Larry Niehues

French-born photographer Larry Niehues was raised in the idyllic setting of Avignon in the South of France with an inherent fascination with America and all its beguiling history and culture. With a talented costume designer as a mother, Larry and his brother, Charles fell naturally into the fashion world. Charles established his brand Fat Boy Clothing, catapulting Larry into the role as the brand's de facto photographer.

While Larry's introduction to fashion photography was somewhat by happenstance, his passion for the medium was immediate. An impressive roster of clients from the commercial, fashion, and fine art worlds steadily grew, prompting Larry's full time career in photography and ultimately his relocation to Los Angeles in 2010.

In 2013 Larry began a life-altering journey throughout America's fifty states capturing images of distinctly American subjects flush with gritty grimy muscular motorcycle lifestyles, seedy neon motels, and iconic cowboy cultures from a time long since gone by. Niehues' tireless travels and countless rolls of Americana captured on 35mm film would ultimately amount to a publishing deal with Belgian-based Lannoo Publishers who released his first monograph, Nothing Has Changed in 2019.

Nothing Has Changed quickly sold through its first and second print runs and is currently sold out with accolades from top publications including The Guardian, W Magazine, and The Telegraph. Glowing press coverage hailed Niehues’ reverent nods to American photographic masters such as William Eggleston and Robert Frank, with a modern twist perhaps only a foreigner could capture. Nothing Has Changed was blessed with an introduction from Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, who began as an early supporter of Niehues's work before bringing Larry into the fold as the official tour photographer for the band.

Niehues' second book, Mississippi Dream was born as the product of his extensive travels through the US during the making of Nothing Has Changed when Larry quickly became enthralled with the people and culture of the Mississippi Delta. The project was shot over the course of three years during the COVID pandemic requiring multiple cross country trips to the Delta during uncertain times in an area affected by illness and unseasonal flooding.

Mississippi Dream received a very special pre-release in the US in February, 2023 at Galerie XII in Los Angeles, with official launches following in Nashville in April, 2023, and Paris in December, 2023. Larry's long-standing passion for America has been requited with his official status as an American citizen, which was awarded to him in 2021.

Portrait by Laura Moreau

THE BLACK KEYS:

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LARRY NIEHUES

Larry Niehues’ relationship with The Black Keys began through a shared love of motorcycles, vintage Americana, and a special feature of Dan Auerbach’s impressive collection of bikes that ran in Dice Magazine. Larry continued to work with Dan Auerbach over the course of a few projects. Ready for a life change, Larry relocated from Los Angeles to Nashville where he began working with The Black Keys and was ultimately brought on as the band’s official tour photographer.

Keeping pace with the band’s rigorous schedule both on and off the road has granted Larry unique access to capture images of the group performing and in more intimate settings. Drawn from a wealth of thousands of images shot on stage, in the studio, and at rest, this never before seen collection offers an inside view of the band that fans and music lovers are sure to adore.

MISSISSIPPI DREAM

Mississippi Dream is Larry Niehues' second book and photographic series following Nothing Has Changed, his 'love letter to America'. For this book, Niehues chose to go deeper into his fascination with the Delta region of the United States and focus on the great state of Mississippi. In this passionate exploration inside the culture of the Deep South, Niehues captures aspects of Mississippi far beyond landscapes and blue skies.

All images were taken between the years of 2020 and 2022 while confronting a pandemic, as well as major flooding that deeply affected the Mississippi Delta. This raw and passionate body of work captures a range of moments; from epic performances by Blues legends at iconic local juke joints, to more intimate settings. It documents century-old Baptist traditions and everyday life in what is often referred to as 'The Most Southern Place on Earth.' The photographs tell a story that feels both nostalgic and surreal, and is sure to inspire a deep sense of what life is like in the Magnolia State.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED

Larry Niehues traveled the US for 5 years photographing modern day America while seeking out the continuing presence of a timeless post-war 'old America'. Photographed using 35mm film, his portraits of people and iconic small town life (motels, diners, gas stations, cars), evoke mid-century American life in a way that is both authentic and powerful in the tradition of William Eggleston, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Davidson, and Robert Frank.

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