Screenshot image taken from the video by Phase One
Those who are probably not familiar with the name Albert Watson must have still seen seen many of his iconic images. The British photographer has taken timeless portraits of many celebrities, and has worked with some of the biggest global brands for their advertising campaigns. From the start of his career, his images have graced the covers and pages of the world’s top magazines, such as Rolling Stone, Time, GQ, Mademoiselle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue.
Today, Albert Watson is credited for hundreds of well-known photographs of the famous and the influential, from movie stars, supermodels, and rock stars, to Steve Jobs, former US President Bill Clinton, and Queen Elizabeth. In this insightful video by Phase One, we get to learn something about his colorful career, as well as the story behind some of his beautiful photographs from the master himself.
“I love photography. It’s a deep passion. You find something that you just love then you’re very lucky in life to find that.” Albert begins, suggesting that it’s this deep passion, along with his training in graphic design and time in film school, that created the foundation for his fruitful career in the arts.
“You come in as a professional and you are polite and respectful to everybody. That is one of the good tips,” he also says, most likely in response to a lesson he’d like to impart to those who want to make a living out of photography. “That you should treat everybody well. It doesn’t matter if you’re photographing a porter in a market in Marrakech or you are photographing the king of Morocco.”
In the video, we see several of his iconic portraits, among the most notable being his classic shot of Alfred Hitchcock and that of Steve Jobs. The English film director and producer, hailed the “Master of Suspense,” was his first celebrity sitter, so it’s definitely interesting to know the story behind the shot. Steve Jobs, meanwhile, was part of a project to photograph the most powerful people of America. Learning how Albert got the simple yet iconic portrait of a confident and pensive Jobs was also equally fascinating.
Check out Phase One’s YouTube channel for more of these inspiring and informational videos on photography.