As I see it

As I See It by Greg Gorman presents a career-spanning reflection on portraiture, celebrity, and the ethics of looking. With a preface by Elton John and an afterword by John Hurt, the book situates Gorman’s photography within the cultural worlds of film, music, and performance while emphasizing craft and intimacy over spectacle. Gorman’s black-and-white portraits foreground light, texture, and stillness, revealing how collaboration and trust shape the image. Rather than chasing glamour, the work emphasizes presence, allowing subjects to inhabit vulnerability and control simultaneously. The text frames photography as conversation, where restraint and patience produce depth. Sequencing reveals continuity across decades, suggesting that style emerges from sustained attention rather than trend. As I See It positions portraiture as ethical practice, where seeing becomes responsibility. It ultimately affirms photography as medium capable of honoring individuality while navigating fame, exposure, and artistic integrity.