Angelo Kritikos

Chicago-born, LA-based celebrity/fashion photographer Angelo Kritikos has quickly become one of the hottest freelance photographers in a relatively short period of time. Being named “Top Upcoming Photographer” by W Magazine led Kritikos to shoots with Vampire Diaries‘ Ian Somerhalder, Pennybirdrabbit, and even Wonder Woman herself (and my current celebrity crush), Gal Gadot. We had the chance to exchange emails with Mr. Kritikos to discuss his work, his approach to photography and art in general, and some of his upcoming projects. Read on to get to know your next favorite mermaid space alien. You can find him online via Instagram, Tumblr, and his personal website. (Note: You can find a gallery of some of Angelo’s work at the end of the second page.)

Pennybirdrabbit by Angelo Kritikos

What do you think takes over more when you’re doing a shoot: the nerves and anxiety of shooting an established model/celebrity or the confidence in your talent and abilities?

I don’t get nervous before shooting… I get excited! No matter how big the celeb or shoot is, I always try to keep my shoots low-key and fun. As a photographer, I feel that my energy on set always sets the tone for the shoot, so I try my best to not overthink things and keep it real. I literally wore this ratchet blue hair extension as a mullet on my shoot yesterday and became this weird character. If the people around me feel comfortable to be themselves, it makes me the most happy. No nerves or anxiety on my sets. Just hella talent.

Who were some of your favorite celebrities you’ve shot? Do you have any funny anecdotes from those shoots?

Ahhh there have been so many! One of my absolute favorites was shooting with recording artist Pennybirdrabbit. She really influenced me to start shooting more musicians. I love her eccentric style and bubbly personality. I love shooting with celebs that are authentically themselves throughout the shoot.

I’ve had some really random shit happen on set. One time, an actress completely fainted after breaking a nail. It sounds dramatic and all, but really her whole fucking nail came right off. The whole thing. It was pretty f-ed. Oh, and one time this male model I was shooting pulled the fire alarm (in a college we snuck into) and the whole building had to evacuate. We were shooting in a hallway and all the students and faculty had to exit. When I asked him why he bothered putting his hand near the fire alarm, he replied “It said to ‘pull here’ – It should say DON’T pull here.”  What a weirdo right??

What are some bands/artists/celebrities you want to photograph in the future?

I can go on FOREVER. Right now I’m dying to shoot with Cara Delevingne and Jared Leto. Both have such a cool personal style. There’s also this really amazing artist named FKA Twigs who I’d love to collaborate with. Shooting with Grimes would be awesome too. Oh and Lana! Lana del Rey. Who wouldn’t want to shoot with her???

Evan Mellows by Angelo Kritikos

Do you dabble in other types of photography (i.e. street, candid, landscape, scenery, etc.)?

Nope. I often incorporate street photography techniques in my fashion work, but for the most part, no. I shoot what I like, and I like people & fashion. Ever since I became interested in photography I was always interested in shooting people. In photography class, we’d attend field trips to botanical gardens and cool architectural locations but I was always more interested in photographing my friends.

What would you say defines you the most as an artist and not simply a photographer?

No matter what the project is, I’m always shooting a reflection of my personal style or what I’m going through at that time. I often shoot at places around town that I like to hang out at. I dress my subjects in clothes that I would want to wear. I visualize my subjects in a free world. I just like to create what makes me happy. I love to bring a team together and execute a collaborative vision. I seriously could care less about photography. ‘Technically’ I’m not a good photographer at all. I don’t care if my exposure is correct, or if my composition is perfect or any of that shit. I shoot with cheap equipment because I seriously don’t care. I just like the feeling I get when I’m creating art, and right now the camera is my tool to channel my visions (but that can change at any moment.)

If you weren’t a photographer, what do you think you’d be doing right now?

I’d be expressing myself in another creative art form. What I meant in my previous answer above (right now the camera is my tool… but that can change at any moment) I basically was saying that photography to me is temporary. One day, I may start expressing myself through writing, designing, music producing… who knows?

Did you work with film in the past? If so, how do you feel about the dwindling 35mm industry? Do you prefer digital?

In high school I took proper film classes but transitioned to digital when I went to college. I loved shooting film and developing prints in the darkroom, but I ultimately prefer digital. I’m not sure if this counts, but I recently picked up an Instax camera and I fucking love it! There is something about instant prints that feels intimate. I love the raw polaroid look.