BTS of Martin Schoeller's New York Magazine Covers of RuPaul Stars

When you get to peek behind the curtain of Martin Schoeller's shoots, it's always worth stopping what you're doing, and taking that peek.

Schoeller was one of the first photographers whose portraiture and headshots really grabbed me. He has a memorable style, with those intimate, wide-angled portraits and large catch-lights often gracing the covers of magazines like National Geographic and TIME. In this video, he shoots 37 different covers of the stars of RuPaul's Drag Race.

With these subjects one thing is for sure: you're not going to leave with bland imagery. The amount of color, attitude, and diversity on display is a photographer's playground.

However, call me boring, but my focus was stolen for a good portion of the video by Schoeller's camera setups. It looks like he's shooting some of these with a Nikon or Canon, as opposed to the Phase One system I've noticed him using the past. Either way, it's great to see he was still shooting on film for his close-up portraiture, which if my memory serves me, would mean he's using his trusty Mamiya RZ67.

It certainly looks like a fun shoot. I don't think I'd even bother directing them; I'd just see what happens and shoot it!

Video by Phila Demi