For Arthur Elgort, the streets of New York have always been the ultimate studio. Born in 1940 in New York, Elgort has pushed the boundaries of fashion photography since the early 1970s, taking it beyond the confines of closed studios and into the spontaneity of open air, where light is free to do what it does best: move. British art historian Martin Harrison touched on the essence of Elgort’s photography when he described it as “ballet-of-the-street,” a choreography of motion and instinct. Elgort’s lifelong love of ballet shaped his vision profoundly, capturing fleeting elegance in his candid shots. 

That instinct was at the heart of the conversation on April 25th at The Photography Show at Park Avenue Armory. Hosted annually by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), the fair has been a fixture in the photography world since 1980, where galleries meet collectors and enthusiasts, alike, it’s where decades of history meet the medium’s evolving lens. Elgort appeared in conversation with his daughter, photographer Sophie Elgort, and fashion director and model Dara Allen. 

The panel was part of Sophie’s new series Portrait Mode for All Arts, which explores the creative process of artists across mediums through behind-the-scenes interviews and on-set moments with New York City itself as a constant living studio. Over the hour, the three swapped stories about rooftops, phone booths, elephants, the importance of keeping your eyes open, and the shift from film to digital. Elgort, who still takes a picture every day, doesn’t shy away from selfies either: “Do I still take them when nobody’s around? Yes.”

Arthur Elgort, Selfie (1975).

Photography & New York City: A Conversation with Arthur Elgort, Dara, and Sophie Elgort

Sophie Elgort: Thank you all so much for coming and thank you to my wonderful panelists. Unfortunately, Vanessa Friedman broke her arm trapezing and couldn’t be here. We’re going to miss her, but it’s still going to be a wonderful conversation. Today we’re talking about photography and New York City because it’s the 400th anniversary of the city, and how these streets have long served as an unofficial studio for so many photographers. And who better to talk about that than these two New Yorkers: my dad, Arthur Elgort, and Dara.

My new show, Portrait Mode on All Arts, takes viewers behind the scenes of a photo shoot. One of my favorite episodes features my dad, so we thought we’d show a quick clip from that and then have a similar kind of conversation live, right here.

[Clip plays from “Portrait Mode”]

Sophie: Let’s start with you, Dara. Tell us your New York story, how you landed here, and started shooting.

Dara Allen: I moved here [New York City] from San Diego in 2016. Before that, I was an online fashion obsessive, watching runway shows in high school and poring over magazines. I had a lot of friends do that and then become collaborators. My best friend and I used to pack up clothes in the car and go out shooting in LA, and we kept that energy when we moved to New York.

We’d shoot everywhere, from the park and on the sidewalk. When you say New York is a studio I relate to that because it’s so much of a studio to me. It’s really where I learned how to make a picture, find the look, and learn to pose. A week after I arrived, I went to a party and that’s how I kind of started meeting people, walking shows, and doing shoots. It was all really organic, it wasn’t like I got an agent, it was very much the friends and nightlife scene in New York. 

Left: Christy Turlington, New York City (1987). Right: Cindy Crawford, New York City, Vogue (1987).

Sophie: Dad, you’re a true New Yorker who grew up in Washington Heights. You’ve always said the street is your studio. One of your first covers was Mademoiselle, and you took the model out of the studio and put her in a phone booth. 

Arthur: Well, it’s [the street] free! So you don’t have to pay. I do very fast photos, so I’m out of there before you know it anyway. Now I have a studio that I use a lot, but I usually go downstairs to Grand Street and I’ve used that for 43 years. Sometimes I go to Canal Street, which is one block back. It’s really far. 

 “Do I still take them [selfies] when nobody’s around? Yes.”

Sophie: I want to talk about the role of fashion in photographs, people don’t always realize how much fashion shapes the image. Dara, as a stylist and editor, what’s your take?

Dara: Totally, I mean when you say shooting on the street is free that’s so real. When there’s no budget you just shoot out there and the looks are amazing and dynamic, you meet all these interesting and crazy characters. Now, at least for me you have to make the girl so extraordinary that she distracts you from all the chaos that exists in New York City streets, because now everyone’s amazing and have camera iPhones and it’s like how you make the girl in your picture stand out? You have to make her look like some super fashion fabulous alien [laughs]. And that is a collaboration between all those creative people, the hair and makeup, the nails and the fashion.

Sophie: Dad, you had a special relationship with Azzedine Alaïa. What was it like working with him?

Arthur Elgort: Well, it was free and he gave me clothes for my wife. He was a nice guy and I liked his clothes. I think we got along because we didn’t speak at all. He spoke French and I English. We had good models, especially Naomi Campbell and Joan Severance. 

Sophie: DARA, what’s your process when preparing a shoot?

Dara: Usually it starts with the talent. We ask what do we feel about this person right now? How do we want to transform them, or highlight what already makes them iconic? I pull references, it could be anywhere from Arthur’s photos or a meme that was really funny and gross [laughs]. So it’s like an amalgamation of things. 

Christy Turlington & Linda Evangelista, New York City (1989).

Sophie: Dad, you discovered some of the biggest supermodels in the world from the time before people knew who they were. Like Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford. What made them stand out?

Arthur: They loved it. I also just kept my eyes open. I’d find models at restaurants, on the street. 

“Take a lot of pictures. One will be good. That’s the trick.”

[Audience Q&A]

Q: DARA, since you work both in front of and behind the camera, how do those roles inform each other? And which do you prefer?

Dara: I really like both. I think knowing what it feels like to be in front of the camera helps a lot especially when you’re working with a model who isn’t a Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, or Kate Moss. It helps you instruct them and bring something out of them. I think a lot of that is like having a psychological therapy moment with the person and bringing something out of them that they might not be comfortable showing on their own. That’s helped for sure.

Q: Arthur, one of my favorite stories you’ve told is about your photo shoot with Kate Moss and the elephants. Can you tell us how that happened?

Arthur: Well, everyone was sick except Kate, the elephant, and the elephant trainer. You know, the guy who clicks and gives the elephant commands [ laughs]. So, I got lucky. I did that picture of Kate Moss and it came out wonderful. I always had good subjects. Sometimes I’d use myself, which was okay but not that great. 

Q: I’m curious if you both could speak about the power of eyes in photography. In both modeling and photography, the eyes feel so strong and emotional? How do you bring that out? 

Dara: When I’m in front of the camera or even when I’m selecting final shots during editing I’m always looking for that look. Something that says, “I’m thinking beyond just showing off a pretty dress.” There’s a mood, maybe it’s joy, maybe anxiety, but it’s emotional. You’re looking at the scenario and then you respond to what’s happening and it’s very instinctual and visceral. 

Q: How do you feel about the shift to digital photography?

Arthur: It’s good, you can see your mistakes. But now everyone’s good. Back then, if a shot was bad, I just threw it out. Now the mistakes are online in two seconds. [laughs] But I still love it. I shoot every day.

Q: How do you make a good photo?

Arthur: Take a lot of pictures. One will be good. That’s the trick.