Named the “Top Upcoming Photographer” by W MAGAZINE, celebrity fashion photographer Angelo Kritikos has become the most sought after name in the industry with photo features of celebrities such as Ian Somerhalder (Vampire Diaries), Bellamy Young (Scandal), Nick Wechsler (Revenge) and Giuliana Rancic (E! News). From shooting celebrity fashion editorials for PEREZHILTON.COM, to being a main contributor for the luxury menswear magazine FASHIONISTO, Angelo is continuing to take his career to the next level by adding video directing to his resume and has worked on music videos for Pussycat Dolls’ Jessica Sutta and dance music darling, Pennybirdrabbit.
Angelo has a conversation about luxury with us and tells us about how he got into the industry.
1. Can you tell me about your background? Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a northwest suburb of Chicago called Addison. I can completely rant about how average the town it is, but I would never want to throw shade on the place I lived for 20 years of my life. I luckily had downtown Chicago as my playground throughout high school and college. I was raised in a traditional Greek home and family always came first. I’ve always beat to my own drum since I was a kid and was always drawn to people that were authentically themselves.
2. What does luxury mean to you?
Luxury to me is a complete treat. It’s an escape from reality. Luxury is something I can only handle in small doses.
3. Tell us about what its like to be a photographer. How did you get into it?
Being a photographer is fun as hell. I’ve been snapping photos since I was really little. On family vacations I was always the one taking the picture. It wasn’t until high school when I began taking film classes and started to really fall in love with it. I would dress my friends up in crazy clothes and would do little photo shoots with them. I knew by the age of 16 that this was what I wanted to do, so I looked into art schools.
4. How would you describe your photography style? Who have you shot before?
My style is always changing. My photography is a reflection of what I’m going through. Right now I’m completely in love with street wear and the west coast lifestyle. As of recent, my personal style has become more bold and playful so I love shooting those types of looks in photo shoots. I work with your fav celebs from TV and film. Ian Somerhalder, Avan Jogia, Keke Palmer, Gal Gadot to name a few… Lately I’ve been getting into shooting musicians as well. Some of my favz being Charli xcx, Pennybirdrabbit, and Kitten.
5. Can you tell us about your top 5 favorite hotels in the world? Why are they each special?
I haven’t traveled much since I shoot a lot of the international magazines here in LA (because all the celebrities live here) but I’m pretty easy when it comes to hotels! As long as they have a decent gym and an outdoor pool, I’m happy.
6. What about your top 5 favorite restaurants in the world? Why do you like them?
I’m not a big foodie… I much prefer splurging on clothes. Ever since moving to LA I’ve become such a café junkie! I love getting coffee/lunch at Urth Café, the vibe is super chill. I also often find myself there late night having tea & dessert with a friend. I also enjoy the ambiance of Fig & Olive both the New York and LA locations. The setting is super trendy and they make awesome drinks. I love a cool dinner spot with an outdoor patio like Le Clafoutis which is a cozy little French restaurant on Sunset Blvd and Katana, a hip little sushi place with an LA twist.
7. Where do you find inspiration?
I love fearless, eccentric people. Most of my inspiration comes from people who are authentically themselves. I’m infatuated with people who are not from this planet. I recently shot with a beautiful poet named Natalie Patterson and a talented artist named Allison Kunath. When a person has strong positive energy, I’m inspired.
8. What are some places you would like to go to? Any hotels or restaurants you’d like to check out?
My list of places to visit is endless! It’s a dream of mine to shoot in India, shop in Singapore, meditate in Bali, party in Brazil, drink wine in Barcelona, smoke weed in Berlin, study in France, traditional dance in Thailand, volunteer in Ghana… I can go on forever!!
Checkout his amazing work and be sure to visit his site