Me and My Dad: Sophie and Arthur Elgort on Making
Fashion Photography a Family Business
Also, the problems with modern magazines and what it’s
like growing up with a camera in your face.
Vanessa
Friedman
By Vanessa
Friedman
June 18,
2021
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/18/style/arthur-sophie-elgort-fathers-day.html
When the
coronavirus pandemic began, the Elgorts — the photographer Arthur; his wife,
Grethe Barrett Holby; their daughter, Sophie, with her husband and their
3-year-old daughter; and their sons, Warren and Ansel — hunkered down together
in their family home of 40 years on Long Island.
To pass the
time, Sophie, who is 35 and also a photographer, began asking her father, who
is 81 and made his name by taking fashion photography from the studio to the
street, about the stories behind some of his most famous images.
He told her
about Kate Moss dancing on a table at Brasserie Lipp, Stella Tennant diving
fully clothed into a pool and the Rolling Stones blowing smoke at each other
while making “Tattoo You.” All of it became part of what soon turned into an
Instagram TV series, “Behind the Lens With Arthur Elgort.”
Part family
lore, part relationship study and part photographic history, the conversation
is still going strong, even though the Elgorts are no longer quarantining under
one roof. In honor of Father’s Day, Sophie and Arthur agreed to reveal what
happens when a pair of photographers turn the lens on themselves.
Sophie It
started early fall. Things were really, really shut down and we weren’t seeing
anyone, so to have this project was something to look forward to. For a month
or two we did it every Sunday, but now it’s more like every two weeks. We just
got a little tripod so we could hook up the iPhone.
Arthur We
hadn’t worked together before, but now we’re stuck with each other. Turned out
she’s a very good interviewer. I told her she should have her own show on
television.
Sophie I
can get these stories out of him. My dad had a stroke about 10 years ago and
had to completely relearn to talk.
Arthur It
took two years. Some people enjoyed the quiet. They thought I talked too much.
But I never forgot photography.
When she
was in school, I thought Sophie would be a doctor, and I said, “That’s a hard
job to do, they can call you in the night, you should think about photography.”
I did hope one of you might.
Sophie He
named my brother Ansel after Ansel Adams because he was like, “I’ve got one
more, maybe he’ll become a photographer.”
Arthur
Instead he’s crazy: He’s an actor. You and Warren both became something to do
with a camera — he’s a director. But I gave you your first camera. I’ve given
you more than one.
Sophie I
learned by watching.
Arthur I
always bought three of everything: for me, Sophie and Warren. You got a
Rolleiflex. And then a Leica.
Sophie When
we went to camp in the summers, Dad would give us little point-and-shoots with
film. He always said to put the strap on. We knew how to load film. Then we’d
give him the film, and he’d have it developed and make a set of doubles and
say, “Give one to the person and keep one for yourself. Anything you don’t
like, rip it up.” That is his favorite thing: If he takes a group shot, and
there’s someone on the edge and he doesn’t think they look good, rip them off!
Arthur
People get upset: “You just tore me out of the picture!” But really, I’m doing
them a favor.
Sophie Once
I was walking on the street with my school — we used to have to go to school
chapel — and Dad was in the neighborhood and was photographing us, me and my
friends, and the teachers were like: “EXCUSE ME! You cannot photograph these
young girls.” I was like, “That’s my Dad.” I was never self-conscious about it.
I grew up with a camera in my face all the time. At breakfast in my pajamas. He
actually has a book about photographing your kids.
Arthur I
have 11 books, but that one is called “How to Shoot Your Kids,” which is kind
of a funny name.
Sophie One
of your favorite pastimes in general is taking pictures. He always has a
camera. My pastime was always dressing people up, including my brothers. I used
to dress Warren in my clothes.
Arthur
Warren was very pretty.
Sophie I
used to go to his studio a lot. I liked being part of the shoots when I was a
kid. I would get dropped off after school. He still has the same studio in
SoHo, and there was a lot of music. He always encouraged us to play music. I
grew up playing classical piano. A few years ago he encouraged me to play
guitar. Now I take a lesson every week.
Arthur I
learned the sax when I was about 20. I used to be an usher at Carnegie Hall. I
saw Leonard Bernstein. He had just come back from Russia, and he played a
Shostakovich symphony. I was in school at Hunter College because it was free. About
three years ago they gave me an honorary doctorate and gave me my transcript,
and I had all C’s and D’s except for art. That’s when I knew what I was going
to be. I started as a painter, but I was a bad copy of Franz Kline. I couldn’t
draw. But I thought, “If I had a camera, I could capture something.” So I
became a photographer.
Sophie I
became a photographer because shortly after I graduated from Brown, friends of
mine were doing an e-commerce custom vintage company, and they needed pictures.
Since I was always doing pictures for fun, they said, “We’ll give you some
clothes for free if you do our pictures for our first look book.”
Arthur Then
she called me up and said, “I have this job, but I know nothing about
photography.” And I said, “I’ll teach you in three easy lessons.”
Sophie Then
people asked me to do other jobs, and then I was just doing it. I wanted to
make sure I found my own style and wasn’t copying what Dad was doing.
Arthur My
first job was with Mademoiselle, which was very cool at the time. Then Alex
Liberman said: “You’re too good. You’re better than my magazine Vogue.” So I
said, “I’ll do Vogue instead,” and he said, “That’s a good idea.” It worked
out. Now magazines are terrible. If you look at Vogue now, it’s terrible.
Sophie
Maybe it’s just different.
Arthur No,
it’s bad. Everything is wrong. You used to get a lot of money. Now you get $100
instead of $500,000. There used to be contracts. I could buy this house. The
studio. You don’t make money anymore in editorial. Maybe in ads. Sophie does
more clients than me. I don’t get clients like you get.
Sophie I
work with De Beers, and Dad’s jealous of that. He’s really hung up on it. They
sent me to Botswana, and he was like, “How come I didn’t get to go?”
A ton of
younger female photographers were coming up when I started. I don’t know if it
directly correlated with the #MeToo movement. But I do think that made more
people think this could be an industry we could get into and be supported. As
far as the male gaze vs. the female gaze, I think it differs from person to
person. But there is a friendship that develops with the person you are
shooting. Dad always asks a million questions when he’s behind the lens.
Arthur It
makes the models relax. Paulina likes her piano, so I play classical music for
her. Jay-Z brings one guy with him. He’s a bodyguard, a chauffeur, everything.
Beyoncé brings 50 people. Jay-Z also tells you what time you have: You have an
hour, get it, then I have to go. Very nice person. Beyoncé lets you have what
time you need.
Sophie Dad
always made time for us. He always made us breakfast. If he wasn’t traveling,
he was home by 6 p.m. for dinner. He made us bag lunches. On the weekends he
would heat up baked beans and be like, “Lunch is served!”
Arthur
Ansel loved baked beans. You, Warren, Ansel were not bad subjects. Every year
for Mother’s Day I gave my wife pictures. I’d make a collage — there must be
35. I believe in Mother’s Day, but I don’t believe in Father’s Day. I think
it’s a phony day.
Sophie But
he likes fancy socks.
Arthur What
I would like now is a Corvette. Nobody is going to give it to me. But I’m glad
you didn’t become a doctor.
Vanessa
Friedman
Vanessa
Friedman is The Times's fashion director and chief fashion critic. She was
previously the fashion editor of the Financial Times. More about Vanessa
Friedman
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