Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx is also an accomplished photographer and Leica shooter
posted Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 2:45 PM EST
With a tumblr blog proclaiming cameras "are my new drug," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx takes his photography very seriously. The blog features Sixx's impressive black-and-white work, including gritty street photos, surreal portraits, and eerily beautiful images of angel statues in cemeteries around the world.
Sixx is also a devoted Leica shooter and he opens up about his love of photography in an interview posted today on the Leica Camera Blog. In the interview, titled "Nikki Sixx: One Step up from the Abyss, Part 1," Sixx talks about how he's able to transition from being a bassist in a noisy rock band to a photographer with a keen eye for life's quiet moments.
"You hit a place where you go all the way back and reflect on your life. I’m 54 years old; I have more years behind me than there will be in front of me. You hit a place where you want to reflect; maybe it happens sometime in your 40s. I’m a father of four and a recovering heroin addict. I’ve been doing all this creative stuff, not for money, but for passion. Sometimes it does turn into money and I’m able to support my family and continue to be an artist. That is why I always support other people to become successful artists. I say, 'That’s beautiful. If you’ve done it once you can do it again.' You can keep doing it. We all benefit from it. If you are a fan of a photographer or painter or musician, you can benefit if they can be successful."
In terms of cameras, Sixx seems to shoot with everything, as long as it's made by Leica. His current favorites are the Leica Monochrom and the new Leica M digital rangefinders.
"When I am out shooting and documenting, I feel that color distracts from the story. I don’t know why I feel that way. Almost everything I shoot is output in black-and-white."
Read more of the interview at the Leica Camera Blog. See more of Sixx's work at his "Some Call me Sixx" tumblr.
And no, Sixx is not the only member of a Mötley Crüe with a connection to photography. Last month, we featured images of Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, who was photographed upside down on his rotating drum kit by Mike Corrado.