Creators, ActorsTina TurnbowJanuary 17, 2025Christopher Lowell, photographer, film, actor, theatre, broadway, Cult of Love, Tina Turnbow, The Bare Magazine, camera

Christopher Lowell

Creators, ActorsTina TurnbowJanuary 17, 2025Christopher Lowell, photographer, film, actor, theatre, broadway, Cult of Love, Tina Turnbow, The Bare Magazine, camera

Christopher Lowell has just a few more performances left starring in the hit Broadway production of Cult of Love. Not only is he a gifted actor but he’s an amazing photographer as well. We asked if he would bless bare with a photo diary that would document a typical show day and more. Along with a few self portraits, his partner Kerry and his 3 year old daughter contributed some shots too. Scroll on down and check the snaps and wonderful chat on his time in Cult of Love, his favorite camera and film lab of choice, go-to food spot before a show, what inspires him to click the shutter and the bare essentials that are always in his camera bag.

The Bare Magazine: Thank you for this wonderful treat of photos by you, Kerry, and your daughter. Did Kerry get interested in photography after meeting you? How many cameras are on rotation between you? Do you have a favorite go-to?

Christopher Lowell: Kerry’s an incredible photographer. She’s always had a great eye, all I did was show her how to use a couple cameras, but her eye is all her own. She’s great with color, great with shapes and objects, and composition. She takes photographs like Eggleston; they’re little riddles: beautiful compositions that you need to sit with for an extra moment to realize the genius behind them.

Our cameras are always loaded with film, intentionally distributed all around the house, so there’s always one at hand when inspiration strikes. I’m usually shooting on the Hasselblad; almost always Kodak TriX (B&W). We’ve got a couple Holgas that we love, usually loaded with Kodak Portra 400. And then a Contax T2 for everything else. Kerry shoots color. I shoot B&W.

Bare: What intrigues you most about film? Would you consider a digital camera for any reason?

CL: Film is tangible. That’s it. That’s what I love about it. It’s something I can actually hold in my hands. And taking analog photographs feels like magic to me. There’s nothing, and then suddenly, alchemically, an image appears. The same goes for printing my work. They’re all silver-gelatin fiber prints. It’s literally light interacting with silver. I respect digital photography – I know plenty of photographers who create spectacular work in the digital space – but personally, it holds no value for me. I wouldn’t know what to do with any of it. And you won’t find a worse iPhone photographer than me.

Bare: As Cult of Love comes to a close, how would you describe the experience? What are some highlights for you personally and professionally?

CL: I’m already preparing myself for the collosal come-down that’s going to happen when the show closes. Being on Broadway has been a goal of mine since I started acting, and to be making my Broadway debut alongside such an amazing company of actors and with such a spectacular script is a wealth of riches. I’ve been working long enough to recognize how rarely an experience like this comes along. I’m trying to soak it all up before it’s over.

Every actor in this play is working their ass off. No one is phoning it in. They all brought so much of their own personal lives into the work. That requires a great deal of trust and vulnerability.

Before every performance, we all huddle up, make eye-contact, have a little pep talk, then a collective cheer. That’s something I’ll miss when this show is over; that eye-contact, that team effort. God, I love these people.

Bare: Do you have a scrapbook of snap shots from backstage and beyond to refer to down the road? Do you love using photography as a way to capture memories?

CL: I think that’s essentially my modus operandi as a photographer: trying to capture memories. Not in a documentary sense, but more in an attempt to capture the way something felt. I don’t have a photograph documenting all the items in my dressing room, or perfectly-lit, well-framed portraits of the cast before and after they put on their costumes. But I do have a manic flash photograph of Zach, Rebecca and Shailene running down the steps, glowing, after curtain call. Or a blurry image of Mare, just before the elevator doors close on her way to her “Places” call. Or the absolute chaos of Barbie and Roberta’s dressing room… the bruise on Christopher’s thigh from smashing it with a tambourine every night… there’s energy in the photographs. Movement. It’s how it felt.

Bare: Describe a typical show day and your routine. We would love to hear more about your favorite restaurant, Lupe’s!

CL: I like to get to the theatre around 5pm. I usually have something light to eat when I arrive, so I’ve got enough energy to do the show, but not so much that I go into a food coma halfway through a performance. Inevitably someone in the cast will do a big coffee order for everyone else, so we’re all fully caffeinated before going on stage. At 6:15pm we do music call, which is a great way for all of us to drop in, get on the same page. Then we huddle up, make eye-contact, and cheer. Then everyone splits off to get ready.

Often on 2-show days, I’ll treat myself to a big lunch at Lupe’s East LA Kitchen on Broome Street. Kerry and I have been coming here since we moved to the neighborhood almost a decade ago. We’ll do the NY Times crossword and hang out with Salvador and Milagros and David and the rest of the staff. We’ll argue about where to hang the neon sign, which booth is the “best booth,” who makes the best café con leche, things like that.

Bare: You've probably tried out a few photo labs, why is Luster Photo your top stop?

CL: When I first moved to New York, a friend recommended Luster Photo. I was living in the East Village at the time and it was close by, so I just started going there and never left. They’ve got the best prices, the best turnaround, and plenty of knowledge. They’re good with B&W film, they do great scans, and they’re patient.

Bare: Describe what inspires you to want to click the shutter the most.

CL: Inspiration usually comes from a seemingly small moment from one of the people in my life, and I’m usually taking the picture to prove to myself that I was there. That this thing actually happened. That it was real, that it looked this beautiful, and that I got to bear witness to it. My daughter looking out an airplane window, a co-star reviewing their lines before a scene, Kerry asleep on the couch…