Greg Gorman – Lighting Up Hollywood, Then and Now

Flying in directly from a post-Oscar party in Hollywood, Greg Gorman joined us for a conversation at the 2020 Depth of Field Photo Conference this past February, where he was the key-note speaker. Given all that has happened since, it seems like a long time ago, but this is the type of chat we wish would have just kept going, so enjoyable was Gorman and his tales of Hollywood then and now.

Still in-demand by A-listers, Gorman’s work reaches back to touch the Golden Age of Hollywood, with portraits of Brando, Hitchcock, and Orson Welles from his early career and just about everyone else since. It’s not even worth listing the “who’s who;” we do ask about a few famous names and how he got started, but mostly we talk technique and lighting.

We start with his thoughts on film versus digital photography and then delve into his work with continuous lighting compared to strobe and his current penchant for Rotolight LED and Sony camera systems. We also discuss the importance of gaining the trust of your subjects and having a consistent production team to maintain your desired look, as well as an efficient workflow.

We wrap with a segment on the importance (and difficulty) of self-editing and then touch on the selection and sequencing process for the eleven books he has published and the career retrospective that is in the works and scheduled for publication later this year.

Check out Gorman’s incredible body of work and join us for this fun conversation.

Guest: Greg Gorman

Photograph © Greg Gorman