Doug Inglish ©
Matt Bomer for Man About Town
2020

Interview conducted by Trip Avis

Trip Avis: What first attracted you to the photographic medium, particularly celebrity portraits? Would you consider yourself a portraitist?

Doug Inglish: I majored in English Literature and Art History at Dickinson College, but photography has always been my passion and has brought me joy. I was drawn to still life and my professor pushed me to try still life with the human body. That led to portraiture. When I graduated, the job market was lacking, and my brother, who lived in San Diego, encouraged me to move out west. His girlfriend was an L.A.-based wardrobe stylist who helped me get my first assisting gigs. Living in L.A., I was able to shoot fashion and celebrity portraiture. Before long I was shooting my first celebrity, David Duchovny. Even when I’m shooting fashion, I approach it as portraiture.

I’ve always loved the accelerated history of Los Angeles because of the movie business. So much visual history shared internationally was made in such a short time. Being a small part of that, photographing actors and models is thrilling to me. At the end of the day, I enjoy having a crew that is like family. We like making the connection with the talent and the act of collaboration between everyone on set. I believe that if we’re not having fun, then we’re not taking good pictures. And for the photos to really reach out and touch the viewer they need to have that energy behind them.

Doug Inglish ©
Oliver Cheshire for GQ Style UK
2015

Trip: Throughout your storied career, you've captured the essence of pop culture luminaries, including some of the most handsome men in Hollywood. Whether they're newcomers or seasoned stars, your work often exudes a certain playful, effortless energy. Could you delve into your disarming approach and how it aids in capturing their authentic selves?

Doug: I never took myself too seriously, and from the beginning, I didn’t connect with austere, joyless fashion photos where the model looks depressed or angry. I’ve always loved the joy, spontaneity, and sexiness in a Walter Pfeiffer or Bruce Weber photo. So much of my job is creating a safe space for someone to express themselves. It’s 80% psychiatry and 20% photography. I can sense if I’m losing someone, e.g., if we’ve been shooting one look for too long or if they’re getting hungry or tired. When I see this, I try to switch things up. Once you create a safe space where people feel seen and heard, so much can be accomplished. Ideally, they feel free to be themselves. I want them to know it’s not me against them, so I invite them to see my process, share inspiration photos, and discuss if there’s anything they need. I want my sitters to feel like they’re a part of the process. Shooting in my home helps disarm people because everyone is thrown together with no space to hide; we eat together, work together, and laugh together. When I open my house up for a shoot, that means everything — my props, vintage clothes, odds, and ends — are available to use for the project.

Trust is so important when it comes to making images for the public, especially in a place like Hollywood, where you have a million voices in your ears. It can really get in your head and confuse you. Sometimes, it can break your trust so much that you lose sight of who you are. I say this in defense of the talent because I’m an empath, and I meet these amazing people who have the world watching them. It’s remarkable how some of the sexiest actors don’t want to be seen that way. They don’t want to be pigeonholed or typecast. I’ve learned exercises, especially for the men, to help get them out of their heads and relax for the camera. It can be as simple as having the talent repeat a word and saying it as a different character or simply jumping up and down. I’m sure you know of Philippe Halsman’s work. To warm up his famous subjects, he would have them jump up and down to get out the nervous energy. He made a book of these brilliant photos called the Jump Book, it’s genius.

Doug Inglish ©
Jeff Goldblum for GQ Style UK
2018

Trip: In your experience, how does shooting fashion editorials differ from your celebrity photoshoot work?

Doug: There are so many differences when working between shooting fashion and celebrity. One of the big differences is that there aren’t any publicists, and we're not pushing just one person’s identity. In a fashion shoot, we’re creating a fantasy, a creative team dream, where all individual parts are as important as the whole. Whenever you see a celebrity portrait story it is 100% for publicity there is most likely a movie, show, product, or award around the corner, so we are also secretly working towards something. That said I treat models the exact same way I treat actors. I want everyone to be a part of the process and feel included. The biggest difference between the two is the fact that the models are cast to be muses for the fashion story. They are cast to bring the clothes, and the concept of the shoot alive, to inspire the team. And, the really good ones just do that, they arrive on set wanting to help make the best images possible.

Trip: Many of your photographs have a theatrical flair to them. Do you aim to capture a certain mystique in your work? Do you try to draw a certain energy from your subjects, or is it dependent on the specific shoot and circumstances?

Doug: A lot of my work is shot in my home and my home is basically a prop house of things that bring me joy. I’ve always loved how wearing a costume, hat or a pair of cowboy boots can make someone feel like a different person. I love a party photo where you can tell music is playing and people are having fun or goofing for the photo. Mixing those photos with quieter more classically lit photos gives the editorial some breathing room. And yes, certain subjects give remarkable energy. Recently I’ve worked with Josh Brolin, and it was pure joy. He is such a playful person and was the opposite of self-conscious a true California boy. That kind of freedom enlivens, inspires, and helps me get the best picture.

Doug Inglish ©
KJ Apa for GQ Style Australia
2018

Trip: What important aesthetic and compositional elements do you apply to your work?

Doug: I don’t like to overthink lighting. Generally, I use natural light or a tungsten light. When I was assisting, I worked with a father figure mentor who taught me so much. I remember I was curious how he had achieved a lighting effect with a strobe light. He said, “See that up there (pointing at the sun)? If you figure that out everything else will come to you.” It’s the truth. When working with people who don’t understand the light, they will say they want me to shoot somewhere where the light is terrible, and I always insist to only shoot where the light is lovely. I have a white stucco wall in the back of my home facing my garden that has the most insanely beautiful end-of-day light. It’s called the wall of fame. I try to shoot everyone on that wall. To simplify it, I look for the most beautiful light, and the environment that evokes the best surroundings for the character we are creating. If I can get those two things right it all comes together, and much like an action photograph, it doesn’t matter if its blurry and upside down, because the image becomes about more than just aesthetic. It becomes a beautiful moment in time that can be felt, shared, and hopefully succeed in bringing joy to others by making them feel a part of what it’s like to let go and be free.