I was still studying photography at the Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, when we got an assignment to do an annual "report style" photograph on a company of our choice. I picked Propaganda Films, the top music video production company of the day, and was invited to come to a video shoot they were doing for Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Crossfire".

The location was a dumpy apartment building in Hollywood, and I showed up excited because I was such a huge fan. I got to spend the day with Stevie and the band in an intimate setting. They performed a mini-concert in the basement during the lunch break, with perhaps 10 other people in the room. One of those rare opportunities that this line of work affords. Stevie learned my name and took a shine to me, asking me for prints of the photos from the day. I was on cloud nine. I got to go see shows whenever they came to town, and Stevie gave me a real leg up on my career at the very beginning.

I remember that I was walking down the Kensington High Street in London with my friend Eva when she told me that he had died. Eva never had her facts straight, so I hoped that she was mistaken this time, but she wasn't.

Thank you for everything you gave us Stevie.

Iggy Pop is a Supermodel

Having worked with hundreds of celebrities over my career, I rarely gush over having met a famous person. Iggy is the rare exception. He is one of only a handful of people that have been in front of my camera that I can say knows precisely what to do, and that understands the collaborative and creative relationship between photographer and subject.

We photographed in and around his East Village apartment, and this photo was taken on a basketball court adjacent to his building. I threw a black velvet backdrop over a chainlink fence in open shade, and Iggy did the rest. I was stunned when I got my proof sheets back from the lab - every frame was a winner, each shot unique and different. Iggy's also the most intelligent and educated person I have had the privilege to meet and work with.

Photos from this shoot were used on the package for his American Caesar album.

RADIOHEAD

In honor of Radiohead's newly released album The King of Limbs, they are our next band up in Pangea's 'Photo Diaries'.

The photo shoot was for Detour Magazine during the release of OK Computer. I had just seen them perform the night before at The Troubador, which for those who've never been, is a small (500 capacity!) and historic venue in West Hollywood. The show still stands as one of my Top Ten concerts of all time. I saw them twice more on that tour, but seeing them so intimately was a once in a lifetime experience. The album then remained in my car CD player for the next year or more - definitely a formative/ significant album for me.

After doing some shots outdoors, we ended up back at the Chateau Marmont where they were staying. For me, this photograph captures the essence of both the band and the album - somewhat inscrutable and Thom Yorke's yawn captures the ennui of life on the road. Colin Greenwood, the bass player, knew my work and requested a print of a shot I'd taken of Christopher Walken for the cover of Bikini Magazine. I obliged gladly.

This is the point in their career that Radiohead became RADIOHEAD.

HENRY ROLLINS

Henry was my first professional assignment, so I thought it fitting to start off "Photo Diaries" with Mr. Rollins, whose 50th birthday was just the other day (2.13.61) and is beginning a run of his one-man show in Los Angeles at Largo.

Back in 1989, my friend David and I approached him about doing an interview for Mondo 2000 (back when 2000 signified a very futuristic concept) after a spoken word performance he'd given in San Francisco. We felt intimidated by the former Black Flag frontman, but worked up the nerve to talk to him. After looking us over intently with what felt like a bullshit detecting gaze, he gave us the number of his manager and told us to set it up. A few weeks later, I went over to his house in Venice where the photo shoot took place. It was just the two of us, and what made me nervous was the fact that he was so nice to me. We shot in his back yard in daylight, with my hulking Mamiya RZ67, just two rolls of 12 frames (which seemed like a lot at the time!). On my last frame, I told him that I had one shot left, and he responded with this frightening lunge/ yell (see below). I recall that I nearly wet my pants. We later went on to do more shoots together, from which several shots were used as author photos in his books.

I'm happy to see that Henry continues to evolve as an artist, and shares his wealth of knowledge and taste in music with us on his weekly show on KCRW (Saturdays at 6:00 p.m.)