Jonathan Mannion: Better With Time

The ability to freeze a moment in hip hop has become more important than ever. Hip hop has changed rapidly since the first time I heard O.P.P. or Protect Ya Neck. Where were you when you first heard O.D.B. spit, or what were you going through when you ripped the plastic off the cassette tape of Reasonable Doubt? If you ask photographer Jonathan Mannion he would say ”I was right there.” A pure student of the science of photography Mannion has photographed everyone from Jay-Z, Afeni Shakur to Mos Def. The crazy thing is he feels as though he is just getting started. Mannion is a perfect example of how each and every one of us can make a living doing what we love; the simple question is are you willing to sacrifice? Jonathan Mannion has reaped what he’s sowed, but it wasn’t without a passion for the grind that got him to that point.

Scheme: When did you first pick up a camera?

Jonathan Mannion: I had a Minolta 35mm camera in 1986 but I really didn’t use it. I shot three or four rolls on vacation and then put it down. Then I had the little throw away Olympus Stylus in college for the drunken debauchery, for example documenting “keg stands”… but never anything professional really. I never had an interest in pictures until my last year of college, which was in ’93, in my photography course. In exploring photography at Kenyon College, I realized that there was an incredible dynamic achieved between shooter and subject. I wanted to explore that farther and at that point made the decision to give it a try in NYC. Coupled with the love of shooting was the printing that I did in the darkroom during my final year, this too was an amazing process.

Scheme: What did you think you were going to do before you fell in love with photography?

Jonathan Mannion: When I was a kid I think I wanted to be a marine biologist… I went on a family trip to the Cayman Islands which was a truly eye-opening experience. At age 16, I looked at my surroundings, sunshine, beautiful ladies everywhere, a whole underwater world that had opened up to me… I said to myself… “I could dig this.” Time passed and I let that interest go, but never stopped doing art, drawing & painting. In high school and college I thought I would work in advertising somewhere creating ideas that would become print ads or tv spots, but at the time it never occurred to me to be a photographer. As it turns out, it was the perfect blend of all of my interests, working with people, creating concepts and then allowing these ideas coming to fruition. The application of this “formula” has allowed me to achieve some really powerful images over the last 11 years. I would say that 90% of the ideas are totally mine and the other 10% are a collaborative effort to come up with the resulting photograph. But 100% of the final image is from my vision. It is my interpretation and chosen moment, which is hugely rewarding.

“Visually I wanted to come in and transform how people saw this art form.”

Scheme: When did it happen when you stopped asking people to take their photos to people calling you to take their photos?

Jonathan Mannion: I’ll give you the whole story of my beginning to help paint the picture of the transition… I worked for a photographer named Richard Avedon, arguably the greatest photographer to hold a camera, right after finishing college. I was the low man on the totem pole there. I was there at 7am with bagels for the whole studio and the last one to leave after emptying out the trash. As I recall I made about $280 a week after taxes and in New York at that time, my rent is $650… do the math, after rent and basic food I lived a fairly simple existence. The one thing that I did was go to hip hop clubs where I would meet different people. I realized that I had incredible access to these people and started rolling with my camera everywhere. I used to be a DJ in college with the only hip hop / reggae show on the air, so I was super familiar with everybody from the album covers and promo stuff that we got there. So I picked them out in the clubs and asked these stars if it would be possible to shoot some photos of them more documentary in style versus paparazzi style. For example, I was at the Palladium with Heavy D and after taking a few shots of him and I said, “I’ll send them to you” and I asked for his address to which he responded “you photographers are all the same no one ever sends me sh*t.” As a man of my word I sent him the photos and he called me directly and asked me to come to his studio and shoot some more photos. He was one of the first people to give me a break and allow me to have real access to these celebs, Mase, Monifa, Puff.. .etc… For me it was just the access I didn’t ask for any dough at all, it was just the ability to be there and do it that was the reward. Once people started realizing what I stood for and the knowledge I had about the music and the fact that I was there for an honorable purpose, that is when people started wanting to work with me. My passion for what I was doing spoke much louder than words that I could have said asking them for photos. The photographs taken during that period are some of my favorite because everything was new, the spirit of hip hop was incredible and I was doing things on my terms, getting the pictures that I wanted to make. It became a mission to define an era at that point.

Scheme: What aspect or parts of hip hop did you fall in love with?

