Lou Reed

The time I helped Lou Reed edit his photo book which came to a close when I got a bleeding ulcer or so I thought...

I wanted to find a place for myself on the other side of the camera, so I enrolled in the International Center of Photography in New York to study fine art portraiture, capturing images of people as art. I loved photographers like Shelby Lee Adams, best known for his photos of the people of Appalachia, and Diane Arbus, who could tell profound stories with only one photo.

Not only did I study at the ICP, I worked there too, which can cut your tuition in half! Most people know Lou Reed as a brilliant musician and songwriter. Founding member of The Velvet Underground and creator of revolutionary music. What might not be so well known is that Lou was also a great photographer, who published several books of his photographs.

One of the happiest days happened before I started my VeraMeat brand, when I was going to school at the ICP and working at a fancy digital lab in Manhattan. We’d do large prints on metal sheets and archival boards for museums and fancy clients. I was a boss at color correction.

One day, Lou Reed, with his rock n roll vibes, came in for help with a photography book he was putting out. He asked me about the color temperature. The photos were looking too green and he wanted to work with someone who could speak his language. Just as he was walking up to the photo lab, I was taking a break near the entrance, smoking a cigar. Ever since I was twelve years old, I’d been smoking a cigar a week, plus a pipe which my mother bought me. I even had the charming smoker’s cough, but although I was 18 now, I knew I looked like a long haired 13-year-old grunge kid.

Lou winked at me on his way in. I threw my stub in the gutter, putting away my sketch book and walked back inside.