Timothy White is much more than a celebrity photographer. Yes, it’s true that you’ve seen his highly celebrated work on the covers of Vanity Fair, Esquire, and Rolling Stone. And then there is his iconic album work for Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, and Jon Bon Jovi as well as hundreds of movie posters for Hollywood’s top studios, including Sony, Paramount, and Universal. You may have fallen in love with the unparallel way he has captured Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford, or Julia Roberts but what I find most alluring about this man is the way he moves through the world. Having worked with him, I can tell you this –– to watch him work is to witness inspiration in motion. Here’s a peek inside his mind:
SOCIAL LIFE: How have you noticed the field of photography change and how has it changed your work?
TIMOTHY WHITE: Advancements in technology have made everyone an expert. The audience has evolved. Look at Instagram: anyone can choose a banal image and make it interesting. So today’s viewer is much more visually savvy, which is something I enjoy because I accept the challenge. And I am a part of that same audience as well.
SL: What has been your most surprising moment behind the camera?
TW: It has to be how much pleasure I get from the process. Every time I do it, it just feels so natural and it’s something I’m very comfortable with. And I love the little surprises it brings every time.
SL: How would you describe being in the moment?
TW: Not having a lot of expectations, reacting to all that happens around me, being open to not only every moment that evolves, but being open-minded enough to accept each of those changes, each of those moments, and react accordingly.
SL: With homes in California and New York, what is it about the East End that made you establish roots here?
TW: With everywhere I travel around the world I keep coming back to the beauty of the East End. It’s natural, noncommercial. It’s clean and special. When you are watching a sunrise or a sunset it’s just the most natural and beautiful place.In the Hamptons every season is special and recognizable.
SL: How would you describe your ideal Hamptons day?
TW: Being alone and walking on the beach.
SL: For someone who has and continues to do it all, what’s next?
TW: I don’t look at it that way. I just do. I just react. I don’t have a plan and I don’t want a plan. That applies to how I take pictures and how I live my life. I play it as I go. It’s ever changing and I like to react to that change.