Jonathan Mannion: Initially my interest in hip hop was the magnetic draw to the “swagger”… I was listening to Big Daddy Kane, D.O.C., Too Short, Dana Dane, Slick Rick, Shabba Ranks, Super Cat and the list goes on and on… anything that I could get my hands on. That was when I became immersed in the culture. But, in general, music has always defined my existence. My father is from Brooklyn and my mother is from London and music was always played in the house… from Johnny Mathis, Elton John to Aretha Franklin to anything I found on my own… KISS, Journey, ACDC, Depeche Mode… I had interests in all types of music. Getting back on subject though with regards to hip hop, I would have to say that once I heard Big Daddy Kane and The DOC, that was it. That was the definitive moment that I said to myself, I want to be part of that… I’ll figure out my contribution later, because I couldn’t rap for sh*t. But I can take a damn good photo so I decided that would be the angle. Visually I wanted to come in and transform how people saw this art form. We look back and the pictures from different eras, Bob Marley photos, Coletrane, Miles Davis etc that are incredible because they were documented a very special moment in time. I felt that I could elevate the genre of hip hop photographically applying my perspective. I wanted to tell the real stories of hip hop and define these people through timeless images. My approach is definite, more cinematic and based on these artist’s environment versus just shooting in studio somewhere… I wanted to go to their cities and homes instead of shooting in the studio, because when you are actually in their environment, the reactions are different. For example, I just took Chamillionaire to Paris, France and Kingston, Jamaica… and we spent a week shooting for his latest album “The Ultimate Victory.” It was really important for both of us to shoot this actually on location where we wanted to go versus just dropping in a background in post production. The reactions are totally different, for example, we shot in an African Ghetto called Goute D’Or where we were welcomed to the point where store-owners ran out to give Chamillionaire gifts to just say “you’re welcome her and we appreciate you being here… “ it was incredible.

“Who do you have doing it now? If it’s your uncle who shoots weddings and will shoot it for $2000 I’ll shoot it for $1700. If you have someone shooting it for free I’ll pay you $300.”

Scheme: How did you come upon the opportunity to shoot the cover for Reasonable Doubt. Did you know that this would be a classic album at the time?

Jonathan Mannion: I really lucked up on the opportunity to work with Roc-A-Fella due to working with another company called Blow Up Media Relations and they were doing press stiff for the Fugees. A friend of mine, KB Payne just swiched jobs and was working with Roc-A Fella. She gave me a call and said I have to go over there that day because they are talking about doing this album cover for JAY. So I came in and met with Damon Dash and he basically said “we have to do this album cover for Reasonable Doubt, your pictures are cool… how much is this going to cost me?” I said “$300 less than your lowest bid.” He looked at me crazy. I confirmed it by saying “Hypothetically, if your uncle who shoots weddings and will shoot it for $2000 I’ll shoot it for $1700. If you have someone shooting it for free I’ll pay you $300.” Just allow me to do what I want to do for Jay at the highest level. I heard the tune “Dead Presidents” and I knew that Jay was going to be huge. I heard his flow and I got the way he thought. There is a special link that we have, his loyalty and consistency with me has been unparalleled in Hip Hop. Jay is incredibly clever and witty, similar to my other favorite, Big Daddy Kane, after hearing Jay over the years… he moved solidly into my top spot. In the debate over who’s the best… my vote is in for Jay. Anyway, back to Reasonable Doubt, they all came to my apartment building on 72nd and Riverside and I shot Reasonable Doubt on the top of my building in this solarium. We kept it classic doing true Brooklyn Mafia style imagery. Classic, timeless photos. I did a lot of research for this… looking at old police photos from the 20’s and 30’s and other photos from that time so that I was solidly and authentically in that zone. I ended up shooting it for $1300 dollars in cash at the end of the shoot. I knew that the album once I heard it all was going to be a classic. It is such a thorough album… if it was a new release today, it would blow everything else off the shelves.

Scheme: To stay with New York you have this photo of B.I.G. do remember what that scene was like?

