Bryan Adams (Photo: Victor Chavez)Sure, you're familiar with Bryan Adams as the Canadian hitmaker responsible for such '80s and '90s classics as "Cuts Like A Knife," "Summer of '69," "Run To You," and "Please Forgive Me." But did you also know he has another, equally successful career? The multi-talented artist is also a very in-demand top photographer, who's shot hundreds of portraits of fellow rock stars as well as film and fashion luminaries.
Adams, who's just released a "greatest hits"-of-sorts volume of his favorite photography called Exposed, boasts a staggering list of A-list names--both classic and modern--captured by his lens. In the music world alone, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Ron Wood, Sting, Morrissey, Billy Idol, and more have posed for him. You can see examples of his work here.
"The whole thing sort of started through documenting my own work," Adams told CNN of his inital foray into the art. "I started doing pictures for my own album covers."
From there, he rapidly moved into capturing others. Adams's portraits are arrestingly beautiful studies--Winehouse glowing in a blue bikini; Jagger with an amazingly natural grin--all the more stunning for the surprise in realizing...who knew he did this?
The Grammy-winning singer even managed to (literally) expose pop star Pink in his latest book. "I said to her at the end of the day, 'The light's really beautiful. Let's go upstairs in the sunlight and do some pictures outside' [and] boom! [her shirt came off]," he told ABC News Radio.
A variety of top actors have posed for Adams as well (ranging from Dustin Hoffman to Lindsay Lohan), and he's done a charmingly down-to-earth portrait of the Queen of England. He claims that his understanding of what it's like to be in front of the camera helps him bring out the best in his subjects.
And if all else fails in getting a good photo--his secret weapon? "Whiskey," Adams laughed to CNN.
Adams also has uploaded a variety of short films he's worked on in tandem with his photography projects, which include musical beauties such as Karen Elson and Lana Del Rey.
If his glittering roster weren't enough in and of itself to put the mark of stardom on his work, the foreword to Adams's new volume is written by none less than Sir Elton John himself, a friend whom Adams admires for his deep interest in photography.
In addition to his portraits of celebrities, Adams has won several awards for his work in fashion photography, and has shot ad campaigns for a variety of brands including Guess, Fred Perry, and Escada. He hasn't abandoned his music career in the least--he completed a Canadian tour this summer, will be playing a string of dates in the States starting in December, and is reportedly at work on a new album.
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