Mario Testino is a well-known photographer who sees the world through the lenses of his camera and brings out the best in people and things. His ground-breaking inventiveness landed him projects with major fashion houses such as Gucci, Versace, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Valentino, V, and W. His success is most likely due to his enthusiasm for his work. He takes pride in his work and prefers to convey himself through photos rather than words. He is regarded as one of the most sought-after photographers in the world, having captured stunning images of superstars such as Madonna, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga. Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kate Moss, Adriana Lima, and Claudia Schiffer are among the actors and models shot by Testino’s lens. He’s also been approached by the British royal family on several occasions to capture their special moments with his camera. This talented photographer has been involved with a number of charitable organizations and has helped generate funds for a variety of humanitarian purposes. Testino has also published a number of books with bright pictures that speak for themselves.
Childhood and Adolescence
Mario was born on October 30, 1954, in Lima, Peru, to a Spanish-Irish-Italian family. Mario was the eldest son of six children, and his father was a merchant. He received his primary education at the Catholic school ‘Santa Maria Marianistas,’ and then went on to the ‘University of the Pacific.’
He majored in economics during his first year at the ‘University of the Pacific.’ Later, he enrolled in the ‘Catholic University of Lima’ to study law. He came to California to study ‘international relations’ and enrolled at the ‘University of San Diego.’ Testino has always been a creative person and aspired to work in a field that would allow him to express himself. As a result, in 1976, he traveled to London to pursue a photography degree.
Career of Mario Testino
The first several days in London for Testino were difficult. He got a job as a server to supplement his income while also continuing his photography. Aspiring models may buy portfolios from him. He lived with a buddy for a few days in the latter’s residence, but soon moved to a derelict section of a hospital, where he stayed for about seven years.
While working at the restaurant, he met several people who worked for the ‘Vogue’ magazine, and they indicated an interest in seeing his photographs.
Testino’s photographs were published in the ‘Vogue’ magazine in 1983, and he began his photographing career as a freelancer. He began his career working for the British edition of the fashion magazine ‘Vogue,’ and afterwards for several editions of the same magazine published throughout Europe. He moved to New York in 1986 and began working for the prestigious magazine ‘Vanity Fair’ as well as the American edition of ‘Vogue.’
Mario was hired as the photographer for the ‘Gucci’ campaigns in 1995, where his innovation was praised, and he went on to work for labels like ‘Donna Karan’ and ‘Versace.’ He photographed Madonna, the famous singer, for the Versace campaign. In 1996, when Madonna was to be featured on the cover of the magazine Vanity Fair, Testino got another chance to shoot with her.
His photographic career reached new heights in 1997, when Princess Diana asked him to capture her for the cover of the fashion magazine Vanity Fair. The Princess died tragically only a few months after the mission ended. This was most likely her final photo shoot.
Mario became a sought-after photographer among the British Royal family when the images of Princess Diana were published, and he still is. The family routinely asks him to capture these key moments. This well-known photographer published his first book, ‘Any Objections?,’ in 1998, and his second book, ‘Front Row/Back Row,’ the following year.
In 2001, Testino released his third book, ‘Alive,’ which was followed by the release of his fourth book, ‘Portraits,’ the following year. In the same year, an exhibition of Testino’s images was shown at London’s ‘National Portrait Gallery.’ This exhibition was a big success, and the same images were presented for the next four years in locations like Tokyo, Edinburgh, Mexico City, Milan, and Amsterdam.
Another book by this well-known photographer, titled ‘Kids,’ was produced in 2003, comprising photographs that glorify childhood events. In 2005, he was honored with a bronze plaque etched with his famous remark, “Chic is nothing but the right thing,” at the ‘Rodeo Drive Walk of Style.’ ‘Diana: Princess of Wales’, an exhibition of Princess Diana’s pictures, was exhibited at Kensington Palace the same year.
His first book, ‘Let Me In,’ was published in 2007, and two years later, ‘Mario De Janeiro,’ was published, which was Testino’s dedication to Brazil and featured images of Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen. In 2010, this photographer released his next book, ‘Kate Moss,’ which was titled after the famous supermodel. He even photographed her for the magazine ‘Vogue.’
Major Projects of Mario Testino
Mario has worked with significant brands and used his ideas to help them improve. The assignment to photograph Princess Diana on the cover of “Vanity Fair” magazine was a watershed moment in Testino’s career. Following that, he became the most sought-after photographer for the British Royal family.
This photographer has published almost a dozen books, the first of which is ‘Any Objections,’ which contains 82 monochromatic and 49 colored photographs. ‘Diana: Princess of Wales,’ his most successful book, has stunning images of the princess taken only months before her untimely death.
Achievements and Awards
The photographer was invited to exhibit his innovative works at Madrid’s ‘Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza,’ making him one of the few living artists to do so.In the year 2011, the ‘Royal Photographic Society’ awarded Testino an Honorary Fellowship. The ‘Museum of Fine Arts’ in Boston, Massachusetts, encouraged him to have an exhibition for a new show in 2012, and it was his first display in an American museum.
Personal History and Legacy
This photographer has a charitable side in addition to his creative side. He has been involved in a number of charity endeavors and has aided people to the best of his ability. He started the ‘Save the Children’ campaign in 2007 to raise donations for Peru’s earthquake victims. He is also involved with the ‘Life Ball,’ ‘Aid for AIDS,’ and the ‘Naked Heart Foundation.’
Mario founded the non-profit organization ‘MATE,’ which is affiliated with Peruvian artists, in 2012. Testino also published a number of books containing innovative images from his career. Photographs of his hometown, Lima, Peru, may be seen in his book ‘Lima Peru,’ which depict various elements of daily life in Lima, such as sports, religion, culture, and people.
Estimated Net Worth
Mario Testino has an estimated net worth of $8 million. He is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. In October 1954, Mario Testino was born in Lima, Peru. His work has appeared in publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, V Magazine, and GQ. Gucci, Versace, Burberry, Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman, Chanel, Estee Lauder, Carolina Herrera, and other businesses have commissioned Testino to make photographs for them.
Trivia
During his difficult days, this photographer dyed his hair pink, which is claimed to have helped him gain recognition from people in the fashion industry.