree. The key is to have original ideas. And go back to what I said.

ideas. And go back to what I said.

Shoot create paint sing whatever.

Just enough that you love. But there's

never a better time. Anyone who's

complaining about they don't have this, they don't have that.

I disagree. I agree. I think it's um there's more opportunity than ever to continue to elevate and push. So that

the meaning reading I think is just a desire. The desire to actually

desire. The desire to actually want to push the boundaries of whatever it is you want to do in Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Even if it's garbage that

yeah, yeah. Even if it's garbage that someone's creating, they're still going to get a hundred people saying they love it. You know what I mean? So is that a

it. You know what I mean? So is that a false sense of security? Maybe. But it's

great. Cuz I think all artists, all humans, we need validation.

We enjoy validation. It encourages us.

And it's healthy. It's human A dog that comes up and wants to be petted, he wants to be validated. And I feel that Yeah.

The validation that people can The encouragement, let's say encouragement more so. You know, I see stuff online I'm like it's not my style, but look, there's 4,000 people liking it and 300 people

commenting. Like great. Live the dream,

commenting. Like great. Live the dream, you know?

And and I feel that yeah, I totally agree with what you said. It is a great time to be alive. Particularly for

creatives.

I'm seeing stuff coming off coming out of you know, kids shooting stuff on video now.

It's amazing, you know? On the topic of validation Yeah.

I think imitation Yeah. can feel like validation

imitation Yeah. can feel like validation to to somewhere optimistic. Can feel

offensive to people who are proud of their work.

where you're going, yeah. I have had many copycats over the years. I've seen

quite a few.

Some who are direct copycats, some who are simply inspired and tell their own thing. Yeah.

thing. Yeah.

I try to take the approach of validation no matter what.

How do you feel about people who copy your work?

My wife feels a little different than I do. She's a bit more protective over it

do. She's a bit more protective over it than I am.

Um she's laughing there. She

She's here with us, by the way.

And she's loving this.

She feels she's quite um militant, I would say. Um she will say to me, "Look Look at this idiot." And I'm like,

"Babe, it's okay. It's cool. That's what

we do, you know, and people want to take inspiration."

inspiration." Where the line is uh very clear for me.

Um when people steal for commercial um usage.

Mhm. When they take my picture and they put a logo on it, that's a different thing. That's not

copying. That's just theft. Um so we take that very seriously and I protect my images because they're my images and I spend a lot of time, money, and my heart uh creating them and effort and love.

Additionally, when people collect them or collectors, they have them on their walls. They're not They're not They're

walls. They're not They're not They're not exactly um economical, let's say, because the product has a lot invested into it. When

they then see some half-wit who stuck a logo across that same picture, it puts me in a compromising position. So we

have to take action on those things. But

when I see a kid in um Russia who's, you know, trying to copy something I did with some high heels and some skis, let's say, and or not even a

kid photographer out there, I take a kind of a lighthearted approach to it, you know, if it's for artistic reasons and it's somebody trying to build something. As I

said, Joanna, my wife, she sees it slightly different, but I think what I said earlier on about that transition that you are no longer looking in magazines or in books cuz I

used to buy Vogue Paris. I mean, that we're talking a long time ago. Vogue

Paris, Vogue Italy. There was a great Vogue Italia Woman Sport was a supplement. Bruce Weber

supplement. Bruce Weber um and some of those Testino. I think

she should be but it was Bruce Weber, Steven Meisel used to shoot a lot for.

It's just sports fashion. It was just you So, I'd look at those things and and then that transition happens where you're not looking at those anymore.

You're the creator.

And you if you're creating the stuff and you're the one you're then in that position, you have to be grateful that people will take inspiration from it.

Yeah. Direct copy as I said, yeah, I've seen a few of them and sometimes we'll send a note just to say, you know, it's best if you I always say it's best.

Yeah. Because it's positive and it's discre- it's discreet and it's polite.

Um but what can you do?

You know what I mean?

Yeah. What can you do? Fake Rolex sold more Rolexes.

You know, the fake Ralph Lauren shirts sold more Ralph Lauren shirts. So, It's

the cost of being a first mover. Yeah,

it is. Creating your own little niche.

It is. And which brings me on to AI.

Yeah. That in the gallery here in St.

Moritz, I people coming in saying, "Is it real?" And I love when they ask that

it real?" And I love when they ask that because thanks again to my wife Joanna, she's a really um insistent that we always have behind the scenes video. And sometimes the video

scenes video. And sometimes the video gets a lot more traction on social media than the actual picture. Yeah. You know, because we work

picture. Yeah. You know, because we work with stunt men, we work with So, we have everything to show and I think the AI's the fake Rolex for me. Mhm. You know,

people are Oh, God, she did jump over the car. And I'm like, yeah, 11 times.

the car. And I'm like, yeah, 11 times.

