High Flying, Adored
Whether you realize it or not, you know Mario Testino’s sensational photography. The cover of Madonna’s Ray of Light? He shot that. The iconic images of Princess Diana dancing in Vanity Fair? Those were his, too. Halle Berry’s recent Versace ads? Testino again. But in Taschen’s new book of his photography, Let Me In! (available now), the Peruvian-born artist treats us to many never-seen pictures from his personal collection – candid moments snapped after formal sittings, point-and-shoots taken while hanging out with famous pals – that show celebrities with their hair down.
"He makes you feel special," Nicole Kidman writes in the book’s forward. That’s probably why so many stars let Testino photograph them during moments both intimate (Angelina Jolie laughing and playing with son Maddox; Jake Gyllenhaal undressing) and goofy (Gwyneth Paltrow doing yoga in jeans; Madonna donning a cat mask with husband Guy Ritchie).
Unlike much of his commercial work, many of these images, like one of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher kissing in bed, are gritty and grainy, giving the book a more personal feel. "Wherever you look there is somebody fascinating, famous, beautiful, talented," Testino says. "I was lucky enough to be there and able to record some of it." And here’s a souvenir of his adventures.
Let Me In! is available now from Taschen.
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