interview interview advent

Interview Advent Day 3 : Sophie Elgort

12/03/2017Jake Ryan


Being a photographer, I can only imagine having your work printed in a magazine is the ultimate goal. For Sophie Elgort that has happened time and time again. Thanks to her hard work, Sophie has had her work featured around the world in magazines such as Vogue Thailand, Paper Magazine and Glamour. For Sophie it doesn't end there, she has worked for huge brands such as Mercedes, Adidas and many, many more. She has featured on Forbes 30 under 30 and shot portraits of some of the world most famous faces. 

Now Sophie is helping others get behind the lens with her non profit 'Through our Lens'. 

We recently asked Sophie a few questions about 'Through our Lens' and her life. See what Sophie had to say below. 

First of all, can you tell us a little bit about yourself. 
I’m Sophie Elgort, I’m a fashion and portrait photographer born and raised in NYC. 

You’ve worked with some huge brands as a photographer, when did your love for photography develop? 
I always did it growing up because my father is a photographer as well so it was a common hobby for the family. We were always having our pictures taken or taking pictures. I would play dress up with friends in my mom’s closet and then take pictures of them around the apartment or the neighborhood when we got a bit older. I also went on my dad’s photo shoots as much as possible. 

What advice do you have for someone who is interested in starting out in photography?
Take pictures all the time. If you take even one good picture a day at the end of the week you’ll have 7 good pictures and so on. It helps develop your eye and make using a camera second nature. 

Tell us about ‘Through Our Lens’ 
Through Our Lens is the non-profit I co-founded with Carolyn Pride. We wanted to empower young women who are passionate about photography and fashion but without our programming wouldn’t have access to photography education or the fashion industry. Our hope is that by putting more and more young women from diverse backgrounds behind the camera it gives them a platform to tell their stories and also choose who is in front of the camera, thus leading to more racial, socio-economic and gender diversity in the fashion industry. 

How do you plan to achieve your goals with ‘Through Our Lens’?
We really take every opportunity that presents itself and are so grateful to everyone for their tremendous support. It seems like once they hear about the program, it’s not hard to convince them to get involved. 

What has been the proudest moment in your career so far? 
There have been a lot of things I’ve worked hard on and have been proud of, but there’s always so much more to achieve. A few that come to mind are making the Forbes 30 under 30 list, getting my work picked up by the top fashion photography gallery in NYC (Staley Wise) and my first editorial for a Vogue publication (Vogue Thailand’s May issue). 

Do you get to travel much with your job? 
Yes! 

Where is your favourite place?
Paris never gets old and I’m lucky to go there quite a bit for the job. I always like exploring new places I’ve never been though, a few favorites in recent years have been Tanzania, Australia and Greece. 

Who inspires you?
People who have built a successful career doing what they love inspire me. I’m so fascinated with each of their journeys and how they worked to get to where they are now. 

What else makes you happy?
My husband Eric, playing guitar, skiing, my family, my friends, good food, red wine... a lot of things make me happy which I’m grateful for. 

For someone who has already achieved so much in your career, do you still have goals you wish to achieve?
Thank you. I always feel like there is a ton more to achieve. That’s what is fun about goals, each time you achieve something you can set a new one. Right now I’m working on a few, but one I’ll mention is that I’d like to be a judge or mentor on a show like Project Runway or America’s Next Top Model and get to share the knowledge I’ve learned from my experience in the industry with others. 

And finally, what are your plans for the future? 
To keep growing as a photographer and director and also keep working every day to do something for others that impacts the world for the better. I’m also expecting a baby girl in February so I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store.


Thanks Sophie for taking the time to speak to TravelFoodFilm. 

Make sure you check out Sophie's work on her sitewww.sophieelgort.com

Follow her on Instagraminstagram.com/sophieelgort

And check out the work she is doing for Through Our Lens - www.throughourlensnyc.org

All photos in this post belong to Sophie Elgort. 









Did you miss Day 2? Read our interview with Jordan Hammond HERE

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