I have been extremely privileged to meet and photograph a number of notable and high-profile personalities over the course of my career. Photographing people like Oscar-winning film director Oliver Stone and PGA golfer Tiger Woods have been among my most memorable assignments.
And over the past year, while on assignment for various editorial clients, I have had the opportunity to make portraits of three interesting and engaging individuals: fiction author Alexander McCall Smith; scholar, columnist and television personality Niall Ferguson; and art historian Charles Saumarez Smith.
I spent a couple of hours with Alexander McCall Smith, author of the best-selling The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, at Singapore's iconic Raffles Hotel last year while shooting a profile about him for Reader's Digest. Mr. McCall Smith was a patient and thoughtful subject and, as it was the first (and only) time I've been permitted to shoot inside Raffles Hotel, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of integrating the historical Victorian-era property and decor into my photographs.
Earlier this year I met Niall Ferguson very briefly when I was commissioned by the Financial Times to photograph him at
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a finance conference at Singapore's Mandarin Oriental Hotel. My assistant and I were set up and waiting for Mr. Ferguson, who was delayed, for more than ninety minutes. So when he arrived, we had just a few minutes to shoot his portrait, which gave me time to make only a handful of photographs. But he was a fantastic subject -- he was extremely comfortable in front of my lens, required little direction and was full of expression -- so a few moments was all that we needed to get the shot.
Finally, I was hired by Billionaire to photograph portraits of Charles Saumarez Smith, former Director of the National Portrait Gallery (UK) and the National Gallery (UK), and the current Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Arts (UK). Our shoot took place this past March at the historic Eden Hall, the private residence of the British High Commissioner to Singapore. I had about one hour with Mr. Saumarez Smith, and although my idea of photographing him on the grounds outside was scuttled by an afternoon thunder shower, I feel I was still able to make some compelling pictures of him. It was an honour to photograph a subject whose image, captured by the great Mario Testino, currently resides in his former place of employment, London's National Portrait Gallery.
See more of my portraiture on my website.
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Scott you are truly extraordinary. They are really nice pictures, full expression and naturally. I love it. Do you have any magic words to them so that they look comfortable when you take a picture ….. ;-))
Thank you very much for the story and for sharing.
Comment by Ida Wuryanti — September 20, 2012 @ 8:59 PM