Lensman shares tales of actors
By Caterina Bernardini |
April 27, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
"I shoot to make myself happy," said British photographer Andy Gotts who really loves his work and came to China, first to Beijing and then to Shanghai, to discuss his profession.
As a matter of fact, his professional life is not so common because the subjects he shoots have names like Julia Roberts, Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman and other celebrities from Hollywood and elsewhere.
A "Smart Talk" with Andy Gotts was recently sponsored by the Cultural and Education Section of the British Consulate General in Shanghai.
Gotts started his career almost 21 years ago. He studied photography because he always knew it was "his" job and always wanted to shoot his acting heroes. He loves movies. It took him eight years to produce his greatest work "Degrees" (2005), a book of black and white portraits of actors and celebrities (he works in black and white) that helped raise funds for diabetes research.
"I wanted to do a massive project and I waited months before people accepted" being photographed, he said.
Shanghai Daily interviewed him to learn more about Gotts and the glitterati world.
Q: Which portrait means the most?
A: People expect me to answer George Clooney but actually the person that has meant the most is the one who acted in my favorite movie, a British film called "The Ladykillers" (1955). One of the main actors was Herbert Lom and shooting him was exciting and, above all, personal.
Q: Has any subject surprised you?
A: Tony Curtis. He was a legend. He was very ill at that time and so I was expecting him to say no to my shooting request. But I was wrong, he said yes. I went to his house in Las Vegas. He looked like an old and ill man but still kept his iconic image. In America he has known as the American Prince so I painted in the picture the American flag on his face ... After few days he collapsed and went to the hospital so I sent the portrait to his wife who showed it to him. He said it was the best picture he had ever taken and the day after that he died. Incredible.
I also have a good memory of Paul Newman, whom I shot three months before he died: He managed to make the room happy and somehow I've always known the picture I would have taken of him.
Q: Who exceeded your expectations and who disappointed you?
A: Well, Brad Pitt is the nicest and sweetest person I've ever met. I thought he would have come with I don't know how many assistants, moreover, his staff told me that I had only 11 minutes to shoot him: not 10, not 15, but 11 minutes. I was kind of upset. On the contrary, he came alone, he sat on my sofa and he started talking to me like an old friend ... You know what? We spent an hour and a half talking and five minutes for the portrait.
The hardest person, instead, was Gwyneth Paltrow. Maybe it was raining that day or I don't know what, but she was not a happy person, she was grumpy.
Q: You choose to photograph people who have been photographed millions of time. How can you make a difference?
A: First of all, I do a lot of research. Every day, all the time. I read articles about actors, what they do or who already shot them and how. But my secret is another one.
Q: Which is?
A: I don't have any assistants. It's just them and me. Without anyone in the room, famous actors don't mind being silly! Then, I treat them like normal people, because they are normal people. As a fanatic of movies is how I know them. Actors are humans, they just do a job through which people can see and know their faces, but they are not different from us. I make them confident but if I have to say 'no' I do say 'no' and they like it. They trust me and my work.
Q: Before a shooting, do you talk with subjects or is it spontaneous?
A: I am not a director, I just do my job that is capturing 'that' moment. If they are happy are happy, if they are not happy, I don't make them becoming happy. And I do not retouch or Photoshop the picture. I just make them look good with a click.
Q: Are you satisfied with your work?
A: Of course I am. I love my job, and I'm great at doing it! I capture that moment and I can't be disappointed of what I'm capturing in that moment. The decisive moment is when I do the "snap" with my camera. Photography and art cannot be taught. You can say that you don't like a photo but not that it's wrong.
Q: Why black and white?
A: It's classical and gives the picture an iconic image. The reason I like black and white is because a lot of my pictures focused on shadow and shadow looks good in black and white. To me shadow is as important as light. Moreover, old movies and comedies inspired me. For example, a David Lynch movie. But also art like Caravaggio or Rembrandt.
If you see a color picture it leaves no space for imagination to your mind, while a black and white portrait makes your brain work.
Q: How much does luck count?
A: People say that I'm lucky, but I think that you make your own luck. The harder you work the more you do. Before shooting Paul Newman I was refused nine times, but I never gave up and the 10th time he said yes. You need to have a reason to do something and keep trying and persevering.
Q: Who still refuses?
A: Jack Nicholson. I miss him but I don't give up.
Q: This was your first time to China. Did you like it? Is there any Chinese person you would like to shoot?
A: I really loved and enjoyed China, people are so kind. And I'm looking forward to shooting Zhang Ziyi and Maggie Cheung.
