UNCROPPED (2023) | Dir. D. W. Young
LL Cool J, 1986 | James Hamilton
Written by: Belle McIntyre
James Hamilton is, by all accounts, a very charming guy, as well as a preternaturally talented photographer who captured the zeitgeist of his prolific career – 1960’s to 2000. Self-taught, with an intrepid curiosity, he photographed everything and everyone within the focus of his viewfinder. He lived a spartan existence in a studio apartment/darkroom where he developed and printed all of his images. His work ethic was such that he submitted final images as opposed to contact sheets and insisted that there could be no editorial cropping. Fortunately, there was no need for that as his printing style was impeccable.
James Hamilton with camera, 1970s | Jody Caravaglia
The film and the work chronicle the cultural history of New York City from the down and dirty days of the ungentrified lower east side, grunge, punk and jazz music scenes, as well as the glamor portraits of Liza Minelli, Alfred Hitchcock and Craig Claiborne, Patti Smith and Lou Reed. His work appeared in New York Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar and, most notably as a staff photographer for the Village Voice during it’s heyday, and The New York Observer. He periodically took side gigs to do still photography on film sets, working for George Romero, Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson. The directors particularly appreciated his approach on the set. He was unobtrusive but always captured unique shots. The reporters he worked with also admired and respected his visual interpretations of their words.
Patti Smith and Tom Verlaine, 1975 | James Hamilton
Interviews with his associates are full of fond moments of working with him on assignments. And his subjects were made to feel so comfortable with him it allowed him to get some wonderfully spontaneous shots. Talking heads include, Wes Anderson, Sylvia Plachy, Joe Conason and Thulani Davis, who speak in glowing terms and with great affection. With all of that he appears to be a self-effacing, all-around great guy who still has all of the enthusiasm for the world and the work that brought him to this place. It is a wonderful portrait.
