Behind The Lens.. Kevin Westenberg
, by Behind The Gallery, 6 min reading time
Architecture, Instinct, and Four Decades Behind the Lens
Born in the US and trained as an architect before he ever picked up a camera, Kevin
Westenberg is a self-taught photographer who learned his trade shooting for Melody Maker and NME through the late 80s and 90s. He moved to London in 1983, years before grunge changed the world's picture of his hometown of Seattle and went on to photograph Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam at the height of the movement, while building decades-long relationships with artists including BB King, Nine Inch Nails and Divine Comedy. His work has appeared on hundreds of album covers and in the world's leading music and culture titles.
The Architect’s Eye
You studied Architecture before photography. How much of that lives in a
finished frame?
Architecture has always been the visual design. During prime time, when labels and the
music press would fund trips abroad, there were hundreds of those trips, and the locations were 100% considered for their unique qualities of architectural variation. My visual training has only gotten stronger over time. I had no idea at the time, because I never considered doing photography at all until after going through architecture school in the US and Denmark.
Learning on the Job
You were self-taught, working for NME and Melody Maker through the late 80s and 90s. What did shooting for the UK music press teach you that you could not have learned anywhere else?
The first actual commissions came via The Rocket magazine in Seattle and Nettwerk Records in Vancouver, Canada. Those were short and formative. The real world started once I was working for Melody Maker in London, NME came a decade later. All the music press situations shared the same aspects. What those early formative shoots taught was simple: self-governing of every aspect, relying only on yourself to implement every part of the process. Many of the shoots, depending on the artist, were three to four hours of set-up time and five minutes to shoot.
“What those early formative shoots taught was simple self-governing of every aspect - to only rely on self when implementing all aspects of the process.”
Erykah Badu. Musik Magazine Cover shoot
Seattle, London, and Grunge
You left Seattle for London to build a career, and London sent you back to document the biggest thing that ever happened there musically. How do you make sense of that arc?
I didn’t specifically leave with any plan. I just didn’t want to follow the herd, and all my deep family roots were GB and UK heritage, so I always felt more at home in London. As far as that movement was concerned, I was happy for those who made it, but there were so many who didn’t just like when any music movement happens in any city, in any country, on the planet.
“I just didn’t want to follow the herd - all my deep family roots were GB and UK heritage, so I always felt more at home in London.”
Nine Inch Nails: The Perfect Drug Video
Film, Digital, and the Tools of the Trade
What do you prefer to shoot on, film or digital, if you had the choice today, and why?
This is the best era now, as you have the choice, which depends on the job and the subject. Both formats have huge potential. Shooting film is now prohibitive though, due to cost and access to photo labs, which have mostly disappeared in London. With editorial jobs paying zilch, spending the money on film and processing is a risk. Digital cameras were terrible from 2000 to 2015, until reliable medium format digital cameras rolled up. But even those old, crap digital files from that 2000–2015 period can now be salvaged and resurrected via AI resizing manipulation.
A Visual Signature
Your work is immediately recognisable. Is a visual signature something you consciously protect, or does it just keep pulling you back regardless?
I never stick to one method, camera or film, actually. The goal is to at least try to show a side of the subject or location which is new, or different. Many times it’s angles, which returns the idea to the architecture training. Showing a different view of the subject is probably number one, there’s no point otherwise, in my view.
Whose photography do you still return to, not for inspiration, but because it still unsettles or inspires you?
I’m a normal commercial photographer. I prefer to spend much of the time during pre-
planning and the post-shoot period getting the technical side correct, so I’m drawn to those who work the same way, but in different fields. Weegee is definitely one of those who had his own definitive, unsettling style. I also love the work of Daido Moriyama, Irving Penn for his ‘Small Trades’ book, and Don McCullin for the insane technical prowess under impossible duress. Another inspiration is the Avedon book, ‘In The American West’ - a forever favourite.
“Showing a different view of the subject is probably number one — there’s no point
otherwise, in my view.”
Robert Smith. The Cure.
Long Relationships
Which session surprised you most, where the subject gave you something you did not expect?
There have been thousands of surprises over the years, it’s impossible to define any one in particular. In general, though, I was always happiest when the biggest musicians or celebrities would just turn up to a session on their own. Instant bonus points. Then I always knew it would be a great day.
Which artist have you photographed more than once and felt the relationship
change the work?
The quality of the work is always number one, so perhaps the only pressure I put on myself is not to repeat myself, and to come at each session with fresh ideas. I figure if someone asks you back, it means they’re happy and comfortable. I did ten years with BB King, ten years with Nine Inch Nails, ten years with Soundgarden, and twenty-five years with Divine Comedy - so something’s been working.
“I did ten years with BB King, ten years with Nine Inch Nails, 10 years with Soundgarden, and twenty-five years with Divine Comedy - so something’s been working.”
Soundgarden. ‘Down On The Upside’ sessions.
On an Industry That Keeps Changing
The relationship between artist and photographer has changed significantly, less access, more control from management. What do you feel has been lost and gained?
Every art form and business goes through vast changes, you just have to stay positive and
move with the times, which now change ever faster. Paranoia is rife throughout. The basic business model overall broke once the magazines, labels and the money people drastically cut budgets and increased control by introducing ‘loss of rights’ contracts and ‘buy-outs’. Personally speaking, I just don’t get involved with those situations, and reject it all. Some of the stories behind those contracts are crazy.
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