So, we just need to wait for Andy Gotts' next Oriental "click."
As a matter of fact, his professional life is not so common because the subjects he shoots have names like Julia Roberts, Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman and other celebrities from Hollywood and elsewhere.
A "Smart Talk" with Andy Gotts was recently sponsored by the Cultural and Education Section of the British Consulate General in Shanghai.
Gotts started his career almost 21 years ago. He studied photography because he always knew it was "his" job and always wanted to shoot his acting heroes. He loves movies. It took him eight years to produce his greatest work "Degrees" (2005), a book of black and white portraits of actors and celebrities (he works in black and white) that helped raise funds for diabetes research.
"I wanted to do a massive project and I waited months before people accepted" being photographed, he said.
Shanghai Daily interviewed him to learn more about Gotts and the glitterati world.
Q: Which portrait means the most?
A: People expect me to answer George Clooney but actually the person that has meant the most is the one who acted in my favorite movie, a British film called "The Ladykillers" (1955). One of the main actors was Herbert Lom and shooting him was exciting and, above all, personal.
Q: Has any subject surprised you?
A: Tony Curtis. He was a legend. He was very ill at that time and so I was expecting him to say no to my shooting request. But I was wrong, he said yes. I went to his house in Las Vegas. He looked like an old and ill man but still kept his iconic image. In America he has known as the American Prince so I painted in the picture the American flag on his face ... After few days he collapsed and went to the hospital so I sent the portrait to his wife who showed it to him. He said it was the best picture he had ever taken and the day after that he died. Incredible.
I also have a good memory of Paul Newman, whom I shot three months before he died: He managed to make the room happy and somehow I've always known the picture I would have taken of him.
Q: Who exceeded your expectations and who disappointed you?
A: Well, Brad Pitt is the nicest and sweetest person I've ever met. I thought he would have come with I don't know how many assistants, moreover, his staff told me that I had only 11 minutes to shoot him: not 10, not 15, but 11 minutes. I was kind of upset. On the contrary, he came alone, he sat on my sofa and he started talking to me like an old friend ... You know what? We spent an hour and a half talking and five minutes for the portrait.
The hardest person, instead, was Gwyneth Paltrow. Maybe it was raining that day or I don't know what, but she was not a happy person, she was grumpy.
Q: You choose to photograph people who have been photographed millions of time. How can you make a difference?
A: First of all, I do a lot of research. Every day, all the time. I read articles about actors, what they do or who already shot them and how. But my secret is another one.
Q: Which is?
A: I don't have any assistants. It's just them and me. Without anyone in the room, famous actors don't mind being silly! Then, I treat them like normal people, because they are normal people. As a fanatic of movies is how I know them. Actors are humans, they just do a job through which people can see and know their faces, but they are not different from us. I make them confident but if I have to say 'no' I do say 'no' and they like it. They trust me and my work.
Q: Before a shooting, do you talk with subjects or is it spontaneous?
A: I am not a director, I just do my job that is capturing 'that' moment. If they are happy are happy, if they are not happy, I don't make them becoming happy. And I do not retouch or Photoshop the picture. I just make them look good with a click.
Q: Are you satisfied with your work?
A: Of course I am. I love my job, and I'm great at doing it! I capture that moment and I can't be disappointed of what I'm capturing in that moment. The decisive moment is when I do the "snap" with my camera. Photography and art cannot be taught. You can say that you don't like a photo but not that it's wrong.
Q: Why black and white?
A: It's classical and gives the picture an iconic image. The reason I like black and white is because a lot of my pictures focused on shadow and shadow looks good in black and white. To me shadow is as important as light. Moreover, old movies and comedies inspired me. For example, a David Lynch movie. But also art like Caravaggio or Rembrandt.
If you see a color picture it leaves no space for imagination to your mind, while a black and white portrait makes your brain work.
Q: How much does luck count?
A: People say that I'm lucky, but I think that you make your own luck. The harder you work the more you do. Before shooting Paul Newman I was refused nine times, but I never gave up and the 10th time he said yes. You need to have a reason to do something and keep trying and persevering.
Q: Who still refuses?
A: Jack Nicholson. I miss him but I don't give up.
Q: This was your first time to China. Did you like it? Is there any Chinese person you would like to shoot?
A: I really loved and enjoyed China, people are so kind. And I'm looking forward to shooting Zhang Ziyi and Maggie Cheung.
So, we just need to wait for Andy Gotts' next Oriental "click."
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