An icon of photography, Greg Gorman has photographed virtually every beautiful face this world has seen. His mastery over lighting is evident in his nudes, which have been widely regarded as a marriage of sensuality and mystery. His work has been seen in international publications including Esquire, GQ, Interview, Life, Vogue, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Time, Vanity Fair, and the London Sunday Times. In his exclusive interview for Fotoflock, Gorman discusses the art of lighting, his love for B&W and more.

How did it all start? Did you always want to be a photographer?
I was going to a Jimi Hendrix concert and borrowed a friend’s camera. After taking the photos at the concert and developing them the next day, I was hooked.

Would you say that it was your love for music, which landed you at the Jimmy Hendrix concert that led you to become a photographer?
Absolutely!

After studying photojournalism in at the University of Kansas, why did you take up cinematography as a major at University of Southern California?
I took up cinematography because I wanted to broaden my education in the visual arts.

You are an icon of Portraits and Black and White photography. Do you think your passion for both go hand-in-hand?
Yes, I think they go hand-in-hand because black and white strips everything down to the bare essentials and allows a more honest look at the person as opposed to being masqueraded in a wash of colour.

Most of your subjects are people in the public eye. When and how did you decide that you wanted to photograph celebrities to make a living?
I realized I wanted to photograph celebrities to make a living when I started doing headshots for actors and actresses around 1968.

I primarily create the parameters of an environment for each of my shoots and allow the personality to unfold at their own pace.

You have virtually photographed almost every beautiful face this world has seen. Is there anyone left that you want to shoot? If yes, who is it and why would you like to shoot him/her?
I would still like to photograph Bridget Bardot. Although she looks very different today from when she first came on the scene in the late ‘50s, I still believe she is an iconic person and one of the first visuals that I was tremendously attracted to as an artist.

I understand that you never stage your subjects. Why so?
That is not necessarily true. I primarily create the parameters of an environment for each of my shoots and allow the personalities to unfold at their own pace.

You have said, “...a photograph is most successful when it doesn’t answer all the questions and leaves something to be desired.” Can you elaborate some more on this statement?
I believe in that because in my early work, I tended to place the light directly over the camera for lighting every nook and cranny of a person’s face. That basically left no room for individual interpretation and consequently the pictures seemed lifeless to me.

How important is it for a photographer to “connect” with his subjects to bring out their true self?
The most important part about photographing a person is winning their trust and confidence. Being able to come up or down to one’s level to ensure a strong communication is what it takes to honestly connect with a person.

Considering both try to put their clients at ease at the start of the session, would you say a portrait photographer is almost like a part-time psychologist?
Totally!

Your nudes have been widely regarded as a marriage of sensuality and mystery. Was your increasing proclivity towards nudes a prime reason that led you to perfect the art of lighting?
I think my nudes are perhaps an extension of the lighting I initially created in my portraiture. I worked on it further by pulling the camera back and dealing with more surface area, so to speak. It consequently meant more problems in my lighting that I had to address and finesse.

Do you believe in the power of photography to effect social change?
Yes, not so much in my portraiture but in the work of other photographers such as James Nachtwey, who has addressed so many social issues from AIDS and mesentery wars to Agent Orange.

He has effected much social change through his photography.

Being able to come up or down to one’s level to ensure a strong communication is what it takes to honestly connect with a person.

Can you walk us through the actual process that you use to set up a portrait?
A portrait session begins by a subject booking me. I do some initial homework prior to the shoot and research from a physical and mental point of view. Based on the purpose and nature of the shoot, I book hair, makeup and appropriate wardrobe styling. Issues involving diet that affect the meals catered are then addressed. Locations are dictated by the nature of the shoot. So I either use my own studio or book another studio space or exterior location.

On the day of the shoot when the talent arrives to be photographed, I spend a lot of time with them during hair and makeup and the wardrobe selection. All the while, I dissect every angle, looking at facial features, jaw lines, hairlines and weight. I use this as the basis for my lighting solutions to best enhance the better features and to disguise (for example, in the shadows) those features less favourable. Camera angles, lenses and choice of lighting are all based on these subjective decisions.

You joined Epson Stylus Pros in 2001. What is it about Epson printers that you like the most?
Epson print head technology most closely approximates the look that I can always achieve with my silver gelatin and platinum prints.

	Quick7: Your Favourite Printer: Epson Stylus Pro 9900 Your Favourite Shoot: Last year when I shot rising British actor Alex Pettyfer at an abandoned train yard. Your Preferred Location: Outside Favourite Photographer: Richard Avedon Most memorable story: Sitting with Dustin Hoffman during his makeup transformation into the character Dorothy for the movie “Tootsie” Current photographers you like: James Nachtwey Toughest day at work: Any shoot where the location and direction of the shoot is dictated by outside sources beyond my control.

Photos by Greg Gorman | Fotosocial