Music photographer Richard E. Aaron has photographed dozens of big stars in his 38-year career, from Chuck Berry to the Rolling Stones, from Elton John to Michael Jackson. But he can only recall a couple of times where he was "star-struck" when shooting an assignment. One time was a photo session with classical-piano virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz, one of Aaron's personal heroes. Another time Aaron arrived at Jimmy Page's studio and bumped into a session guitarist. "I opened the door, and coming out was George Harrison," Aaron recalls. "He said 'Hi,' and it just caught me off guard — 'Oh, a Beatle!'" he adds with a laugh.
"I wanted to get this side that nobody else saw, which is the innocence of a person."
Aaron says most of his experiences working with famous musicians have been positive. "I try to keep it professional, and they do too," he says. "Usually I didn't want to capture what every other photographer had captured, which is the glitz and the glamour of the business — I wanted to get this side that nobody else saw, which is the innocence of a person. The side that lets their guard down and talks to me on a one-to-one basis." Aaron shares many of the anecdotes behind his pictures on his website, www.rockpix.com.
Throughout his career, Aaron has relied on Nikon equipment. "The only thing I have ever shot with is Nikon," he says. "The optics are the best, and I think the new D3 is the most perfect camera out." Having gone digital in recent years, Aaron says he carries three lenses — the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR, the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR, and the 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom-NIKKOR — plus a couple of SB800 AF Speedlights and several CompactFlash cards. "My camera bag has gone from what used to be 87 pounds down to a fraction of that weight," Aaron says. "It's a lot easier on the shoulders."
Discography
Richard E. Aaron tells American Photo why Nikon is the only equipment he'll use.
