Famed Photographer David LaChapelle: 'Every Photo Was To Be Super Special'
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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – He has been called the Fellini of fashion and celebrity photography. David LaChapelle is the man behind some of the most iconic pictures of our time. LaChapelle has shot for every important fashion magazine from Vogue to Vanity Fair and many more.
He credits Andy Warhol with giving him his first big break with Interview magazine.
He shoots the most famous of the famous people.
"Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Britney Spears, I did her first covers. Elizabeth Taylor to Michael Jackson it goes on and on Hilary Clinton," David recalls while talking to CBS4's Lisa Petrillo.
"How did you make that big switch to where every major celeb wanted to be shot by you?" Lisa asked.
"All I did was to have a goal that every photo was to be super special and that I hadn't seen a shot like it yet. If I'd look into the lens and if I had seen it before, I wouldn't press the button," the famed photographer explained.
David took 10 years off and is now back with two new photo books.
Good News and Lost + Found together create a complete career-spanning anthology of his iconic photographic work from the late 80's to today.
It is all about color.
"I wanted to walk out at the top of my game and life had other plans. I got a call from a gallery and that was my first dream, so 10 years later, we have these books," David explained.
Miley Cyrus is on the cover of Lost + Found wearing a nude bodysuit.
"Miley was great for the cover. We haven't seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes her talent. She's incredible," he said.
David says these two books will be his last. He has given everything he has to them.
"I've been doing pictures for so long. I didn't want to make more stuff in the world, I wanted the pictures to mean something and I wanted to touch people. That's when it's finished for me, when they connect with it," he explained.
"Congratulations to you David," said Petrillo. "I know you're saying these are the last two books, but I hope you're like Cher and come back again."
David LaChapelle's books are for sale at Taschen Books on Lincoln Road.