Favorite Photographer: David Lachapelle

He isn't very impressed by current photography. There's a lot of pornographic pictures taken by the young today, a lot of the nudity is just gratutious. but someone who makes me laugh is David LaChapelle. I think he's very bright, very funny and good.

Very interesting point of view Mark Connor. I see exactly what you are suggesting, but perhaps you are taking rather too literally the title of the film 'The Rape of Africa'. It is what it is. A group of people passing their views on the Photographic Exhibition of the artist David Lachapelle. If I had made a documentary film about the 'rape of Africa', then perhaps you would have a point. I totally appreciate where you are coming from.

The deep hypocrisy that runs through the video is troubling, saddening and anger-inducing. The paintings are beautiful, but the irony of a bunch of middle-class people gathering round examining the literal translation of 'the rape of Africa' is boggling.

David LaChapelle is an American photographer who’s split his time between commercial and fine-art. He’s also directed film and music video projects and worked as an artist. He is known for a style that focusses on hyper-realism and for subversive themes.

At age 17, LaChapelle met Andy Warhol. He was offered his first job as a photographer at Interview magazine. His work garnered a lot of attention and let to friendships with artists like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He soon was shooting for other magazines including Details, GQ, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Vogue Italia, and Vogue Paris.

His work has often been criticized as being style heavy and misogynistic. However he has also explored several themes that have had mixed appeal. He has cited an influence of Baroque painters on his work and critics have seen similarities to other painters. He’s also directed two films, the 2004 short documentary Krumped, and its followup, RIZE (2005).

One interesting controversy that photographers can learn from is how he protected the themes of some of his portraits. In 2011 he sued singer Rihanna and her label The Island Def Jam Music Group. He calmed that her music video for “S&M” had infringed upon eight of his photos by copying their “composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colors, props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting.” The courts denied a dismissal of the case and the defendants’ claim of fair use. The case was settled out of cou