American commercial photographer David LaChapelle was born on March 11, 1963, notable for his hyper-real photography skills. LaCapelle was born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he admired the public schools for their notable art programs. His interest in art and creative taste was established early on in his life. At the age of nine, his family moved to North Carolina. He was not satisfied in his new home and was frequently bullied by his peers for being gay. By fifteen, he ran away from home and went to New York City where he worked as a busboy. At seventeen, LaChapelle met notorious Andy Warhol, who offered him his first career in photography. Warhol instructed him, “Do whatever you want. Just make sure everyone looks good.”
During this particular time, LaChapelle´s work was reaching a large audience, with images being featured in Vogue, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, and other notable magazines. Further, LaChapelle is known for photographing different personalities including celebrities Tupac Shakar, Paris Hilton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hilary Clinton and more. In 1995, LaChapelle shot the “Kissing Sailors” advertisement on behalf of Diesel. This was monumental because it was one of the first images to promote homosexuality, while representing the peace that ensued after World War II. After establishing himself within the realm of photography, he expanded his knowledge to the field of film and video. He worked on music videos, theatrical events, and films. By 2006, LaChapelle had a slight change of heart and shifted his focus away from commercial photography to fine art photography. Below is a short clip giving insight to who David LaChapelle is.
On a recent episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, David LaChapelle was their chosen photographer for their annual Christmas card. From this clip, it is clear that LaChapelle believes that it is his way or the highway. The Kardashian Christmas Card photoshoot was said to have cost approximately $250,000; thus his work comes with a huge cost. Below you will find the Kardashian’s Christmas Card of 2014. He is extremely creative, valuing pop culture and uniqueness for all his celebrity shoots and commercial work. Today, LaChapelle is living in the jungle of Hawaii, and continues to draw inspiration from his surroundings as well as through understanding pop culture. His work is truly monumental, working within fields of photography, exhibitions, and film, while establishing unique personalities to every piece he creates.
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