Randall Slavin, el fotógrafo de las celebridades

Randal Slavin nació en Hollywood el 19 de agosto de 1969, actualmente vive entre Nueva York y Hyannis Port. Comenzó su carrera como actor pero cuando visualizó que tenía poco chance se dedicó a la fotografía. A la fotografía llegó por serendipia, cuando trabajaba en una gasolinera y veía al frente las modelos que desfilaban en un estudio de fotografía.

Hoy día es considerado uno de los grandes, favorecido por celebridades, modelos, músicos y artistas. Pero a pesar de la fama se esconde y rechaza el mundo farandulero y se dedica a su arte y a ayudar el prójimo.  En este sentido, apoya a su amiga Charlize Theron en sus obras de caridad en Africa.

Aquí una galería de fotografías de Randal Slavin y un reportaje sobre su escurridiza persona pública.

Sunday, July 26, 2009
An interview with me in an australian newspaper

In the Desert with Charlize: The Life of Celeb Shooter Randall Slavin
by Cassandra Murnieks for LA2DAY.COM APR 7, 2009
thisphotolife.blogspot.com

Randall Slavin walks into The Bowery with messy blonde hair hidden under a fedora, he wears jeans and a checked shirt, his arms are covered in tattoos: he looks more like a rock star than a photographer.

Years ago, Slavin was on a quest for stardom. Born and bred in LA, he pursued an acting career but after failing to make the big time, he turned his hand to being behind the camera.

To earn a living, Slavin also worked at a gas station in Hollywood, before discovering (coincidentally) a photography studio across the road. He was hired on the spot, learnt his craft and is now one of the most demanded photographers in the world.

“When I was working at the gas station, I used to sit there with the other guys I worked with and we used to see all these beautiful girls walking in and out of the studio and it seemed like the greatest thing in the world,” Slavin reminisced.

“I wandered across the street, talked to the owner and he took my headshots before asking if I was interested in taking photos. Not knowing anything about photography, he asked if I could take a good picture. I then took some shots for him and he hired me on the spot.

“I worked for him for a few months before work started to dry up, so he had to let me go and then I decided to go out on my own.”

Slavin has photographed celebrities including Sharon Stone, Jessica Biel, Dennis Hopper and Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron, whom he regards as one of his close friends.

“I have known Randall for about 15 years before I became an actress,” Theron told me. “At the time I was modeling and Randall was acting. We had mutual friends, moved in the same circles, and ended up becoming good friends.

“I have worked with a lot of photographers in my life, but working with Randall and with him being a friend makes a shoot a lot easier. It feels more comfortable and he knows how to shoot me and how to make it work.”

Slavin lifts the lid on his success as a celebrity photographer, which comes down to the fact that he is personable and approachable.

“When you shoot actors, you learn how to fake a rapport with them, which is helpful,” he says. “A lot of celebrity shooters have half the battle of dealing with publicists and dealing with actor’s egos sometimes.

“All you want is people to have a bit of fun with you for a day. I mean many people can do what we do, but you have to have people skills to make the job work. It doesn‘t matter how good your photos are, if they don‘t want to spend six hours with you, you won‘t get anywhere.”

Though Slavin has shot a plethora of celebrities, musicians and models, he recalls one that stands out from the rest: With a 5am wake-up call and a four hour drive, Slavin, Theron and a crew headed out into the Californian dessert.

“The thing with Charlize is that we hadn’t shot anything interesting in a while. I then pitched an idea I had to her. It was about a glamorous woman who was travelling across the country and is stranded at a little café. This woman decides never to leave, adopts her own family here, and makes her own life out in the dessert. But she was always waiting for someone to come and her pick her up, which you can see from her face in some of the photos,” Slavin said.

“The café we used was the one which appeared in the movie Baghdad Café which came out about 20 years ago. It was really run down and dilapidated but perfect for the shoot.

“Charlize was amazing with this and rolled with it all. It was her idea to cry in the diner with the two mannequins, which puts more emotion in the photo.

“That picture will stand the test of time. I mean you can look at some pictures and say you love it, but a couple of years later, they don’t hold up. To my dying day, this picture will still be remembered and stand out in my portfolio till then.”

With most photographers usually calling the shots, Theron was happy to be able to play a role with this shoot, especially out in the desert. “I love the desert. My family are from Namibia so the desert and its wide open spaces mean a lot to me,” she said. “I was extremely happy with the way that the pictures turned out. We had the whole crew there and everyone was in a good mood. Randall was clear on what he wanted to shoot and the results speak for themselves.”

With the close bond that he has formed with Theron, the two have discussed about raising money for Theron’s charity ‘Charlize Theron African Outreach Project.’ They are looking at holding an exhibition of Slavin’s photographs and auctioning them off with the funds going to the charity. There are talks that the exhibition may feature in cities such as New York, Los Angeles and possibly Sydney.

The charity was set up in collaboration with Oprah Winfrey’s charity program ‘Oprah’s Angel Network’.

Three mobile health clinics are in operation throughout South Africa, including the Umkhanyakude District, which has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. The mobile units provide medical care and health information such as condoms and sex education.

The charity is also looking at building soccer fields in rural communities in the lead up to the 2010 World Cup.

Story by Cassandra Murnieks.

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