Originally printed in Confusion Magazine issue #15
“With an unbelievably old, ripped up, Motörhead shirt on, the sickest pair of leather boots you’ve ever seen, a cig in one hand and an archaic piece of technology in the other, comes Olivia Jaffe. Like a spider carefully waiting for the moment to strike, often not disrupting the scene, just hanging in there tight till the time comes, she shoots to kill. A glorious person to spend a road trip or a couple years with if you’re beyond lucky. You’ll learn ten of your new favorite songs of all time and end up with a pile of polaroids of you in brutally honest and hysterically mischievous situations. She’s a lover and a fighter. Dig into her photos and dive head-first into a rock and roll universe you only ever dreamed of before.” – Josh Landau
Interview by Jonathan Hay
Who are you?
I am Olivia Kate Jaffe from the desolate beaches of Santa Monica, California. I live in a place called Virgil Village, close to Silverlake but far enough away to avoid bumping into people you might not always want to see.
How did you end up in LA shooting analog film of 70s inspired rocker dudes and chicks?
I grew up here, had ideas about moving to New York or London, but then met my favorite photographer at the time (Lauren Dukoff) and she ended up mentoring me for a few years so I stayed in LA. She still shot primarily film then, and essentially personified everything about the world of photography that I first fell in love with. She showed me taking the kinds of photos I wanted to take of the kinds of people I wanted to photograph was a real possibility instead of some distant romantic idea (in terms of a career). I went for it, shot as many photos of my friends doing weird shit as I could without making them want to kill me, spent all my money on film and developing, and haven’t looked back since.
Why do you choose analog film over digital?
I’m a sucker for physical processes, keeping things rooted in the physical world and finding the magnetism within that. When you process a roll of black and white film, particles of metallic silver make up the negative. That is absolutely magical to me. That’s as much part of the beauty of the medium as the nature of capturing a fleeting fragment of a second in time is. Every single photograph I’ve ever fallen in love with was shot on film. I also believe within the physical world, things are connected. Energy is transmitted between every single thing existing in that place and time, and therefore the film you’re shooting theoretically is effected by the environment you’re shooting in, and the scene you might happen to be photographing. I believe those subtleties show up in the film, they become part of how it’s processed and what you see in the final image. That is a physical, alchemical, wicked as hell, process digital just can’t touch.
Which photographers inspire you in your work?
Ken Regan’s photos of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour make me want to cry. Glen E. Friedman of course. Spot (SST’s house producer and engineer) took some fucking legendary photos of the Los Angeles skate, surf, and punk scenes in the 70s that (especially being from LA) are so goddamn special to look at. His book Sounds of Two Eyes Opening came out in 2014 and will blow your mind.
Who are people in your life you look up to, not necessarily photographers?
My pops is my #1. He’s been selling classic cars since the age of 14, came to America from the UK on holiday in his 20s and just never went back. He’s the hardest working man I know, and a killer example of how lucky you can be when you’re willing to put in the effort.
How is touring around the world with a rock n roll band? Every teenage girl’s fantasy?
It’s definitely my teenage girl fantasy. I don’t think touring is for everyone, but to me it’s the best thing there is. It’s like rock & roll summer camp for grown ups; you have your task for the next month or however long laid out in front of you every day, and best case scenario you get to do that with your best buds, your family. It’s life boiled down to the basics in the sweetest way. Maybe not the best way to SEE the world, but definitely the best way to meet the world.
How did you get hooked up with the Shrine?
Well, I started dating Josh (vocals/guitar) and we jived on everything right away. I’d already been shooting photos and making videos for a few years at that point, so it was a natural progression to start working with the band in that way.
Tell us a crazy tour story.
A festival put us up in a nice hotel once that was INFESTED with bed bugs. The entire hotel was booked out by the festival, so there were no more rooms to move us to. We all woke up in the morning covered in bites, and Hersh (drummer for Dirty Fences) was so badly bitten he got sick the next day and couldn’t play the show that night in Lyon. The promoter was a dick and tried to stiff Dirty Fences out of their guarantee for the night (which was bullshit because it was never even announced that DF wasn’t playing), so I went full throttle TM on him and nearly had a punch out with the dude. Ended up getting everybody paid in the end cuz I was good at that job. Fuck bed bugs.
What are the top five bands you’ve shot?
Motörhead, SLAYER, Alice Cooper, Midnight, The Shrine + Dirty Fences + Death Alley when we toured Europe together and they’d all get on stage at the same time and REALLY JAM MAN.
What are the top five bands you’ve never had the opportunity to shoot?
Bands that no longer exist in their OG form: MC5, Thin Lizzy, GG Allin, Rolling Thunder era Bob Dylan, and Gaye Advert.
You were with Lemmy shortly before he died. Anything to say about this experience?
Grateful for that experience. He was the/ my ultimate.
I suppose you sometimes get nervous shooting photos of some famous people. Who was the person that you were most scared to shoot?
Tom Araya from Slayer. He ended up being really fucking cool and joked around with me, but I was pretty much peeing my pants the whole time.
You take a lot of photos of hot girls in their natural setting. Where do you discover your models?
A lot of these babes are my friends first and foremost. I’m fortunate to know some really beautiful ladies who are also cool as fuck, so most of that comes from just hanging out and being comfortable with each other. They trust me and I trust them. If I’m scouting for a shoot, I’ll straight up use Instagram.
How did the opportunity arise to shoot for Playboy magazine?
They found me initially, sent an email asking if I was available to shoot a race car driver for the mag. I was out on tour with The Shrine at the time, but connected with them once I was back home and it took off from there. Dream job working with them.
What magazines do you shoot for?
Thrasher, Vice, Rolling Stone, Playboy, Nylon, Juice, etc.
What was your most proud moment as a photographer?
Getting sent to the drug and violence capital of Mexico to shoot a story on the ties between beauty pageants and the cartel for Playboy, hands down.
Do you also shoot skateboarding? What are the similarities or differences between shooting bands and skateboarders?
Sometimes, but not often. I grew up skating, but never got good enough to be all expert about it. Timing and composition are everything, in both subjects. When you’re shooting skateboarding, you gotta make sure you catch it at the right moment to do the trick justice, and keep the skater’s style in mind. It’s pretty much the same deal when you’re shooting bands, especially live. Nobody wants to see a picture of a bunch of dudes or chicks standing around looking bored holding instruments like an accessory. You need to catch them telling the story of what’s going on, what they’re about. Otherwise you just get another boring photo.
Any advice for all the millions of photographers out there these days, how to stand apart from the crowd and make your passion your dream job?
Shoot what you love and work your ass off. There are no long-term handouts and there is no such thing as “free” time.
Any upcoming projects you are working on that you want to talk about?
Working on a new book that finally gets all these tour photos in one place!
THE SHRINE – “Death To Invaders”
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Olivia Jaffe
www.oliviajaffe.com
@wicked_
For more Olivia Jaffe photos in Confusion Magazine check out our interview with The Shrine, from Confusion magazine issue 11.