Andy Gotts, a peek behind the mask of a talented photographer

If you’re a fan of Tom Hiddleston or/and Luke Evans, you know who Andy Gotts is. You’ve followed his Facebook page, his Twitter account and probably know and became aware of the “Save the Arctic” Campaign. Here, at Edge and Back, we’ve followed his work in the magazines (GQ, Empire, Total Film just to name few). And we’re a curious, cultivated bunch as you might know by now.

Andy Gotts is best known for his black and white photographs of celebrities, an open expression of the human emotions avoiding the static expression of portraits. He’s a Doctor of Arts and was the former President of the British Institute of Professional Photographer. In 2012 he was 2012 appointed MBE in the Queen’s New Years Honours List.

His current project are: BAFTA – ‘Behind The Mask’,  the Monty Python reunion and ‘iCons’ for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Vivienne Westwood’s  Save the Arctic campaign.

We’re truly honored and happy to share with you this interview with Andy Gotts.

Do you feel that your MBE title has motivated you even more in your career?

Not really.  It was an honor to have received it and I do not feel worthy of the recognition.  But in a day to day sense, it has not altered anything.  A little like my degrees I have, they didn’t help or hinder my career either.  If someone wants a portrait taken, their first question is not can I see your degree certificate!  They want to know: can you take a good shot, not how many initials you have after your name.

Could you tell us if working with Tom Hiddleston brought you even more followers and fans?

Tom is a really lovely sweet guy, fun to work and chat with.  I assume every single famous face I shoot gets me more “fans” to some extent. Even though I have been a celebrity photographer for 25 years and have been fortunate to have worked with the most famous and legendary actors. But some young people who live for the “now” and see today’s actors as the greatest actors ever will have no idea of most of the actors I have shot over the years. And this being the case they would not have seen my work.  So the current actors I am shooting are opening up my work to the current cinema audiences.

Luke Evans seemed to have had a really good time at the photo shoot. Is there a funny moment with Luke that you could share with his fans?

I cannot kiss and tell. What happens in a shoot, stays in a shoot! But needless to say he is a great guy, funny and charming.  He had just flown into the country and traveled to be from the airport, so he was a little tired and this made for some funny out-takes.

When it comes to the moment of taking a photo what story – or emotion – are looking for?

That depends on each shoot.  Being a photographer I can only bring so much to a photo shoot; you expect the person you are working with to bring something to the shoot too.  So until we are in the same room and chatting I cannot gauge on how the shoot will go.  Yes, I can have a rough idea of lighting, crop, tone.  But when it comes to emotion, that normally comes to the forefront when the camera is in my hand.

What was your hardest shooting session and why was it difficult?

When people cancel and the last moment.  That makes the shoots most difficult!

What attracted you to photography? When did you decide to take the next leap from a hobby to a full time job?

I was never a hobby photographer.  I found my admiration for photography in 1980 when I was 9. The first time I actually owned a camera was when I enrolled onto a photographic course at college when I was 19. But years later, I could not still comprehend to the extent of what a “full time” job it is.  You need to be master of every trade in the profession, and live on five hours sleep!

photographs ©Andy Gotts ( website, Twitter and Facebook)

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