Interview with Chaske Spencer from 'Twilight' on photography

Thursday, July 12, 2012  

"Let’s get the elephant-in-the-room question out of the way... I know you as a friend, a brunch and Bingo buddy (soon), but to a great many people you are the leader of the wolf pack in the Twilight movie series. Tell me about your film career and how it affects your normal routine for good ...for bad?

Yes, brunch pals and hopefully go-to bingo pals soon. My film career started about a decade ago. My first film was a movie called Skins. The director was Chris Eyre. Since then, it's been a slow climb to the working-actor mountain top. When I landed Twilight I was broke and hadn't been able to land a job in two years. I actually thought that if I didn't get this I was going to pack it in... call it a day on the acting career. For the good part, I'm working a lot now. I have three films lined up. They should be out next year. I also, just got back from Australia. I was filming a pilot called Frontier for NBC. I don't let my career affect my normal life. I keep pretty low-key. It's just a job that I like to do. I'm pretty lucky.

Have you always been a photographer? Tell me about your work, especially shooting rock bands. Which ones have you shot?

I've always been fascinated by photography. I wanted to be a painter but I found out that I don't have the patience for painting. I like the instance gratification of a really good photo. I started taking photos as soon as I moved to NYC, when I was 22. I was using a Canon film camera. I bought it for very cheap at a pawn shop in Calgary, Canada. At the time I needed to spend money on food and rent, not film. So, photography sat on the back burner for a time but, since I've been working and traveling, I take my camera everywhere with me. I have a digital Canon Rebel. I started shooting bands a couple of years ago. My roommate at the time, Adam Morse, plays bass for the Five O’Clock Heroes. I started going to their shows and taking photos of them. I've also shot this band called Roma. I like going to clubs and finding bands to shoot."

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The Leader of the ‘Twilight’ Wolf Pack: Chaske Spencer (BlackBook 7/10)