Red-Blooded American Male

Red-Blooded American Male is a beautifully presented collection of male portraits taken over several years by celebrity photographer Robert Trachtenberg. Throughout, it is clear why Trachtenberg is sought out for his work: the images are full of mischief and quirkiness while never resorting to over-orchestration or showboating. The photographs are a testament to personality rather than presentation, giving us unique but endearing glimpses of the individuals being photographed.

Each image is either full or two page spreads with many including short observations by the photographer: some include witticisms, some notes, and others are outpouring of love/respect for that particular subject. If I had a nitpick, it was that I wanted much more than was given; some images had no information at all and others just hinted at a lot unsaid. Because we only get a few snippets of general observations, this is clearly a book intended for the layman and not necessarily other photographers who would be interested in the concepts/setups/etc. and how they came about. But then again, Trachtenberg notes quite early that there are far too many photographers out there and they are a bit scary: when asked his favorite photographers, he answered, "Food photographers. Because they're not taking jobs from me." Also interesting is that he notes how easy it is to take a good picture but difficult to take one with interest.

Trachtenberg's personality is greatly on show here and it is a pleasure to read, sure to elicit smiles. Slightly self deprecating but with the twinkle so obvious as his signature photography style. My favorite was in the acknowledgements at the end, when he starts, "In many cases, these photos were produced on assignment under extreme conditions. At times the caterer forgot to make the chicken breasts boneless or the DJ on set would play a song we had heard before. Once, we had to wait for a little bit while the valet ran down the hill to get our car. In other words, there's absolutely nothing to complain about - it's the best job in the world."

The celebrities photographed here are impressive and all the images are quite a treat to enjoy. The layout is clean and showcases the images perfectly. In all, a wonderful coffee table book to enjoy now and then - both for Trachtenberg's quirky photography as well as the personalities so beautifully realized throughout. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Robert Trachtenberg has a way with a camera and with his subjects. His photography is unique, a little tongue-in-cheek, on the verge of naughty, with a mischievous sense of humor. His best shots are when the subject has a similar sense of humor and is willing to go to lengths which might surprise others, obviously trusting that Trachtenberg will end up with a shot that is nothing short of perfection.

And he does. Over and over again.

His photographs have appeared in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, and Esquire among others. He’s written, produced, and directed several documentaries, one on George Cukor (“On Cukor”), another on Gene Kelly (“Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer”) and the list goes on. He is a multi-talented man, with the emphasis on talent.

The photographs in his latest book, “Red-Blooded American Male: Photographs” is nothing less than you’d expect if you’re familiar with his work, if you’re not, you owe it to yourself to own this book. His wit is evident even in the introduction, which is a question and answer format with Jess Cagle (friend of Trachtenberg, and editorial director of People as well as Entertainment Weekly) asking the questions and Trachtenberg providing answers.

What you end up with are countless (well, okay they aren’t exactly countless, but why count them when you’ll just find yourself going back over them again?) photographs of, as Trachtenberg says “guys in (mostly) unconventional setting doing (mostly) unconventional things. “ Starting with Paul Rudd, strategically wearing a sheet, to Billy Crystal wrapped, in pose to match the life sized Oscars, NPH (Neil Patrick Harris) in a tub, and Gene Kelly – one of the last photos taken of him… there are too many to mention them all. Some of my favorite shoot stories and photos were of Seth Rogen, the recreation of a scene from the film Brazil with John Stamos, the ode to Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis with John Stamos and Bob Saget. The shoot with Chris Colfer is priceless. I loved Tim Gunn’s shoot - who doesn’t love Tim Gunn? Other favorite stories and shoots: Brian Sims, a member of the House of Representatives, Jack Lemmon, Tim Conway, Carol Burnett, and Vicki Lawrence. Honestly, they’re all wonderful.

More than that, you’ll also get a peek into Trachtenberg’s creative process so you can think of your own creative ways to photograph your own possibly slightly more conventional male.

Publication Date: 13 September 2016 Many thanks to Amphoto Books, NetGalley, and Robert Trachtenberg for providing me with an advance copy to read.