Depth Of Field

Legendary Scottish photographer Albert Watson reveals the secrets to success in his new book

- By Jared Paul Stern

Few photographers in the world are as adept at combining art, fashion and commercial photography into an oeuvre as iconic as that of Albert Watson. The Scottish-born lensman got his start in the 1970s, embarking on a career that would eventually see him ranked as one of the most influential photographers of all time by industry bible Photo District News, alongside the likes of Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, among others. Along the way he has shot more than 100 covers for Vogue, 40 for Rolling Stone, and countless fashion and ad campaigns; and won numerous honors, including a Lucie Award, a Grammy Award, three Andys, a Der Steiger Award, a Hasselblad Masters Award; and the Centenary Medal, a lifetime achievement award from the Royal Photographic Society. In 2015 Queen Elizabeth II awarded Watson the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his lifetime contribution to the art of photography.

In June, Laurence King Publishing will bring out his latest book, Albert Watson: Creating Photographs, a beautifully-designed masterclass in photography brimming with anecdotes and advice from his incomparable 50-year career. “I’ve had a very long journey in photography,” Watson notes at the beginning of the book. “It’s been a deep, endless passion for me. From the first minute I picked up a camera, I’ve had that passion and, when I was shooting last week, I still had that passion.”