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The Alex Webb / Chuck Norris connection

I am back from my weekend with Alex Webb, his wife Rebecca Norris Webb and about 12 other people who took a workshop at the Woodstock Center of Photography. Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb have been teaching this workshop together.

A note about Woodstock first

I have to say that Woodstock is a strange place... About 4000 people live there all year long, about 15.000 in the summer time. It kind of has an American small town feel to it but at the same time it's totally touristic with a whole bunch of arts-galleries, shops and restaurants. And how else could it be - some visitors of the famous 1969 concert in Woodstock have never left since then as it seems. There are not only a handful of hippies, old and young, who are carrying the message of love and peace out to the world. At least to Woodstock.

The Workshop

The two workshop days have been interesting, intense, inspiring and fun. Of course two days are a little short but we made the best out of it. Saterday morning was the time to introduce everyone and have a review of all portfolios. We got a shooting assignment for the afternoon which meant that we should just go out and photograph what interests us. We were asked to try and photograph more intuitively. Don't think too much when photographing. One of my weak points.

I went to the Dutchess County Fair about 45 minutes away from Woodstock. The second biggest County Fair in New York State. County Fairs are something typical American I'd say. A huge festivity with awards for best cows, pigs, chickens, pigeons, horses and other animals. There is a huge amusement park, tons of Hot Dogs, Pizzas, Burritos Pepsis and cotton candies. I only had about two hours left to photograph and it was kind of interesting because I didn't put myself too much into a situation of stress but just walked, looking around. The photo above is from that fair.

On the second day of the workshop we had to get along without photographing. We were asked to make a first and second edit of our photographs which was then shown to all of us. Interesting to see how Alex Webb examines the photos. This was also sort of a short introduction to editing which is one of the most important processes a photographer should be able to do.

Well and we talked a lot. Alex and Rebecca told us about their work, they've shown us prints and got asked a lot of questions of course. A nice and relaxed atmosphere!

What do Alex Webb and Chuck Norris have in common?

I do not know Chuck Norris personally but I'd say not much. So then what is this whole Chuck Norris thing all about? This is one of the funny stories Alex came across... So what does a Magnum Photographer have in common with a martial-arts TV and Movie star? First the beard. Second their color of skin. These two things seem to be enough in some parts of the world to mistake Alex Webb and Chuck Norris. Paradoxically Chuck Norris movies seem to be well known and exported into countries which usually don't have a wide selection of TV shows and movies.

When he told us about one of his trips to Haiti this came up. People on the streets suddenly started to believe that this is Chuck Norris who is walking around taking photographs. He was then working together with a fixer (a native who helps translating if necessary, who shows you around, who knows a bunch of people and who watches your back if there is a need to do so) who decided that it would be better to leave them in this misbelief. This trip took place while one of the many rough times in Haiti. People were suspicous and the fixer thought that it might unburden his work to a certain degree.
At one point a big muscular Haitian man came over to Alex and told him that he was a huge fan of him (of Chuck Norris unfortunatly), that he was into martial-arts himself and asked for a tip which might help his career. Alex told him the same thing he tells people asking for an advice in photography. "Don't think too much and be intuitive." This was not the only time people thought that he was Chuck Norris. Especially when travelling together with his wife and they have to show their passports. Rebeccas passport only says "Rebecca Norris" and not "Rebecca Norris Webb". Border officials already thought that Mr. Norris might travel under a pseudonym... :-)
Go ahead and compare for yourself. Visit Chuck Norris' website and Alex Webbs website to see their portraits.

Posted by Martin Fuchs on August 28, 2005 11:06 PM