Rock Icon Nikki Sixx and Leica Camera Collaborate to Celebrate Storytelling Through Photography Nikki Sixx’s First Ever Photography Exhibit And Special Edition Leica Q To Launch in October

Rock Icon Nikki Sixx and Leica Camera
Collaborate to Celebrate Storytelling Through Photography
Nikki Sixx’s First Ever Photography Exhibit And Special Edition Leica Q
To Launch in October

September 14, 2017 — Leica Camera and Nikki Sixx, bassist and founding member of
Mötley Crüe and three-time New York Times best-selling author, have combined their
enthusiasm for photography and rich visual storytelling with two new releases in
October. Leica Camera will debut a special Leica Q “Nikki Sixx Edition” camera, as well
as host the musician’s first-ever photo exhibit, Conversations with Angels, at the Leica
Gallery Los Angeles.

Sixx’s affinity for street photography is the result of his experience on the streets as a
runaway and past drug abuse. Now sober 17 years, Sixx uses his Leica cameras as
tools to link his challenging past experiences with stories of hope through capturing
images that speak to his strong and meaningful connections to his subjects.

“I’ve been a storyteller all my life - as a lyricist, an author and especially as a
photographer. When I’m shooting my subjects, I’m looking to capture more than just an
image. I want to tell their stories,” says Sixx.

Sixx’s style and method of photography are unique. He first and foremost focuses on
having a conversation with his subjects and getting to know them well before he ever
brings his camera out. Only once he’s heard their story does he begin to capture any
photographs, aiming to bring these intimate conversations to life in his photos and help
to explain the lives of the people he encounters. To help tell these stories, Sixx uses
various Leica cameras including the Leica SL, Leica M and his Leica Q to photograph his subjects. Sixx attributes his particular love of the Q to its versatility. “It’s not just a
camera for serious work, but a camera to capture life by,” shared Sixx. “I never leave
home without my camera. I want it nearby in case I see something that compels me to
pull my car over, or walk down an alleyway for inspiration. I love the Q because it’s
incredibly durable and has stuck with me through everything – a lot of wear and tear,
but it always delivers sharp and poignant images.”

LEICA Q “NIKKI SIXX EDITION”
To celebrate his dedication to photography and the role Leica plays in this creative
outlet for Sixx, Leica Camera will release the Leica Q Nikki Sixx Edition, a limited edition
release of the rock star’s own full-frame compact camera.

The Leica Q “Nikki Sixx Edition” is a rock-star take on Sixx’s beloved Leica Q camera
featuring a black snakeskin finish on leatherette with a laser-engraved Nikki Sixx
signature. The Leica Q will also be accompanied by a black Leica leather wrist strap, an
autographed copy of the 10 th anniversary edition of Sixx’s memoir, “The Heroin Diaries”
and a black DSPTCH braided shoulder strap durable enough to withstand the tough
photographic environments Sixx’s frequently finds inspiration in and enjoys shooting.

The Leica Q “Nikki Sixx Edition” will be limited to an exclusive 28 units, a number which
has special significance for Sixx as he overdosed on heroin at that age and was
clinically dead for several minutes which ultimately provided the turning point that lead
him to commence his path of recovery.
This limited edition camera will be unveiled on October 4 exclusively at the Leica Store
LA.

CONVERSATIONS WITH ANGELS EXHIBIT AT LEICA GALLERY LOS ANGELES
In a show titled Conversations with Angels, Sixx’s most precious moments and
interactions from the past decade will be displayed in an intimate series of photos
depicting homelessness and drug addiction, topics that Sixx was all too familiar with
before photography helped change his life. The exhibit, Conversations with Angels, will
be on display at the Leica Gallery Los Angeles October 4 through November 5, aligning with the 10th anniversary of Sixx’s memoir, “The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a
Shattered Rock Star.”

In Conversations with Angeles, Sixx shows the world his photographic methodology first
hand. His subjects, who he considered his angels, remind him through conversation and
interaction that his life, and the decisions he makes, are important. In turn, he seeks to
find the hope in his subjects to escape their own troubles and achieve a better, cleaner
life. “When I get home from shooting,” Sixx says, “I look at those photos for hours. I
zoom in on their eyes, their lips, and their fingers and I look for some hope. If I can find
that hope then I’ve done them justice in my photography.”

Nikki Sixx’s collaboration with Leica Camera coincides with the 10 th Anniversary of his
New York Times bestselling Memoir “The Heroin Diaries” and “The Heroin Diaries”
anniversary edition soundtrack album by his other band, SIXX:A.M.
On the original release of The Heroin Diaries in 2007, Sixx partnered with Covenant
House California, Los Angeles and raised over $ 250,000.00 to instate a music room on
the organization’s campus. On occasion of the Heroin Diaries anniversary and his first
photo exhibition, Sixx once again will support Covenant House to raise funds for a
photography room and program benefitting the residents.

The Leica Q “Nikki Sixx Edition” is priced at $5250 and will be available for pre-order October 4, 2017 exclusively at Leica Stores and boutiques in North America. For more information, visit www.leicacamerausa.com.

Conversations with Angels will be showing from October 4 through November 5, 2017
at Leica Gallery Los Angeles. For more information, visit
www.leicagallerylosangeles.com. Watch Nikki Sixx’s behind the scenes story of
“Conversations with Angels” here: https://youtu.be/umKf7gXT2cw

Proceeds from all sales of Nikki Sixx’s gallery exhibits depicting homelessness will
benefit Covenant House California, Los Angeles to raise funds for a photography room & program for Covenant House residents. To find out more and support Covenant
House California, Los Angeles visit www.covenanthousecalifornia.org/NikkiSixx

About The Leica Gallery Los Angeles
Opened in 2013, The Leica Gallery Los Angeles was created to celebrate Leica
photography. The Gallery provides unparalleled access to a rotation of curated exhibits,
with imagery captured by classic and contemporary Leica photographers. Beyond the
exhibition space, the Gallery also boasts a 1,200 square foot outdoor patio lounge. This
serves as an additional location for Leica Akademie workshops, where professional and
amateur photographers learn new techniques and get unique perspectives from
featured artists. The Leica Gallery Los Angeles is open seven days a week at 8783
Beverly Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. For additional information, including
lists of current and upcoming exhibitions, please visit www.leicagalleryla.com.

About Leica Camera
Passion for creating perfect pictures. Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, design
and experience. It is a beautiful collision of art and engineering, and the future of form
and functionality. Leica Camera is an internationally operating, premium-segment
manufacturer of cameras and sport optics products. The legendary status of the Leica
brand is founded on a long tradition of excellence in the supreme quality and
performance of cameras and lenses, and the iconic images that artists and
photojournalists everywhere captured with them. For more information about Leica visit
www.leicacamerausa.com, or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.