Mark ‘The Cobra Snake’ Hunter has a life most people could only dream of. He goes to amazing Hollywood parties, music festivals and concerts. He photographs the world’s most famous musicians, movie stars, DJs, models and more, all the while wearing vintage fashion (indie kids – wipe up your drool, thanks). And he’s probably one of the only people who can boast about photographing Björk during one of her DJ sets without being punched in the face by the Icelandic singer. Headed to Australia in March for Future Music with ex-roommate and DJ BFF Steve Aoki, Mark spoke with Glam Adelaide writer Gianni Borrelli.
GB: You began with Polaroid Scene many years ago, how did that evolve into what you’re doing now with The Cobra Snake?
Well, a lot and not so much has changed. I started the website with the intention to document exciting culture and you know, living in LA there was so much going on, it was like a non-stop sensory overload, like ‘there’s a party tonight, there’s an art show opening later’, it was non-stop. And I figured that there’s got to be more than just Los Angeles, so I started travelling, and I think once The Cobra Snake launched, it was my goal to experience parties and culture all around the world. I can’t remember the first time I came to Australia, but I think since I’ve started I’ve come there about 10 times. It’s almost like a second home, I have so many great friends there, I think people are so nice and there’s always so much going on, it’s a really epic place to be.
GB: Do you think starting in LA, and living there now helps with the kind of work you do?
Yeah, I mean it’s Hollywood. So many movies come from there, a lot of bands come from there and travel through there. I think if anything I have an advantage, coming from America, the whole world is kind of focusing on it. You turn on the TV and they’re talking about what’s happening in LA. The Grammys, the Oscars, they’re all very LA-centric, so having a website that has those kind of entertainment photos is very suitable to LA. But I think when I travel I have a pretty good perspective on what happens all around the world.
GB: You’ve basically achieved celebrity status with your photo blog, did you ever envision your work being so successful and sought after?
I didn’t really know what to expect when I started the site, but I had a feeling that I was doing something that was really interesting, and I had a feeling other people would think so too. I think part of the success of the site is that it’s so diverse in terms of what you can find on there. It’s not so celebrity driven. If you want to find out about the next cool band you can look on The Cobra Snake. If you want to know what Steve Aoki is up to, you can look on The Cobra Snake. If you want to know how to dress, if you’re a girl or a guy, you can look on The Cobra Snake. If you want to know anything about pop culture, you can look on there and I think that’s what excites people. For me, I’m just some Jewish guy from LA and I stand out when I go to parties, people sort of recognize me and I guess I’ve become known in the indie world.
GB: You’ve gained a reputation for wearing a lot of vintage clothing and your website even sells a lot of it, what started the love affair with vintage clothes?
I think it’s my mom’s fault, because when I was young I think she wanted to have a girl, and I’m an only child, so she would always take me shopping and tell me all about rock and roll bands and all that. I had a vintage t-shirt collection from when I was a little kid and it’s sort of become an addiction. So I travel around, I find cool shirts, I wear them, I get sick of them and I sell them online so somebody else can enjoy them. It’s kind of like a vicious cycle. My addiction to shopping is good because I get new clothes and then I sell them so I can buy more clothes. It’s kind of like an endless cycle.
GB: You probably get asked this a lot, but who has been your favourite person to photograph?
Probably Steve Aoki. Just because we’ve travelled around the world together and he’s one of my best friends. His energy is just so cool. We both started out at small parties, where there’d be a couple of hundred people and now he’s playing at festivals for tens of thousands of people, so it’s pretty exciting to watch his career grow. And he’s just a really cool guy and a really nice person.
GB: Have you ever been asked by angry celebs to take photos down from your website?
Not too much! I try to keep a good reputation in the sense that I don’t want people saying bad things about me, so I think I’ve done a pretty good job. There’s sometimes the occasional celebrity girl making out with a guy that’s not her boyfriend and doesn’t want her boyfriend to find out, and there’s no way I could have known that, but my goal is not to make people look bad, it’s all about culture and lifestyle.
GB: You seem very tuned into pop culture and club culture, especially because you travel so much. How much have you seen it evolve over the years?
Well I think there’s an immediacy to everything around the world, like when the song A-Trak makes, or the song Barbara Streisand comes out, everyone else has heard it and knows the words and is singing along. Or even with more mainstream music like Katy Perry, it’s the same thing. It comes out in America and they’re already listening to it in Brazil. And I think that’s pretty interesting because it levels the playing field for people who are adjusting and learning about those things. There’s no barrier now, with the internet. I think it’s good but it’s a little bit bad too because you can learn to dress the same way as people in New York, and everyone is becoming this sort of international culture, whereas maybe 10 or 15 years ago, things were more diverse and unique.
GB: You’re headed to Australia very soon for the Future Music Festival, what will you be looking forward to when you’re here?
Yeah I mean Future is a totally fun festival. I was there a couple of years ago and I had a really good time. The line ups are always amazing. I’m really looking forward to MGMT, Mark Ronson, Kesha. I think it’s just going to be really fun. I get to travel to all the cities down there and take pictures, I feel very lucky that I’m able to do it.
GB: With websites like Tumblr and Flickr, a lot of people have become interested in photography and sharing their photos with the world. What advice do you have for anyone hoping to go down the same career route as yourself?
You got to work really hard. It might look like it’s a whole lot of fun and games from my side, with the blog, but it’s a lot of work maintaining and editing to keep some kind of consistency. I think consistency is a huge key. I think having the consistency, a certain style and trying something different, I mean there are no rules on the internet, you can make your own rules and I think that’s a huge advantage. Everyone is getting so creative with the way the make things look, especially young people, presenting things on the Internet, to making things for the iPad. You can have tonnes of different online platforms and I think if you take advantage of those, along with having a certain taste and aesthetic, don’t just shoot every single party for instance, but take something and try to tell a story with the different photos you shoot.
Mark Hunter’s work can be found on his website, www.thecobrasnake.com. The website also features an impressive online store, with a huge array of both pre-loved and brand new clothes and accessories up for sale. Mark will be photographing the Future Music Festival, Monday March 14 at Rymill & Rundle Park. Visit www.futureentertainment.com.au/futuremusicfestival/adelaide for more info.
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