You don't simply photograph James Morrison. You discuss, philosophise, laugh — and by the end of the day you know more about yacht electronics than you did at the start.
James — born in 1962 in Boorowa, Australian jazz legend, multi-instrumentalist in the most literal sense. Piano at six, brass at seven, professional stages as a teenager, and ever since through more or less every instrument you can hold, blow or pluck: trumpet, trombone, tuba, euphonium, flugelhorn, saxophones, clarinet, double bass, piano. He played the opening fanfare at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has led his own bands, composed works for large ensembles — and with all of that, he is one of the most relaxed and most talkative people you can meet in a studio.
With James, things never get boring. You can spend hours discussing anything from God to the wider world; he has an opinion on everything and is interested in everything — a trait I recognise in myself and one that makes sessions like these a pleasure. After the last shoot he flew straight on to Spain to join a friend's yacht and go through the technical details of the ship with the crew. A walking encyclopaedia with more adventures in his bones than the town of Mank has house numbers.
For a photographer this is a gift: someone with that much presence doesn't need to be staged in front of the camera. You set the light, you ask a question, and the rest happens by itself. The task is more about knowing when to press the shutter — and when to simply join in.
Thanks to James for the time, the stories, and for turning every shoot into a small trip around the world.