It was probably inevitable that Sophie Elgort would latch on to a career in photography; she is, after all, the daughter of famous fashion lensman Arthur Elgort. But then you get to know her, and find out that going from Point A to Point B wasn’t so direct. You discover that, in college, she was pre-med and studied comparative literature. That she thought she might go into music. And that the professional camera call was slightly via happenstance… We chat with Elgort, here wearing Tory’s Alice dress, who shares her story — including anecdotes growing up in her father’s studio and palling around with her brother, actor Ansel Elgort.
The photography bug first bit when…
I was a little kid. I used to dress my friends and brothers up in my mom’s clothes and either choreograph a dance or direct them in what to do while I took their pictures. I also liked being in front of the camera, so sometimes I would dress up too and call my dad in to take our pictures as well. I realized I could do photography as a career after I graduated from college and friends of mine were starting a DIY and vintage line called ALIOMI. They knew I was always shooting for fun, so they asked if I would shoot all their pictures in return for owning part of ALIOMI. I started my portfolio then and it grew from there via word of mouth.
My shooting style is…
Vibrant, snapshot, catching a moment.
My photography inspirations and influences…
My dad, Arthur Elgort, has been a great influence and inspiration, both his images and the way he works. Other artists I admire are Ellen Von Unwerth, Hassan Hajjaj, Slim Aarons, Tina Barney, Wes Anderson, Baz Luhrmann, Sofia Coppola and Bernardo Bertolucci. They each have a specific aesthetic — you can tell who made the picture or film just by looking at it. I’m really influenced by that. Equally important, I am inspired by fascinating people — I guess you could say muses — they make me want to take their picture and create an image.
The first time I held a camera…
There is a picture of me taking pictures on one of my dad’s sets when I am three years old. I would guess that was the first time!
Favorite shoot I’ve done…
I can’t pick just one favorite! I always enjoy shoots with my brother Ansel, because we have a good time together and he’s a dream to shoot; he comes out well in every picture.
And most challenging…
I photographed Kendall and Kylie Jenner for Teen Vogue a couple years ago and I only had 10 minutes total to shoot a seven-picture story — in a very small hotel room. While they were being interviewed for the story first, I moved around all the furniture in the room, setting up a few different vignettes so when they were ready I knew exactly what I wanted to do. It all worked out and the pictures turned out great, but my heart rate was higher than usual.
Favorite photography book…
Arthur Elgort’s Models Manual. It has amazing pictures and graphic design and tells the stories behind the images and models in the images. Now he has a new one that I love too called The Big Picture.
My camera of choice…
I mostly use my Canon 5D Mark III on jobs, but when I’m on the go I like the Panasonic Lumix GF1, which I’ve had for years. But my next purchase will be the Panasonic Lumix GX7.
My soundtrack when on set…
Spotify’s Top Lists in France playlist on shuffle. It keeps things interesting.
My trick for making people feel comfortable in front of the camera…
Chatting with them throughout the shoot, making them laugh and have a good time. I like to tell stories and create scenarios for them. It’s important to make them feel like they look incredible (and they do)! I like to connect with the subject as they’re getting their hair and makeup done so I understand what they’re about — everyone’s different. It’s the best when they feel they can let down their guard and be themselves.
Best advice my father ever gave me…
Be “camera ready.” (Translation: Always have your camera ready to get the shot — you never know when the moment’s going to happen and you don’t want to miss it). Also, practice taking pictures all the time.
Most memorable childhood anecdote from my father’s sets…
When I was about four years old, my dad took the whole family to Cheyenne, Wyoming, for a week for a job for Italian Vogue. At that point the family was just my mom, who was pregnant with my brother Warren, and me. Marianne, my dad’s agent (and my godmother) also brought her family — Christiaan and their sons Piet and Henk — so it was a good group. The model was Cindy Crawford and another model named Charlene and they were shooting mostly at the rodeo. In order to get into the rodeo, everyone had to dress Western, so the first day we went to the store and got outfitted. Since I was four, what I remember most was going square dancing in the town square. There was a pancake breakfast there made by the local kids and I’ll never forget, the older boys would grill the pancakes up on a balcony above the town square and throw them down to the younger boys waiting below with plates, who would then catch them and serve them to the square dancers. I’ll never forget that and how beautiful all the women square dancing looked in their outfits. Cindy [Crawford] was my favorite; she took very good care of me. My dad told me that when he would have his gallery openings, Cindy would stick with me all night so she didn’t have to talk to anyone else.