Memo Pad

WWD March 2, 2007 MEMO PAD WIDE LENS: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders might not be the first photographer one thinks of when the American Red Cross is mentioned, given that he has shot everyone from naked porn stars to designers and presidents. But the organization turned to him to inject some glamour into its marketing efforts, so he has shot a new ad campaign pairing celebrities such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Marcia Gay Harden, Sara Evans, Niki Taylor and Vivica A. Fox with everyday Red Cross volunteers, such as Mary Ciriec, a disaster volunteer, or Sue Carswell, a disaster action team member. The ads break today in Time and will be carried in April issues of Shape, Real Simple and Redbook. A three-page gatefold will appear in Condé Nast Traveller in May. The images have Greenfield-Sanders’ trademark elegance with subjects posed in front of mottled gray backgrounds. Small gestures convey empathy, such as Aisha Tyler’s hand gently holding that of Ciriec’s, or Elisabeth Rohm hugging Carswell. And what about his porn-star work, the book “XXX: 30 Porn-Star Portraits” and an HBO documentary, “Thinking XXX”? “They were well aware of it,” he said. “I think they figured that since I photograph presidents and porn stars, I’m egalitarian.” Speaking of egalitarian, Greenfield-Sanders documented another tribe of entertainers — go-go boys for the April issue of Flaunt, which will be on newsstands next week. “GoGo Gods” depicts hunky dancers recruited from bars and clubs in Manhattan, New Jersey and Philadelphia. “Most of the go-go boys dance for men,” Greenfield-Sanders said. “Only a few perform for women. They all have their own stories. Just like those who have achieved widespread notoriety, these men are passionate, determined, narcissistic and intelligent in their own way.” – Sharon Edelson