In October 1991, just as Nirvana were tearing up the rock'n'roll rule book with their major label debut Nevermind, Austin photographer Kirk Weddle was commissioned to shoot the band for photos to promote the impending blitz. His idea? Toss the band into a swimming pool to mimic the album's infamous naked baby cover image he’d shot a few months earlier.
But when the band showed up for the session at a Los Angeles pool in North Hollywood, they were hardly in the mood. It was first time Kirk met the band members, and they were exhausted from a string of West Coast gigs. The weather was unseasonably cold for an outdoor swim, so cold that Kirk wore a wetsuit. He recalls, "The guys were like, 'Wow, we've got to swim in this?'"
However Kirk, known as one of the industry's best underwater photographers, was able to convince the band to take the plunge and captured an extraordinary collection of photographs. Kirk Weddle creates enticing imagery for advertising and editorial andcorporate clients all over the world, including Logitech, Coca-Cola, Toshiba, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Time, Rolling Stone and Newsweek.Kirk shoots on location, in the studio and underwater.
Outtake image of Kurt Cobain from a Nirvana publicity photo shoot to promote 'Nevermind', following their famous baby album cover
Nirvana captured during a publicity photo shoot for their pivotal album 'Nevermind', taken in a Los Angeles swimming pool.
Kirk Weddle photograph of Nirvana playing instruments underwater in a Californian swimming pool in October 1991.
Kurt Cobain captured in a cold LA swimming pool during a publicity photo shoot for Nirvana in 1991.
Dave Grohl messing around during his Nirvana days whilst on a publicity photo shoot, taken in Los Angeles in 1991
Kurt Cobain sleeping on a poolside whilst on Nirvana publicity shoot for 'Nevermind' in 1991
Underwater photos of Nirvana shot to complement the iconic album cover image from 'Nevermind'.
Outake image of Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl & Krist Novoselic jamming underwater on a Nirvana photo shoot
Undewater outtake from a Nirvana publicity shoot to promote their iconic album 'Nevermind'
Kurt Cobain's guitar, gently floating at the end of the famous Nevermind cover shoot by photographer Kirk Weddle.
Underwater photo of Krist Novoselic in a LA swimming pool whilst on a Nirvana publicty shoot
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