I CAN FINALLY REVEAL THE PORTRAITS I SHOT OF F1 WORLD CHAMPION LEWIS HAMILTON BACK IN MARCH THIS YEAR. THE THEME WAS #GRANDPALEWIS, A SHORT FILM OF HIM AS AN 80 YEAR OLD MAN WITH HIS GRANDCHILDREN, REMINISCING OF WINNING TITLES. THE MAKE UP ARTIST WAS MARK COULIER, AN OSCAR WINNING ARTIST KNOWN FOR THE FILM ‘RUSH’, AMONGST MANY OTHERS. IT WAS QUITE INCREDIBLE WATCHING THE TRANSFORMATION, AND LEWIS WORE IT WELL.
SHOOTING ALL THROUGH THE PROCESS WAS FASCINTATING, ESPECIALLY SEEING THE END RESULT AND THE CREW’S REACTION TO IT.
AS EVER ON ADVERTISING SHOOTS LIKE THIS, THERE IS NOT A LOT OF TIME TO CAPTURE THE PORTAITS, BUT PREPARATION IS KEY. WE SET UP THE DAY BEFORE, LIGHTING WAS CRUCIAL, AS LIKE MOST DRIVERS, LEWIS USUALLY WEARS A CAP, AND WE DID WANT TO SEE HIS FACE! SO WHEN WE ACTUALLY GOT HIM IN FRONT OF CAMERA, I JUST SHOT CONSTANTLY.
IT ALWAYS HELPS HAVING WORKED WITH SOMEONE BEFORE, THEY HAVE MORE TRUST IN WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO CREATE, WHICH WAS VERY HELPFUL CONSIDERING THAT ON THIS SHOOT MY BEFORE/AFTER IDEA HAD NOT YET BEEN APPROVED BY LEWIS’S MANAGEMENT. EVERY TIME I HAVE WORKED WITH HIM I HAVE GIVEN HIM A FINE ART PRINT OF EACH SHOOT WE HAVE DONE, WHICH ALSO GOES A LONG WAY TO MAKING YOUR SUBJECT MORE AMENABLE TO YOUR IDEAS. THIS TIME HE ASKED ME TO SIGN IT!
GRANDPA LEWIS – WORKING WITH CHAMPIONS
