Andy Gotts: In search of the inner child

From the new Schnappschuss: "Humor"

Not many people are good at it. And no one does it quite like British photographer Andy Gotts. Stars travel especially to have their portraits taken by him.

Brit Andy Gotts is one of the most sought-after celebrity photographers. In this interview, he tells us what role humor plays in his portraits: "I've been photographing actors for 32 years. When you see actors on the covers of glossy magazines like Vanity Fair and GQ, they are usually polished, styled, made up and wearing expensive borrowed clothes and jewelry. So when you see their portraits, the shots look very static, like mannequins or wax figures. In my photography, I let the actors be themselves, let them find their inner children. Perhaps this is Gott's version of a 'primal scream'. I allow the actors to unload for a moment. My shoots have two themes: 1) looking grumpy and slightly annoyed and 2) looking silly. I try to cover both sides of the coin."

Back when he took his first picture of Stephen Fry, Andy was only given a 90-second window to prove that he was just as capable as a photography student. The actor was a guest at his university and in the last part of "Do you have any questions?" the young Andy Gotts asks if he can take his portrait. Since then, his photographic art has taken off, as he tells us: "In the three decades I've been taking photos, the 'tussle' with celebrities has changed a lot. In 1990, when I was 19, I had my very first encounter with the actor Stephen Fry, who loved my shots of him. He particularly liked one of the pictures and asked me to make a print. He proudly hung this photo in his house and the following weekend a friend came over for Sunday lunch. He asked about the photographer and was interested as he also needed a portrait. Luckily for me, it was the British actor Kenneth Branagh, who then asked me to take a photo of him and his wife at the time, the equally successful actress Emma Thompson. Of course, I didn't miss out on this assignment. From then on, word got around in the acting scene. Today, things have changed and actors come to me."

The name Andy Gotts has become an integral part of the Hollywood world. He is one of the most sought-after celebrity photographers and many come to him in London. "I don't like shooting in traditional photo studios as they are too gloomy and clinical. I use a beautiful hotel in London, the Flemings, as my studio and have done so for 8 years. Sometimes I also travel to the stars' homes if they want me to. The actors like my style and I think that's one reason they take me into their hearts. It's an intimate experience, almost like a dance. I'm also the only celebrity photographer who doesn't edit the final images. That's what makes my portraits so special. "

Andy tells me that he really doesn't do any retouching at all. He leaves every wrinkle, every birthmark and every skin feature exactly as his camera captures it. We don't really know stars like that. The internet and magazines thrive on smoothing everything out. A phenomenon so widespread and enormously important to many that even every cell phone photo and video is given the right filter and edited. After all, no one should see tired eyes or skin blemishes.

When he had actress Scarlett Johansson in front of his lens and noticed a small pimple on her face, he asked her if she would like to shoot another day. He warned her that he would not do any photo editing. She was amused by this and said that she was with him for this very reason. She wants to show herself in real life. She wants to be portrayed authentically and if there's a pimple on her face...so what? Then that's the way it is. Isn't that the case with everyone?

It is true that these are photographs of famous people who have built up their professions as actors, musicians, models, etc. as their image for the world. But the photographer does not show this image. He shows the person, he focuses on the person. His profession, his status and what the person is wearing disappears and becomes unimportant. Andy's art and his talent are precisely the moment when he pulls the trigger and captures the shot, because there is no polishing. He gives each person he photographs a moment of freedom. They are allowed to be exactly who they are. They are allowed to be crazy, stick out their tongue, roll their eyes, scream loudly, shake their hair and laugh themselves silly. This serenity brings humor to his photos.

The attitude and practice of the photographer giving authenticity brings a kind of humor of its own. In a way, he pokes fun at the culture of the "perfect portrait" by pulling off his analog style. All without the perfectionism common in the beauty world. His pictures are probably the true "perfect portraits", which are much closer to reality. Andy's work has also made it into many magazines and has been celebrated on numerous covers. They are honest. The stars describe the experience of a photo shoot with Andy as exciting, funny and very entertaining. And very short-lived at the same time. Or maybe it just felt so short because time flies faster when you're having fun?

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