We often see celebrities in front of the camera leading a variety of roles. Little did we know that they too enjoy the life looking through the viewfinder.
Oftentimes, we see celebrities on TV, in magazines, on the big screen, and even onstage. While many of us can only dream of being celebrities ourselves, as it turns out, they’re not that different from us. Like us, these celebrities have hobbies and skills. They’re enthusiastic photographers that use photography either as a creative outlet or as an alternate source of income.
This list below names a few celebrities who are not only amazing actors but are also known to be amazing photographers as well.
Jeff Bridges – Apart from being The Dude and the tenacious United States marshal on True Grit, Jeff Bridges is also a prolific lensman who prefers using a Widelux F8. Most of his photographs are taken while filming for a new movie. He’d bring out his camera during set breaks and shoot in a style reminiscent of a documentary. His photographs give us an amazing, unbridled view of what happens when the cameras are not rolling.
Helena Christensen – Before Helena Christensen became one of the world’s first supermodels, she was first a contingent at the Miss Universe 1986 representing Denmark. Apart from gracing the covers of top fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle, she too has taken a handful of amazing photographs for various fashion magazines. People and Portraits was Christensen’s first solo exhibit at London’s Proud Central Gallery back in 2003. Christensen still continues to wow the world with her photographs, all while putting the current roster of supermodels to shame.
Leonard Nimoy – Unbeknownst to many, Leonard Nimoy—or Spock, as most folks would remember him as—is not only an actor, writer, and director. He too is a photographer. His intimate relationship with photography dates back to when he was still a teenager. Back then, Nimoy converted his family’s small bathroom in Boston into a makeshift darkroom. Apart from that, he also built himself a camera at the tender age of 13. After Star Trek and Mission Impossible, Nimoy took up photography studies at UCLA under the tutelage of Rober Heineken. Leonard Nimoy primarily takes self-portraits as well as fine art nudes — and even eggs! Suffice to say, Nimoy not only uttered his famous line “Live long and prosper” but is living it.
Lenny Kravitz – Lenny Kravitz is a singer-songwriter, record producer, instrumentalist, and actor. He is definitely a myriad of talents. When not creating amazing music, the four-time Grammy Award winner is known to take up the mantle of a photographer. Most of his photos feature other famous people who are in the music and film industry. His portraits—mostly shot in black and white—features celebrities such as Jay-Z, Quincy Jones, as well as Joss Stone. The photos are very candid, up-close, and very personal. His photographs give us a look at what it would be like to be in front of these famous people. His photographs were featured in the April 2009 issue of the Russian Vogue magazine.
Aaron Ruell – Everyone knows Aaron Ruell better as Kip Dynamite, the resident who is constantly logged in the chat room looking for babes in the hilarious movie Napoleon Dynamite. When not acting, Ruell is also a filmmaker and photographer based in California. His works are amazing and has that kitschy, colorful Wes Anderson vibe to it.
Brendan Fraser – When not being chased by homicidal mummies, Brendan Fraser is out taking amazing, photojournalistic images of the places he traveled. Apart from that, he is also a huge fan of lo-fi photography. It’s been said that he takes his Polaroids, a folding pack camera, and a Holga on set with him whenever doing guest appearances for Scrubs.
Kenny Rogers – Not only can Kenny Rogers hit the high notes and belt out chart-topping songs, he also can dish out amazing landscape photographs. He first started with photographing his wife and his wife and has since moved to creating portfolios for his wife’s friends. He personally develops the photos at home. He took his love for photography a step further by studying with John Sexton, the assistant of legendary photographer Ansel Adams.
Being a celebrity and a photographer certainly have its perks. Just imagine how easy it must be for Lenny Kravitz who can just snap photos of other famous people on the fly. They can also afford new camera gear whenever they please since they’ve got tons of cash to burn. That, however, must not discourage you from picking up a camera and creating art. If these celebrities found time for photography despite their rigorous schedule, then you shouldn’t have any reason not to pick up the camera and take pictures.
That concludes part one of our list! If you know other celebrities who take amazing photographs, be sure to hit us up at the comments section.