It has taken many years to capture a photograph strong enough to be worthy of the name Breaking Bad. Some have come close and we do regularly work with people who dance on the edge of permitted behaviour, but we held out looking for the perfect picture. Breaking Bad was an epic, game changing series and anything that borrows the name must be visually appropriate as well as eye grabbing and powerful. I had long sensed that the concept of filming with Cindy Crawford in a Californian Biker Bar had potential, especially if the bikers had a palpable sense of menace and trouble. I knew that she could more than hold her own in playing bad ass and therefore there could be unity across the ensemble, irrespective of the apparent rogue member. I need a collective, not six or seven individuals.
The interior of Joshua Tree Saloon in the town of the same name, offered a great canvas on which to paint this story and as always there was a jeweller’s eye attention to detail. I required as much information in one frame as possible and this demanded that I use width rather than height. When I saw the result, I sensed I had my Breaking Bad shot. There is nothing I would change in it and I think Bryan Cranston et al would feel rather at home in the saloon.
There seems little appetite for cultural refinement or mundane conversation. Cindy excels at this kind of work and it is always a privilege to work with her. She absolutely smashed the role I asked her to play that day and now we have the long sought after picture.