Scott Caan is a man who knows what it’s like to feel the full glare of photographers’ flashbulbs. The actor grew up with Godfather actor James Caan as a father, and became a star in his own right as part of Clooney’s rebooted Rat Pack on the three Oceans movies of recent years and as the lead in hit US remake Hawaii Five-O. While actors often make the move behind the camera to direct, it’s less common to see them take on photography as a serious pursuit, and Caan, in titling his collection Vanity, is aware that some may view this secondary career as something of a self-indulgent exercise.
Stuff them. Over the last ten years, Caan has seen his reputation as a photographer grow, and it’s evident that his work stands out on its own merits. Rather than compartmentalise his day job from his photography, Caan exploits his privileged status as an actor to access otherwise off-limits vantage points, as in the red carpet shot from Cannes, taken from a place no photographer has ever been allowed. He’s not averse to turning the camera on the odd famous chum either, but again his personal relationship to the subject only enhances the dynamic. Caan’s work is equally interesting when looking beyond the Hollywood hoopla, and there are plenty of examples of less star-studded imagery included in Vanity; the book is available from publishers Reel Art Press, and Martha Otero Gallery, Los Angeles, is hosting an accompanying exhibition from 30 August to 13 September.
