Harrison Ford, Sante Fe, NM, 2010. I remember going to shoot the movie ad for Cowboys and Aliens, and the crew had this two-hour drive out to the set in the middle of the desert. But Harrison, Daniel Craig, and I...well, we took Harrison’s helicopter. We had this amazing location and faux-western town, but I had to set up an entire covered studio out there in case it rained—extra equipment, power running to it—and we never used it. And you’d think, with such a big-budget movie where every second counts, you wouldn’t get much time to pull away the stars to shoot.It costs a lot of money to make a movie. When I show up to shoot the ad campaign, it’s important—I’m doing the advertising, publicity, and marketing for the film. It’s crucial to get the right pictures. But there’s also a director and producer thinking, “What the fuck?” They really can’t afford to lose the production time. But I can walk on set, and because I’ve built these relationships, because the actors are comfortable with me, and because I have a reputation, I get the time and focus I need. And I’m efficient with that time. Really efficient. I know the parameters—at any moment I could be pulled away, and I don’t want to piss anyone off, especially the director. I have that access, but it’s on me to make it count.We got this incredible group shot of the entire cast out in the desert. Once I had that, I asked Harrison to stay a minute, and let the others go. I wanted to get him in motion, galloping on this horse. They’re making a movie around me, so I have to work fast. I preset the focus and the light, and asked him to ride around a circle and hit a mark—my assistant timed my flash a fraction of a second before Harrison landed it. He says go, I hit the shutter, and my flash lit up his eyes just enough to capture this iconic image.It’s what I’ve done my whole career. I build relationships with people, and through that I get creative access that others may never have. And not just people, but stars, like Harrison and Daniel. It’s these connections that I’ve built for years and years that get me that time and cooperation in a way few can. And I believe it shows in the pictures.
