In 1994 I am in Moscow doing a fashion shoot with Shalom Harlow. We are at the beautiful Goum department store next to the Red Square. Suddenly I scream, “That’s here that’s here !!”
My team look at me trying to understand, “That’s here, right here that William Klein did one of his picture”.
They have no idea what I am talking about, and I am so excited I can’t explain, i just recognize the exact spot where Bill shot 40 years earlier. For me it is mind blowing. I had never thought that Bill’s images, or any images, could be so engraved in my memory! Just to be sure I ask Shalom to move a bit to the right, and i take the picture for the fun, very eager, once back to NY, to compare it with the original.
Finally today, 15 years after I took my image, i just compared and i can’t believe how close i was from Bill picture, but more than that, I am puzzled that I could even recognized that wall and those stairs. I guess it was the crossing of the people, the light falling on them and the silhouettes coming down from the stairs.
Strange, probably my strongest homage to the photographer that has influence my entire approach to photography. Amazing how one image can be printed in someone’s head
Photo by Stephane Sednaoui