Greg Gorman (1949) is an American portrait photographer of Hollywood celebrities. In 2012, he was honoured by the Lucie Foundation: The Achievement in Portraiture Award. His work has been featured in magazines and on covers including Esquire, GQ, Interview, Life, Vogue, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Time, Vanity Fair and London's Sunday Times. Although he studied photojournalism in college, his passion for rock'n'roll led him to his chosen field when he photographed Jimi Hendrix in 1968. Greg Gorman works primarily in black and white.
Greg Gorman, Cadaques Catalonia. Photo by Joshua Smith
Greg Gorman, please introduce yourself
My name is Greg Gorman. I live in Los Angeles, Ca. and work primarily in the Entertainment field. These days I am more focussed on education, workshops and personal projects with the occasional commercial shoot.
Where do you live, does your place of residence inspire you to take pictures?
As I mentioned I live in Hollywood, Ca and of course California with its tremendous weather and plethora of locations is an inspirational place to shoot.
Do you have a photographic background?
Yes I studied Photojournalism at the University of Kansas from 1967-1969 and finished with an MFA in Cinematography from the University of Southern California.
How comes that you are interested in photography?
I borrowed a friends camera back in 1967 to photograph a Jimi Hendrix Concert. The following morning I processed the film in his darkroom and when I saw the image coming up on this blank piece of white paper, I was hooked.
Which photographer has inspired your photography?
Many photographers have inspired me to take pictures fro Helmut Newton to Richard Avedon. From Irving Penn to Guy Bourdin to name but a few.
Why do you work in black and white / color?
Much of my commercial work was always color so I preferred to always work in B&W. However my latest project is pretty much all color and my last book showcases some of my color work created with personalities.
How do you prepare for a photo?
I focus on the purpose of the project but prefer not to research too many images of the person being photographed so I maintain a fresher eye.
What are your technique and creative process?
I always play for the personalities’ team- rarely siding with the art director so that the talent feels more secure. I have always had an in house chef so that we could break bread so to speak prior to the shoot to get to know one another in case I hadn’t worked with them before.
Which projects would you like to tackle?
I am currently finishing a very exciting/very different project which began this past January during Covid. And I have another in the wings which I am trying to get approval on-neither of which I am actually at liberty to discuss at the moment. Stay tuned!
What do you do in your life besides photography?
FISH FISH FISH!!!!!!!!
Thanks a lot Greg Gorman for the Interview
Alfred Hitchcock, Los Angeles 1972
Ⓒ Greg Gorman
Helen Mirren, Los Angeles, 2006
Ⓒ Greg Gorman
Mike Myers, LA 1998
Ⓒ Greg Gorman
courtesy IMMAGIS ART PHOTOGRAPHY
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