গোলাম রাব্বি 
Photographer, director and now TV host, Sophie Elgort, grew up with a camera in hand. Cameras were literally everywhere, always within reach. Long before iPhones, she brought cameras to school and summer camp, styling and snapping pictures of her friends. It was exhilarating and fun, but she never considered it for her career. Photography was what her dad did. Perhaps you’ve heard of him—legendary fashion photographer Arthur Elgort?
While he may have given her a tip or two along the way, Elgort has blazed a remarkable path of her own. Her photographs have appeared in publications such as Cultured, Elle, Paper, Teen Vogue and Vogue Greece, among many others. She has photographed a long list of stars, including Brooke Shields, John Waters, Naomi Watts and Rose Byrne. Her fine art photography is represented by the prestigious Staley-Wise Gallery. Now, her latest project, Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort—a weekly PBS series that aired on the ALL ARTS platform—blends her love of storytelling through images and words.
As playful as it is profound, the series transports viewers to an intimate set as Elgort interviews and photographs creative icons like the venerable musician and producer Nile Rodgers, EGOT-winner Rita Moreno, ABT principal dancer Skylar Brandt and, last but not least, her father, Arthur Elgort, who is known for his natural-light style and for championing the careers of Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. At the end of each episode, in an unexpected twist, she asks her guests to take her portrait, and the results are delightful.
I sat down to talk with Elgort at her Tribeca office. Afterward, she brought me next door to her spacious, sunlit studio where arched windows framed Lower Manhattan. Before I left, I was inspired to take her photo with my iPhone, and she gave me some pointers: “no to portrait mode” (she likes to snap fast) and a flash always adds a good pop.
Your father is a legendary photographer. Did you ever feel pressure to follow in his footsteps or feel intimidated by the idea of becoming a photographer yourself?
I never felt pressure. I actually never wanted to be a photographer. It’s like when kids grow up with parents who are doctors—some want to follow in their footsteps, and others want to do the complete opposite. I was the latter. Photography was always fun, something we were always doing. I’d bring my father’s cameras with film to school and photograph my friends, but I didn’t see it as my path because that’s what my dad did.
So you became pre-med! Tell me about that.
I was in an a cappella group, and for some reason, almost everyone in the group was pre-med. One day at rehearsal, they were like, “Why don’t you just take the pre-med requirements, just in case?” Someone wrote the ten required classes on a napkin. I looked at them and thought, “Okay, I can do that.” So I started taking them, but then I realized that I didn’t actually want to be a doctor.
How did you transition to a career in photography?
My friends started a company right out of college, where they would repurpose vintage clothing to sell it online. They asked my opinion about different photographers, and I remember thinking, “No, not that one, not that one.” Finally, they just asked, “Would you do it? We’ll give you free clothes in return.” I said, “Yes, of course,” so I started shooting for them, and the photos ended up in Teen Vogue with my name attached. From there, people started reaching out, and I thought, “Oh, I guess this is a thing now.” So I never felt any pressure. In fact, my father was excited that somebody else wanted to do photography in the family. Both of my parents were very encouraging.
Did your father give you tips along the way?
He did, but since he shoots a lot with natural light, he’s not so much into strobes. I realized I actually had no knowledge of that, so I took a lighting course.
Let’s jump into Portrait Mode. How did it come about?
Over the pandemic, my husband, Eric, and I were staying with my parents for a while. I had no work because everything had been canceled. My dad wasn’t working either, so I came up with this idea to do an IGTV Instagram series where we’d talk about one of his photos each week. It was so low production. I just propped up my phone on some books and hit record. It was just us talking off the cuff and natural, but people loved it because it was authentic. I ended up getting connected with Diane Masciale at WNET (America’s flagship PBS station.) She watched what we’d done and said, “This is great, but it’s not quite right for us.” She gave me feedback, we kept in touch, and a few years later, I invited her to a photography show I had at Lafayette 148’s Soho store. After seeing my work in that context, she said, “Let’s revisit this. Let’s brainstorm something that would make sense for both of us.” We came up with Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort.
That’s such a great lesson on not letting “rejection” deflate you.
I always try to take advice, especially from people who have more experience in an area than I do. There was so much I didn’t know about making a TV show, so having that guidance was invaluable.
How did you decide which creative icons to feature in the first season?
We made a dream list of guests, and we wanted to get people in different genres of the arts. I started reaching out, which is something I’d never done before. I asked my PR friends, “How do I do this?” They helped me draft an email, and I did personal reachouts. I’m so happy we got some serious legends on board.
