Tony Nyberg is an Auckland-based photographer with 25 years’ experience in photography working with a wide range of subjects from people and architecture to food and lifestyle. Over the years he has worked for some of New Zealand’s most iconic magazines and news outlets. He’s also a keen cyclist and music lover.
Parris Goebel is a New Zealand dancer and choreographer who founded the Royal Family Dance Crew, which has won the World Hip Hop Dance Championship three times in a row. Parris shot to fame when she choregraphed Justin Bieber’s 2015 music video Sorry, which now has more than three billion views on YouTube.
Tony Nyberg remembers taking Parris’ portrait in Auckland’s Manukau for the New Zealand Listener, published just after the international star released her autobiography, Young Queen: The Story of a Girl Who Conquered the World.
Where was this picture shot?
It was an office in a unit in the industrial area of Manukau, Auckland. When I walked in, it looked like a 60s brown office room and that “New York” wall was behind me. I thought “we have to use that wall”; it’s got the cool international thing associated with it, and Parris has that international fame.
With Parris, I knew I had to take a contemporary image of someone who obviously wouldn’t suffer fools. So, [when I saw that background] I thought, “there it is”.
We also tried roller doors outside trying to get something happening, but we knew that was the one. Everything was just there; but it wasn’t just good luck as you still have to make something of it.
The thing with my job is you never really know what you’re going to turn up to. It’s amazing how often you walk into a room and quickly have to scan it and find somewhere to shoot.
Did she have ideas on how to set up the shot?
With her all-female dance crews and dance style that she calls Polyswagg, it’s all about empowering Polynesian women. We wanted that kind of strength, attitude and determination come through in the shot.
Another thing is with the paperstock of the Listener, you want to try and get rich colours into the shot because if it’s too light, you’d see the text on the other page. So this was good and full of rich colours.
Where there any other memories that spring to mind from this shoot?
I like to say we collaborated, but she knew what she wanted, which was good. When you get someone who’s very definite about how they want to look and has their strength of identity about who they want to be, it’s great.