I had an instamatic wind-on camera and remember buying the flashcubes and fixing on top of the frame. The flash credits were limited so you had to be careful not to waste any.
Flash photography can be horrible. In the hands of an expert who knows how to bounce all that searing bright light in the right direction, it may make an impossible picture workable.
My first pictures are from 1972, and my first proper camera dates back to 1973. During the first year I used my father's camera. It had a flash on it, which I don't like, but I didn't know anything about photography back then, so it was just what I did.
I have world class photographic red-eye pretty much all the time. As a general rule, if it's taken with a flash, I look like I am possessed by the blazing forces of darkness, at least in the eye department.
My big pet peeve with people posting food - and I love it when people post food - but my number one thing is when you're posting at a restaurant, and it's dark, like a date night, food never looks good. Flash looks horrible, no flash looks horrible. It's important to only do food photos during daylight - and it's all about color with Instagram.
Sometimes, when I'm on the red carpet or something, and there was a lot of flashes, my eyes, like, start watering. I'm like, 'Oh.' You have to hide it, so I just keep going, and then I'm like, 'Oh gosh, it hurts so bad.'
People used to call me Bond in the street. It was impossible to avoid crowds of people all over the place and blinding flashguns. The Beatles had to run the gauntlet as well, but at least there were four of them!
When I was a kid, back in the days before cell phone cameras, I had disposable cameras I took a lot of pictures with and I just remember something always went wrong.
I photographed with film for many years; now that I work in digital, the difference is enormous. The quality is unbelievable: I don't use flash, and with digital I can even work in very bad light. Also, it's a relief not to lose photographs to x-ray machines in airports.
As an actor you want people to know you and there are times you want your pictures taken, but it's unnerving to walk out of a venue with friends and there are 20 people flashing lights in your face. Do you know how bright those lights are?
I'm interested in contemporary vision - the flicker of chrome, reflections, rapid associations, quick flashes of light. Bing! Bang!
When I started, there was something almost romantic about the notion of paparazzi. I mean, it wasn't. They were still chasing you down the road. But that guy had to put film in his camera and work out whether it was worth pressing the button to take the shot, otherwise he's got to stop and change the film. So it was like this age of innocence.
And no photographs taken with the aid of flashlight either, if only out of respect of the actual light—even when there isn't any of it.
The best photographers know how to light any color skin.
When I was young, around 5, I was crying in all the pictures of me. I did not like the flash; it scared me!
I don't use the front-facing camera because the quality of selfies isn't as good.
Wherever there is light, one can photograph.
What's hilarious is people taking photos and they think you don't know. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen. Like taking a picture of their mate for example but about three foot wide of their face - and the flash is on half the time!
Anyone can look good if you have 500-flash bulbs exploding in your face.
I always work with two cameras. Its kind of like I'm hypnotizing the subject with the flashing. It's a bombardment of action, flashes, and I think it helps them to ease into the process.
People who are new to photography always pull their subjects directly into the sun, which is the most unflattering light in the world.
I was looking at this picture of Brooke Shields at Studio 54 the other day. Everyone in the shot looks amazing because they have these black and white cameras with a flash. I think that's what photographers should go back to.
I carry a disposable camera. It takes me back to my childhood, when you had to develop your film and wait to see what pictures you got.
My first serious project was photographing badgers - very, very difficult as they are shy and nocturnal.
I'm not saying that photographers are dumber than other people, but they are the folks who walk around with brilliant white lights in nighttime riots.
