Stockland Martel

Matthias Clamer has been shooting for Q magazine for a number of years. “He is my go-to guy in New York for stunning high-level portraiture,” says Russ O’Connell, Q’s picture director. “One of the great things about working with him is that I can quite happily leave him to his own interpretation of the brief. We’re based in the U.K., and it’s often difficult with the time difference to get to speak to people in the U.S. before a job starts. This is where Matthias really shines: I know that I can give him a brief and just let him get on with it. I always look forward to getting his selects back to see what surprises he has brought to the table.”

Here are three of Russ’ favorite portrait sessions by Matthias:

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The XX. Photographed at Terminal 5 in New York City.

 

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“Shooting the British indie band the XX, Matthias was faced with a number of difficulties,” Russ explains. “The shoot had to be done at the venue they were playing in that evening, in very little time. He also had to deal with a band that are notoriously camera shy and extremely self reserved. He managed to pull it off, creating some great dynamic portraits of the band that really bring out their vibe and personalities.”

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Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. Photographed in Oklahoma City.

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“The Wayne Coyne/Flaming Lips shoot is a great example of how Matthias will go that extra mile to get a great set of images,” says Russ. “The brief was simple: to shoot Wayne in his giant inflatable ball that he uses in his shows. Having nailed the brief, Matthias took it one step further by getting some fake blood and having Wayne smear it all over the studio floor. And he didn’t stop there. Armed with some crazy contact lenses, he managed to persuade Wayne to wear them, so we actually got a set of three stunning setups all within the given time frame.”

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The Darkness. Photographed in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

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“Matthias shot the Darkness, who are known for their eccentric glam-rock vibe, in New Orleans. The brief was to try and portray the wacky energy of the band, yet try and give a sense of location,” says Russ. “We knew we wanted to shoot in the French Quarter, but this is where again Matthias took it to another level. Instead of just shooting the band as they are in the environment, he hired in a horse-drawn carriage and big-band instruments for the Darkness to interact with, again pleasantly surprising us back in the office.”

Below, some of Matthias’ favorite Q magazine shoots. See more at his blog, matthiasclamer.com/blog.

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