I’ve photographed a number of authors for book covers and always enjoyed meeting the kind of people whose stories were interesting enough to fill a best seller. Chip Kidd and I had never collaborated on a project but I've long known of his reputation as the world’s foremost book jacket designer.
This portrait, taken in his upper East Side apartment, was shot in front of the most fascinating bookcase I’ve ever seen, containing hundreds of books whose covers he designed. Even so, the bookcase had some competition, as his apartment also includes a helicopter seat, many 50s household objects, and one of the world’s best collections of Batman memorabilia.
Helicopter Seat: Not the best place to relax with a good book. Chip with a copy of The Learners, one of two successful novels that he's written. This fall, Knopf Doubleday is publishing a new book by Chip Kidd and Lisa Birnbach called True Prep.