I’ve known Bunny since she was a wee, black, Italian car part. I met her on the set of a shoot in San Francisco for Fiat in 2012. I was assisting photographer R.J. Muna, in his studio, Left Space on Bryant. Fiat wanted an attention getting campaign for the release of the 500 Abarth. Their premium US offering. The concept was an image of the car, made of human bodies, painted to make up the various components. They chose to cast a bunch of circus performers and contortionists, people who had an intimate familiarity with their own bodies, and could form them, bend them, make them into the shapes needed, and to hold those shapes, under pressure and physical discomfort, long enough to assemble the car and photograph it. RJ had a good network of these folks in the Bay Area. He’d been working on a personal project of amazingly beautiful portraits of circus performers in the Bay. It took hours to build the form and for the body painters ( Craig Tracy and Trina Merry) to execute the design on the bodies. With multiple assemblies, test shots, and reviewing the results. It was quite the thing to witness. My roll, as assistant and digital tech, was pretty light. Once the set was lit and built, there wasn't a whole lot to do. So I was also shooting a bunch of BTS stills. Here’s a link to an incredible BTS video that shows the whole thing: Youtube/Fiat/BTS
Looking back, I think this might have been near the pinnacle of print advertising. I can’t really imagine something like this happening ever again. I’m glad to have been a part of it.

Somehow or another, Bunny and I connected and exchanged info. I was always on the lookout for people to photograph. I dunno man, sometimes when you meet people, the right variables fall into place. She and I have shot a ton tother. And in hindsight, it’s a super varied body of work. She appears in my timeline of images over and over, over the years, she and I in very different places as people, but always coming together to make good shit. It feels really casual, but also really powerful at the same time. And the people and projects that i’ve encountered due to Bunny proximity have been expansive. Connections lead to connections. I’m happy she’s a friend.

This last shoot was no exception. I had wanted to shoot tintypes, but the weather was not cooperating very well. 450 square feet of glass between us and the world wasn’t enough. Heavy rain for most of the day, really putts a damper on the UV light necessary for the wet collodion process. We shot a handful of plates. A couple few may be good enough to share, someday. But then with the flagging light, we switched to digital and shot this set. I’m pretty happy with it. There are some really nice moments. There are certain people you photograph that give of themselves. That connect. And that connection, for me, is what makes an image. Is what makes the practice of photography worthy of a life’s work. Bunny is one of those people.
I’m pretty sure she’s the roof line and passenger side, rear window in the top image.

Side note, after the wrap party for this shoot Craig and I ended up in a mosh pit at a FishBone concert. I miss those days. . .

Credits and links: R.J. Muna, Bunny, Craig Tracy, Trina Merry