After decades of being behind the camera as a prized Vogue photographer, Arthur Elgort is the focus of a new documentary.
In advance of Friday’s premiere of “Arthur Elgort: Models & Muses” at the Hamptons International Film Festival, the lensman fielded a few questions via email. Understated as ever, Elgort worked in tandem with his filmmaker son Warren on the 83-minute documentary that features insights from some of his famous subjects.
WWD: Was it strange to be the focus of the camera for this project?
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Arthur Elgort: Well, a little bit, but I’m glad I did it and didn’t wait until I was 100 years old. You have to feel good, when they do something about you and it comes out, while you’re alive to see it. There aren’t many photographers I really like, who are alive anymore. Paolo Roversi is very good but he’s getting old too. But I’m sure there are good ones I don’t know. Sebastião Salgado isn’t around anymore, but they made a wonderful movie about him while he was alive. [“The Salt of The Earth” is available on Netflix.] I think he was terrific. This movie about me is also personal. There’s even a scene in the hospital. I could have very easily died two times already. I’m just lucky to still be alive, or maybe it’s because I have a nice family to keep me alive.
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WWD: What stands out when you review your work?
A.E.: The most important part is I enjoy it. When I worked with Grace Coddington [at Vogue], I had fun all the time. You can see the joy in my photographs. It’s very simple. There was one commercial I really screwed up once, because we went to Silver Cup Studio, which is huge and didn’t have any natural light. I still remember that. We went out for a great meal right afterward and didn’t let it bother us. I have a fun time no matter what. Even when my apartment burned down with all my negatives at the start of my career — I didn’t let it bother me. I’ve had many fun times.
WWD: What is most gratifying about what you do?
A.E.: First of all, if I take a picture of a friend of mine I give them the picture right away. The next day always. That’s kind of fun. If I take someone’s picture and it’s good I always make three prints of it, so that I have one, you have one and one extra. So it’s very satisfying for me instead of just getting a coffee maker or something. I don’t mind a coffee-maker, don’t get me wrong. But it’s wonderful to share the moment with someone else too, taking their picture. Photography is something you can share. I started as an abstract painter, but that was less interactive. It was lonely and my nails were dirty all of the time.
WWD: Do you see yourself in Warren and in his work?
A.E.: I feel that all my children learned from me — Warren, Sophie and Ansel. [Talent runs deep in the Elgort family — his daughter Sophie is a photographer, director and producer, and his other son Ansel is an actor.] Now, in fact I’m learning from them — especially when it comes to the technical aspects of working a digital camera. I’m still enjoying it. The last picture I took? It was of a chef who works for my friend. He came by to drop off some food for me yesterday, so of course I had to take his picture. I think I left a mark on everybody in my family. They didn’t become accountants. They’re all artists. They are part of me. And I was lucky too that I didn’t have to take other peoples’ kids, who I didn’t know, on jobs, when we needed a kid in the picture. I had my own group, and they came when they had vacations with Grace on some of the trips. I’m lucky.