last year the general mood was of course very depressing BUT as we all know times of crises also bring up big chances for changes. Great opportunities can suddenly come to the surface; the decks of cards are getting reshuffled! I just fantasized about how I could translate all of the above into a fashion-story. I came up with a story line how a bunch of renegades leave the power structure and hang out like some kind of "Fashion-Ronin-Gang". Using a moody, static, powerful scene and contrast it with a nihilistic vibe. Our fashion director Joseph Ungoco liked the idea and the rest is history. The beautiful thing about fashion-photography in general is that it can be at the pulse of contemporary developments in society without having to be too literate. It is my believe that I can entertain a certain depth but at the end my fashion-stories should still be fun, entertaining, cool, up-lifting and sell the product! On a side-

note - as a personal "wink" from out of nowhere I found a picture on the cover of the New York Times two days after our Renegade shoot featuring Oliver Stone. He had just started the filming of the "Wall Street" sequel that week AND the Times had photographed him exactly in the same spot at the Federal Reserve Bank where I shot our cover. Whether we were right on the money or the world is a small place, or maybe both? Who knows?! *laughs* In any case it was a nice, little thing that happened and I felt grateful. KW: is it easier or harder working with an all males or females on a fashion shoot? TR: I think because of hair and make-up, preparing and maintaining the looks of females for a fashion shoot is taking more time, everybody involved knows that. But here is also another aspect of practicality. An example: Almost eleven month ago I had an all men's

fashion-cover-shoot at Times Square on a chill December night. I was shooting my guys jumping around in the traffic, sitting briefly on car bumpers walking in between the traffic lanes while the vehicles were driving by - very guerilla-style shooting. Can you imagine how that would have been with girls running around in high heels and lofty outfits?! I don't say I wouldn't do it - probably we do a sexy underwear shoot the next time, creating a big traffic-jam in Times Square, I would love that. *laughs* Sometimes with an all-female cast the whole show just becomes a different endeavor - you girls are just more delicate than us guys, at least that's what I want to believe. *laughs* An all male cast you can bust around a little bit more if necessary. But at the end of the day I love to maintain a good mix between all males and all females shoots, if I have great talent in front of the lens both are big fun!