Jonathan Mannion: I remember it vividly. It was shot on stage at the Palladium at his Platinum party. That time was such a special time never to be duplicated again… BIGs gone, RIP, the Palladium has been ripped down and turned into NYU dorms it’s crazy. The Palladium was truly one of the major clubs at that time. I went to at least 10-15 parties in that place. This particular party, I went to Bad Boy and asked if I could shoot that night and they said no problem. I went off that night shooting everything feeling how special that night was. I have a pic of Biggie, Jay-Z and Busta standing together, all of Junior Mafia with Lil Kim and Puff toasting with BIG on stage. When that picture was taken I was holding Lil’ Kim’s hand with the camera in the other looking through the lens with one eye taking that photo. It was me Kim, BIG, Puff and the crowd, what a moment.

“The one thing I’ve noticed is the access to people. Like there are seven levels of security & PR to people that are protecting and insulating these people now. They have there own agenda of what they want to do, where as before you are literally bumping into people on the street.”

Scheme: Where do you come up with the concepts for these photos and album covers?

Jonathan Mannion: It happens differently every time really… For example, for the Game’s album covers, it was based off of a conversation, he said… “You are the best at what you do, I’ve seen your book its crazy.” For this album he wanted to pay tribute and reverence to all the people that have allowed him to be in that position. He was very humble at that time but definitely had a clear vision about where he wanted to go. He said to me… “These are the people that influenced me… Nas, BIG, Pac, Jay and DMX and a few others”… So I just made a checklist where I said we’ll do photos that are influences by some of the major photos that have happened over the years that are associated with these artists… And the rest we will try to capture the magical moments that just occur naturally with preparation and passion. He was incredible allowing me to have such an intimate look at his life and access that was incredible. I got some unbelievable photos from that 1st session with him. It was a major moment for me shooting there in Compton, Dr. Dre came through the hood in a 6’4 Impala wearing a Compton hat. That was a huge moment for me because it was a window of time that influenced me to do what I do today.

Another example of a how these albums have come to be is with DMX for Flesh of my Flesh Blood of my Blood. I was simply given the title of that album and that’s it. I immersed myself in doing research reading anything I could get my hands on… It was an amazing shoot where we achieved some of the most memorable images that people have seen in 10 years. This will be one of the most recognizable images when we look back at this era. Again, every time an album is created it’s a different thing. Thankfully, I have the trust of so many of these artists and it makes the process much smoother because people already believe in the images that have been created. These artists can then speak creatively without worry that it will be interpreted in a way that wouldn’t be so cool for their careers.

Scheme: As hip hop has grown and developed with different genres inside the music how has your eye had to grow and adapt with that?

Jonathan Mannion: I don’t think that my vision has changed really. It constantly evolves and reacts differently as I get more information about artists that I want to tap into. As a photographer, I have grow and advanced a lot since I’ve started, but my eye has been pretty consistent with the way I view things. I look back at early work and feel that I’ve always been in that “zone” where beautiful images are being created. I take timeless photos… I’m not reliant on gimmicks to create my pictures. That’s why I have sort of resisted this “digital-ography composite nice capture-ography” it’s not photography to me in the purest sense. I love the old process of creating pictures and will embrace it as long as I can. I mean, I know it has incredible flexibility and value in the marketplace, and I don’t say it to knock anybody, in fact probably 90% of people are shooting digital these days, but I just think it’s a different art.

Scheme: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in hip hop since 86’ until now?

Jonathan Mannion: One of the major changes relates to the access to the artists that used to be so easy that now is really difficult to get in so many ways. It seems that there are about seven levels of security & PR to people that are protecting and insulating these people now. They have their own ideas of what they want to do, where as years ago, you are able to really do what you want without limitation. Now you have to talk it through, everybody must feel safe and secure with the intentions, it has to be for a project magazine or album these days. Thankfully, I feel like I beat that curve, people know my history and my never changing intentions for upliftment of hip hop… now its like, “Do you know who that is?…, it’s Mannion, let him in.” A lot of people have a different agenda now as it should be at a level… people should be getting their just due for creating culture that is imitated and emulated everywhere. It’s definitely gotten more corporate and, at some level, lost some of it’s heart and soul as a movement, but I do feel that it’s evolving and changing for people to really create their own destiny. I’m happy to have been able to make an indelible contribution to the culture. No one can ever take that away from me. My legacy is in tact. I’m grateful for the position that I’m in and am excited for all that is still to come for me. There is a lot of expansion. I’ve been directing videos and commercials, I have gallery shows (one at Govinda Gallery in DC on May 18th- mid June), and so many things in the works. I have a book coming as well next year called Signature… a compilation of all my Polaroids that I had signed after every shoot that I did. It’s just getting good!