Interview with Chris Woo Fall 2006

by Farrah Emami

I know you were born and raised in San Diego, did that, or your upbringing, affect you as an artist?
Of course. All of my parents are artists or graphic designers so I've was exposed to a lot of art when I was growing up. The performing arts have always been of interest as well. My older sister was a thespian from birth and took drama classes at Junior Theatre in Balboa Park when we were kids. We also both went to the school of creative and performing arts. While she found her place on the stage, my more clandestine personality found its way to more behind-the-scenes stuff like video production or spotlights. When I was seven or eight, I started hanging out with the street performers like jugglers, magicians, and maybe even mimes if they weren't too annoying. So it kind of makes sense that I would want to combine visual art with performing art with sonic photography.

What first inspired your interest in photography? What continues to inspire you?
Well, I was into music before I was into photography. I used to be a freelance rock critic/scribe for a handfull of publications. Sometimes an editor would ask me for a photo to go along with an article. A lot of bands that I wrote about were so obscure that they did not even have press photos. So I just started taking band photos to meet the need. Necessity is the mother of invention... or at least in this case it was. In retrospect, it's a pretty unromantic story, but mine nonetheless. What keeps that inspiration going? Artists and musicians that I admire. My family and friends that I respect. Girls.

What subjects are you often drawn towards? What do you find entertaining?
Fire, water, projectiles, nakedness, wavy long hair, acrobatics, vomit, urine and bloodsplatter are all interesting subjects for sonic photography. These are also very entertaining subjects so long as they maintain an element of surprise and don't become ritualized.

Do you have a favorite category of photography?
My favorite category is "good."

What ideas do you wish to convey in your work?
Something that is provocative, yet subtle. Like "The Little Mermaid" palace phallus or Van Halen's brown M&M clause.

You once said that your primary goal as a photographer is to "record music with a camera," what exactly do you mean and how do you go about doing so?
I basically want to work the impossible. I want someone who has never heard a single note of music to look at one of my photos and be so ecstatic with joy that he or she has the same emotional response as if he or she were listening to music. My slogan is "Def pictures for deaf people."

Could you describe how you create your images? What do you look for?
I throw caution to the wind. It's important to take risks and constantly challenge yourself, otherwise you will never get better. Mistakes should be expected and valued, not feared. I also work reciprocally. I usually will have a few ideas on how to frame a subject, but being able to hear another person's ideas and have a fundamental understanding of them as personalities is equally important. I try to avoid negative thoughts during the creative process and just run wild. After the shoot is the time to be critical. During the editing process, I mainly look for the best composition. Y'know, rule of thirds and stuff.

You're really involved in the San Diego music scene, how did you get into that?
At first, arena rock concerts were all i went to. But those were very expensive and you needed binoculars just to see the performers. I grew tired of getting ripped off this and just started going to shows at smaller all-age venues. Local bands would usually play these venues and they were much more approachable than stadium rock stars with pyrotechnics and security entourages. Using rock criticism as a conduit, I began to meet some of these bands, and they began to understand who I was and what I do.

Bands are often so spontaneous during a live show, are you basically clicking away hoping for something good, or have you found a science to the situation?
Since rock 'n' roll is such a wild beast, sonic photography, purely by association, is not an exact science. But there is a method to the madness and I try to hone in on a performer's body movement, which isn't much most of the time. I think what is unique about me is that I use more than just my peripheral vision when shooting a band. I free myself from the chains of my viewfinder and use the complete panorama, stretching my arms to great lengths to get an interesting shot. It's more visceral than visual.

You've photographed some bands numerous times, does that help you anticipate what they're going to do? And therefore help you create the photo?
Of course. But I like the unpredictability of the first time I see a band — it's exciting. It usually only takes a few seconds of studying their body language to figure out what they might do next.

Could you explain how you feel when you're on stage photographing a band during a live show?
It feels like teenage sex.

I've noticed that your photographic style includes streaked lights and blurriness. Was this always your style? And how did you develop it?
No. My original style was to use multiple flashes to create a double exposure kind of motion effect. The streaked light effect is a pretty standard brand of rock photography. I can't take credit for inventing it, but I'll take credit for perfecting it.

Do you prefer to use digital or film? And why?
I shot with film up until the end of 2004. Digital is faster, cleaner and cheaper in the long run. I'm really happy to be living in the age of digital cameras, not necessarily because they're better tools, but because they bring down the cost of high quality film camera brands like Hasselblad and Leica. One day I hope to afford one of those and, with the way things are going, that day will come sooner than I thought.

Could you tell me about your studio, or workplace?
I've been shooting strictly on location lately. I don't have a permanent studio space anymore.

