Only human

Photographing high-profile personalities has its challenges, as portrait expert Lee Malone explains. He speaks to Peter Fenech about how a human connection is critical for successful images

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Humans are a visually biased species; we react strongly to visual stimuli, compared to those detected by our other senses.

Furthermore, of all the many thousands of images we see every day, it is those of other people we connect with the deepest. Consequently, portrait photographers have their work cut out for them. A successful portrait must convey the subject's personality quickly and clearly to engage the viewer at an emotional level. The image must make the audience care about the featured character, despite never having met them in person, and as is the case with many celebrity portraits, being unlikely ever to do so.

Lee Malone understands this challenge better than most. For almost two decades, he has worked in the visual arts, first as a graphic designer and then as a commercial portrait photographer. Known for his thoughtful images of famous subjects, Lee's work is in great demand, and he spends the majority of his time shooting for global editorial campaigns. In his line of work, he meets an array of instantly recognisable faces, but he stresses the importance of putting fame aside and striving for human connection. 'It's all about trust,' he explains. 'Your subject has to trust you, whoever they are. We're all human, and that's how I approach every project. When I'm shooting actors, I never talk about their films or ask them what they are working on; I know that already, so I concentrate on capturing their personality.'

Starting out