Bruce Talamon facts for kids

Bruce Wayne Talamon, born on July 31, 1949, is an American photographer. He is famous for taking pictures of R&B and soul music stars in the 1970s and 1980s. He also worked as a photographer for magazines and movies.

Bruce Talamon's Early Life

Bruce Talamon was born in Los Angeles on July 31, 1949. He was the first of two sons. He started high school in 1963 at Verbum Dei High School. Later, he studied political science at Whittier College in California.

In 1970, while studying in Berlin, Germany, he bought his first camera. It was an Asahi Pentax. He used it to photograph famous jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Dexter Gordon in Copenhagen. After college in 1971, he decided to become a photographer instead of going to law school.

Bruce Talamon's Photography Career

Capturing R&B Music Stars

After college, Bruce Talamon got a chance to photograph the 1972 Watts Festival in Los Angeles. He got a special pass that let him go backstage. This allowed him to take pictures of many famous R&B artists. His photo of Isaac Hayes was the first R&B picture he ever took.

At the festival, he met photographer Howard Bingham. Bingham introduced him to the owner of Soul Newspaper. Bruce then started working there as a photographer. He later became the photo editor.

In 1974, Bruce began working for Motown Records. This was his first big company client. Soon, he was taking photos for other record companies like CBS Records. He also started working as a freelance photographer for magazines like Jet and Ebony. Over his career, he photographed many well-known artists. These included Donna Summer, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and Chaka Khan.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Bruce traveled with several artists on tour. He went with Bob Marley from 1978 to 1980. He also toured with Earth, Wind and Fire from 1979 to 1980. His work for R&B record companies ended around 1982.

Photography for Movies and Magazines

Bruce Talamon started taking "stills" photos for TV shows in 1975. These are photos taken on a film set. As a photographer for ABC Television, he worked on shows like Laverne & Shirley and Charlie's Angels. In 1980, he became the stills photographer for the popular show Soul Train.

His first movie as a stills photographer was Blue Thunder in 1982. For the next 30 years, he worked on many major films. Some of these movies include Staying Alive (1983), The Golden Child (1986), and Space Jam (1996). He also worked on Larry Crowne in 2011.

Bruce also worked as an editorial photographer for Time magazine. His first big job for Time was covering the 1984 US presidential primaries. He photographed Reverend Jesse Jackson's campaign. He covered politics again for Time during the 1988 Democratic primaries.

Since the mid-1990s, Bruce Talamon has helped create several photography books. He has also had exhibitions showing his work. These include his book Bob Marley: Spirit Dancer (1994). He also contributed to Barack Obama: The Official Inaugural Book (2009). An exhibition called R&B Photographs: 1972–1982 was held in 2014.

Bruce Talamon's Personal Life

Bruce Talamon has a son.

Exhibitions of Bruce Talamon's Work

• Committed to the Image: Contemporary Black Photographers, Brooklyn Museum, New York, 2001.
• R&B Photographs: 1972–1982, Contact Photo Lab, The Brewery, Los Angeles, 2014.
• Hotter Than July, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, 2022.