Posted May 05, 2017 10:38:28

Photographing David Bowie was an "intense" and yet incredibly playful experience for a fashion photographer looking to make his mark on the scene.

Markus Klinko was invited to the late pop icon's Soho pad in 2001 to shoot the cover image for his upcoming album, Heathen.

That image now joins a series of rare, and sometimes unseen, images from that shoot that will go on display at the Bowie Unseen exhibition at Sydney's Head On Festival.

Infographic: This unique image was eventually made the cover of the 2002 album Heathen. (Supplied: Markus Klinko)

Photo: Photographer Markus Klinko has made a career working with celebrities. (ABC News)

"It was really an amazing experience," Mr Klinko told News Breakfast.

"I would say one of my best experiences as a photographer in some 25 years that I've been doing that."

Mr Klinko was introduced to Bowie after photographing his wife Iman for the cover of her book in 2001.

"I've worked with many, many people, from Beyonce to Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey and all that, but I would say working with Bowie was so special because it had such a spontaneity to the whole shoot," Mr Klinko said.

"David was extraordinary, he's so photogenic."

Infographic: After the Heathen shot was taken, the pair turned to other ideas. (Supplied: Markus Klinko)

Once at the Soho pad Mr Klinko said it soon became clear Bowie had very specific ideas about how he wanted the Heathen cover shot to look.

It had to be a tight shot. And he wanted the blind eyes look.

But once that shot was done, Klinko said Bowie became very spontaneous.

Infographic: Markus Klinko described David Bowie as intense at times. (Supplied: Markus Klinko)

"He was so open and playful about what else we could be doing that day," Klinko said.

"He just had all this fun playing around and capturing different things."

Klinko said choosing a favourite from the day was like asking a parent to choose their favourite child: "I love them all."

But when pushed he couldn't help but gravitate towards particular ones.

Infographic: David Bowie was "extraordinarily photogenic". (Supplied: Markus Klinko)

"There are certainly some that I am more attached to than others because of the process of shooting," he said.

"Some of them as I said were very planned and he wanted them in a very exact crop and angle and so forth. Others we just took one or two shots.

"There was one called Meditation, for instance, where he dropped on his knees and he only stayed in that position for like a second or two.

"I love it because it was just this one shot. I love that one particularly."

Infographic: This photo is among Markus Klinko's favourites. (Supplied: Markus Klinko)

Topics: photography, fine-art-photography, music, australia