Name a photographer whose work you respect and admire, or that has inspired you.
I've always liked Michael Lavine's work. He shot a lot of grunge bands throughout the '90s but has been doing more hip hop lately. His highest profile stuff has probably been the cover of Outkast's Stankonia, and movie promo shots for stuff like X-Men and Clerks. But the first time I think I saw his work was either on the album art for Sonic Youth's Goo, or Nirvana's Nevermind.

Even though you are a photographer, what other jobs have you experimented with in art?
I work full-time as a editorial graphic artist for an alternative weekly newspaper here in San Diego. I've always preferred non-creative jobs because there is so much you eventually have to compromise when you are selling something in the workplace. Some people can do it, but personally I prefer to keep photography as an over-the-top avocation. It keeps it fresh.

What do you love most about being a photographer?
Meeting interesting people and building a community.

What university did you attend and what did you get your degree in?
University of San Diego. I got my BA in communication studies (mass media emphasis) with a studio art minor.

Do you have any formal training in the art and science of photography?
I took a couple introductory black and white photography classes at USD. I also took a few classes in studio lighting, alternative process, and large format photography at Grossmont community college. That's about it.

I know that your art and photography career began while you were in college, could you tell me a little more about that?
My parents didn't want me to work, they just wanted me to focus on my studies when I started college. USD is the most expensive college in San Diego and I was collecting student loans like money was no object.

What was your job at the KCR radio station like?
Fun. I learned a lot about all different kinds of music there. KCR is an entirely volunteer, freeform operation so it wasn't like we were punching the clock or anything. Everyone wanted to be there.

Did it at all lead you starting your fanzine, Titanium Exposé?
Yes. Me and a few other KCR deejays worked on a program guide for the station called Dead Air that was kind of like a fanzine. I was the art director and also wrote and did some photography. The transition to TE was easy.

What did you feel was the function of Titanium Exposé?
" To share information and have fun" would be the correct answer. But deep down, it was really just to get more free records in the mail. It's more addictive than crack.

Why did you decide to stop publishing your fanzine? And why did you decide to turn it into the Titanium Exposure sonic photography project?
Because I am more gifted as a photographer than as a writer. I also did that fanzine during a time when I was underemployed or even unemployed. Now that I have full-time work, I don't have time. Besides that, it made very little if any money because i wanted to make it affordable for everyone.

Titanium Exposure in March 2003 was your debut solo show, how exactly did you put that together and get it into the works?
I scheduled a time to hang my work with the owner of Lestat's. Then I framed and hung my work, disseminated emails and fliers, and had an opening reception. It's really that simple.

Could you tell me a little bit about THIS IS NOT A PHOTOGRAPH: The Sound and Fury of San Diego Sonic Photography?
I kept meeting other photographers at shows. Some were professional and some were amateur. I thought it would be cool to pull a few people out of the woodwork and exhibit his or her photos. I had been renting out a studio space in Ocean Beach and decided that it would be a good place to have an exhibition. So I contacted as many band photographers as I could and it ended up to be a lot of fun.

What are some of the main considerations one should make before entering into photography?
It really depends on what type of photography you are entering into. I'd say that overall it is a highly competitive field and that it shouldn't be the only thing you're good at. Photography is a good secondary trade unless you're one of the lucky few who get to work for the Associated Press or something along those lines. Even then, it can become a grind like anything else.

What advice do you have for individuals interested in pursuing a career in photography?
I'll let you know once I've made it my career.

I've read that you are apprehensive about calling yourself an artist, why do you feel this way?
I let people see what they want to see in my work. If they call it art then that is fine by me. If not, no biggie either. I certainly try to give things an artistic slant, but certainly not everything I do is art. Just because you hang something on the wall doesn't automatically make it art. Sometimes it's just entertainment. And everyone has a different interpretation and understanding of what is and is not art and henceforth what is and isn't entertainment. It's totally subjective. A lot of this gets muddled even more when the celebrity of a famous band is involved.

What are your plans for the future? Do you have dreams that you would like realize?
I am more interested in photojournalism, portraiture, and other non-band related photography these days. There is less ego involved. I'd like to find a new studio space and do more product photography as well. I would be very happy doing something as common as the Target stores catalog.

I read that THIS IS NOT A PHOTOGRAPH: The Sound and Fury of San Diego Sonic Photography (Part 2)in May of last year would be your last public exhibition of band photography, why is that? And would you ever change your mind?
I'm not really into showing band photos in galleries anymore. It's so time consuming and such a huge expense to boot. I have independently orchestrated every show I have been in. If someone else were to step to the plate and sponsor a show, then I might consider it. But it's no longer at the top of my priority list.

I noticed your last art show was back in February, whats coming up next? Exhibits? Shows? Photo shoots? What?
I've been scanning some of my old negatives lately to perhaps do a sonic photography book sometime in the future. But I don't have a publisher yet, so we shall see.