‘Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort’ Honors Bond Between Photographer and Subject
Portrait photographer Sophie Elgort and All Arts, an award-winning channel created by PBS in New York, teamed up to create Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort, a four-episode docu-series that follows Elgort on four professional portrait shoots.
Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort investigates the portrait photo process and features high-powered subjects, including EGOT winner Rita Moreno, Grammy-winning musician and songwriter Nile Rodgers, American Ballet Theater principal dancer Skylar Brandt, and Sophie’s father, famed fashion photographer Arthur Elgort.
Sophie Elgort tells Canvas Rebel that the new PBS series was inspired by an Instagram series Elgort started during the pandemic.
“I’d interview my dad about a different photograph each week and he would tell me the story behind it,” Elgort explains. “I pitched the show to Diane Masciale at WNET and while it wasn’t right for them, she gave me valuable feedback. We kept in touch and eventually came up with a different idea together with Joe Harrell at the network. Now, four years later, we are excited to premiere Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort.”
The show follows Elgort as she works through the creative portraiture process, which, for her, requires getting to know the subject.
“My favorite part of photography is getting to know the subject through the photoshoot process,” the photographer says. “Not only by what they say during our conversations throughout, but also by seeing them in action.”
The show offers a window into the process and emphasizes how different types of artists collaborate to create amazing photographs.
“I’ve always been behind the camera, and having these conversations during photoshoots is something I’m already doing, so it’s so nice now being able to showcase not only the still images, but also these stories and moments with these world-renowned talents with everyone,” Elgort adds.
Each of the four episodes ranges from around 14 minutes to just under 20, and all four are available to watch on the All Arts YouTube channel and throughout this article.
More of Sophie Elgort’s work is available on her website and Instagram. She is also the founder of the acclaimed New York City headshot and event coverage company ClickHouse.
Image credits: Photos from ‘Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort,’ WNET, All Arts, and PBS