There's the video. So,

The process is is really the art form.

Yeah, and having the balls to actually go and execute cuz I'm really tense when I'm shooting because we had this girl Lea. She's an Olympic French Olympic

Lea. She's an Olympic French Olympic skier. She jumped over that Lamborghini

skier. She jumped over that Lamborghini the the the Carabinieri and she jumped it 11 times. It was

substantial. It was a size like quite a big jump.

Uh and we had a local pro freestyle to dig the jump with another guy Patrick Koller.

And he hit it the first time and I was going, "Jesus, this is a lot of air."

Cuz you have to clear the jump on the road and the whole I was clearing the car on the road.

Uh and she did it 11 times.

Wow. You know, my stomach is tense even though she's comfortable. You still go and she's, you know, no helmet on. She

can hit a bump. Something can go wrong.

It's my I'm the one it's me on the line.

Yeah. But you you just learn to work with the best best possible people so you can navigate those situations. But

to go back to what I was saying when people come in, I'm really proud to show that video. We have it on one of massive

that video. We have it on one of massive screen in the gallery.

Um and they're like, "Is this real?" And

you're like you know.

And I think the fake really um helps to I don't say validate but give you even more value to what is Absolutely.

original and real. Mhm. You know, the original idea and then the real execution.

Yeah.

That I'm proud of. I love that. You

know.

On this podcast we always play a game of "à la poubelle" versus "fantastique". I

love it. Can you share a couple of things that you would throw "à la poubelle" and a couple of things that you would celebrate to be "fantastique"?

Um a lot.

A couple is only the start. You can go as as many as you'd like. "Fantastique"

would definitely be um people who take time to appreciate waiters, cleaners, Mhm. the service

people who make our lives or make our holidays in St. Moritz or in Miami or wherever as enjoyable as they do. I find that's something that's that's just decency. I

think. I agree. Um

I think the "à la poubelle" is definitely I see more and more go back to social media of these um fakers

showing us their handbags and their fake fur coats and that to me is something that's definitely la la poubelle, you know. Let's get some substance and if

know. Let's get some substance and if you've something to say make have have some substance in it, you know. I think it's getting better.

know. I think it's getting better.

Hopefully.

Fully aligned. I think so.

Hopefully. Yeah. Um you know, fantastique. What I'd like to see more

fantastique. What I'd like to see more of is some blue skies up here over the next 2 weeks because I have a lot of pictures to shoot. I mean, the history is by your side. 300 days of blue skies.

Yeah. Yes. Yeah.

We have to coordinate that with the shoot days and stuff and I will fantastique definitely would be the two ladies on the plane on the wing of the plane being served their lunch as the

pilots are um taking their skis off the F-40.

Um but I think in general my fantastique is when I meet people and see people who have respect and say respect as in have time and courtesy

for people and that's something that I really stimulates me when I I I get great joy when I see people who are decent. Yeah. And I enjoy to to see more

decent. Yeah. And I enjoy to to see more of and in a town like this there's quite a lot of that.

It's something very old school about up here that there's still values and and I think the locals and the Swiss people in general are very friendly people, you know. That makes me happy. I agree with

know. That makes me happy. I agree with that. Fully aligned. Yeah, I need more

that. Fully aligned. Yeah, I need more poubelle.

No, I I think you're good.

Are you sure?

Yeah, the fantastiques are even better.

Yeah. More pros than cons.

Yeah. Yeah. I probably have a lot of feedback from the the handbag ladies.

No, it's fine. I think they know.

Yeah, you know come on. I love them.

But make it more interesting.

Yeah. You know, give me more than a handbag.

Yeah.

You know. Come on. There's more like push yourselves creatively Yeah. And just dig a little deeper.

Yeah. And just dig a little deeper.

Then I think cuz there's some brilliant influencers that I've seen online and they make it interesting, but dig deeper. So, it's more of I suppose to a

deeper. So, it's more of I suppose to a criticism like an advice, an artistic advice, if I may, with all due respect.

Substance over status. Again, Ireland.

Ireland, they do it right.

They They created it. Yeah. You know? I And

they've lived off it. They have. I'd

love to see more of that online as well, but I think I think the uh the tide's heading in the right direction. Hopefully. I hope so. Yeah,

direction. Hopefully. I hope so. Yeah,

hopefully. Well, Tony, thank you so much for taking the time today.

This is great. Absolutely. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Shart Guy Podcast. If you're keen to learn more, please follow along by engaging with our social channels on

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