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Lenny Kravitz's camera

Jan Bruck (with dpa)June 23, 2015

Apart from being a rock star and sex symbol, Lenny Kravitz is also a talented photographer. His preferred motif: Paparazzi aiming their lens at him. The singer is showing a selection of his works in Germany.

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Lenny Kravitz Musiker
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The exhibition featuring 30 photographs from Lenny Kravitz's series "Flash" opens Tuesday (23.06.2015) in the headquarters of camera manufacturer Leica in the small town of Wetzlar.

According to Leica, Kravitz "captures the essence of what it's like to be a rock star who's constantly in the public eye." In his photographs, Kravitz turns his camera back on the people who have constantly focused their lenses on him: paparazzi, fans, TV teams.

Fotobuch Flash von Lenny Kravitz
Image: 2014 Lenny Kravitz

The photos are a fascinating insight into the dynamic between celebrities and the fame crazed public.

"I don't think people expected me to shoot back," Kravitz said. "I decided to turn it into an exercise and change the dynamic of the dance, so I turned the cameras back on them."

Fotobuch Flash von Lenny Kravitz
Image: 2014 Lenny Kravitz

One of Kravitz's favorites is a shot in Cannes with a bald photographer holding his camera up at star and other people surrounding him. The singer said it reminded him of a scene in a film by Italian director Frederico Fellini.

Kravitz said he started snapping pics from a very early age with his father's camera and subsequently tried to learn as much as possible from his photographer friends. Only selected guests are invited to attend the opening of the exhibition Tuesday night in Wetzlar.

Cover Fotobuch Flash von Lenny Kravitz
Image: 2014 Lenny Kravitz

"Flash" will be open to the public starting Wednesday and will run through the summer. The exact closing date is still to be determined. The exhibition premiered this year in the Leica Gallery in Los Angeles. The photographs originally appeared in a photobook of the same title, available a publisher teNeues.