BOB COVERING THE STARS
The Altona resident gets up close and personal with his camera.
It protects against the cold – and makes for some hot photos. Bob Leinders' (52) Swiss army blanket has already wrapped itself around many people – the well-to-do as well as slum dwellers!
The photographer from Altona, who shoots campaigns for Mercedes-Benz as well as staging models for the fashion bible "Vogue", says: "For my 'Covered' project, I want people to wear nothing but the grey blanket. For me, it symbolizes the equality of people, regardless of their social class."
Til Schweiger (52) was the first celebrity Leinders charmed. Even more than that: The actor and director was so enthusiastic that Leinders quickly had a whole VIP roster on his radar: Rock legend Peter Maffay (67), TV judge Jorge González (49), musician Thomas D. (47, Fantastischen Vier), singer Max Herre (43) and TV detective Wotan Wilke Möhring (49) all got up close and personal with him.
“With celebrities, things often have to happen very quickly. A whole day for a photo shoot isn't possible,” says Leinders. For boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko (40), portrait maestro Bob specifically chose the background in a Berlin hotel bar. Due to scheduling conflicts, the shoot couldn't start in Hamburg, where both of them have their apartments.
Helene Fischer (32) was unpretentious – and although she, like everyone else, was naked under the wool, “She took off her clothes and said: ‘Well, you’ve probably seen something like this before…’”
The Roschlaub Gallery (Mittelweg 21) reveals who else the artist collaborates with. After today's opening with VIP guests (including Rea Garvey), everyone is welcome to visit tomorrow to view and purchase the paintings.
What tip does Bob have for amateur photographers? "Get up close to the face! The person is important, not the background."