Your first episode features the Nile Rodgers. You two had such great rapport.
He is an absolute legend. Those who might not know his name—they’re few and far between—definitely know his music. He was in a band called Chic and did Le Freak and We Are Family. He just won a Grammy for Beyoncé’s latest album. He produced Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, David Bowie’s Let’s Dance and Madonna’s Like a Virgin. And he’s still making an impact, not just musically but through his We Are Family Foundation, which empowers young voices. His partner, Nancy Hunt, who I put in the episode, runs it. She’s an amazing woman.
Let’s talk about Rita Moreno. She’s 93 years old and seems like she’s embarking on her next big chapter!
I was definitely a little starstruck. She’s a fireball of personality, a total spitfire. At one point, she just broke into an a cappella jazz song, and she was entertaining everyone by making jokes. We then turned the camera on her and let her take my picture. Each guest has such strong points of view, and I wanted to learn from them. And, of course, Rita was trying to get me to act. She’s like, “Now look over there and act surprised!” I tried, and she went, “No, that’s not how you do it!” And I was like, “Rita, I am not an actor! I’d need a lot more time to make it look real.”
And then there’s Skylar Brandt, a principal dancer at ABT.
My God, she’s such a talented, amazing, beautiful dancer. And what’s cool about Skylar is that she really had to work for it. She didn’t have the “right” feet, the natural arch ideal for ballet, but she made it. Talk about work ethic!
She has a huge Instagram following.
Huge, but I think it’s really authentic. People use that word a lot, but she’s very true to herself. She has a good vibe, and she’s really funny.
She must have been a dream subject for you since your photography has so much movement.
Yes! We actually filmed her first, which got me going. I’m so comfortable filming dancers, and we just had a really good rapport.
What was it like interviewing your father, Arthur Elgort?
I knew I had to include him—he’s how I got the original idea. He’s a legend. I was like, “How special is it that I get to do this on him?”
He has a great sense of humor.
He’s a good chatterer, too. I think it felt really natural and fun. And we’re always taking pictures.
Does he ever critique your work?
Sometimes he does with my more artsy work. I’ll slow down the shutter speed, and it’ll be soft. He’ll be like, “That one looks blurry,” and I’ll say, “Yes, Dad, that was on purpose.” And he’ll be like, “Strange.”
What do you hope people take away from Portrait Mode?
I want people to see these artists in action and really get to know these personalities. The episodes are short—under 20 minutes—so they’re very watchable. We’re putting them online, too, which is great for younger audiences. Maybe people will discover more about their work and go down the rabbit hole.
Where do you hope the show goes?
I’d love to get everyone on my dream list, and then there are a ton of people at different points in their careers, which would be interesting.
Who’s the top person on your dream list?
So many people! But if I had to pick one—Lin-Manuel Miranda. That would be epic.
How do art and business intertwine for you?
I don’t have a big team, so as an artist, I still have to do all my own pre-production and post-production. That involves everything from marketing to the boring stuff like invoices, accounting and emails. It would be nice to only be an artist, but at the same time, I think it’s interesting knowing what’s going on in my business, and then I can make more informed decisions. I also run a business called Clickhouse, which started as a headshot business and has expanded to a team of great photographers shooting and editing corporate videos, as well as event coverage.
You’re also a mom of three! How do you handle it all so gracefully?
Thank you! We have an amazing nanny during the week, and my husband brings the kids to school every day on his way to work. Weekends are family time, but if I have a job, we’ll fill in with a babysitter. If we’re traveling, Eric’s parents will come stay with the kids or my mom will come sometimes in a pinch. It’s a juggle, and it wouldn’t be possible without help.
I know you’re also passionate about empowering and helping women.
I’ve always been interested in helping people where I can. I feel like I’ve been really fortunate. I grew up with parents who supported me, and throughout my career, people have been generous with advice and have helped me. Years ago, I started an organization with my friend Carolyn Pride called Through Our Lens, a mentorship program empowering young women and high school girls through photography. Our motto was ‘Representation Matters,’ and the goal was to give them access to the industry and tangible skills to get a job in the fashion industry. It’s hard to find your path, and it’s really important to me to help people who have it harder than others.
Do you think art is political? Or what do you feel the role of art is?
It can be. I think art is important. I think of art as everything. It’s anything that makes you feel something. And when I’m on set my favorite part about photography is chatting with people and getting to know them. I like to see them in action. I don’t care about photographing products, I care about people.
