David LaChapelle born March 11, 1963 Fairfield, Connecticut, United States is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique and often humorous style.
LaChapelle attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His first photograph was of his single mother, Helga LaChapelle, on a family vacation in Puerto Rico. She wore a bikini and held a martini glass on a balcony. From then on he was obsessed with photography.
His first professional job as a photographer was offered by Andy Warhol for Interview magazine. LaChapelle has four published books of his photographs, including LaChapelle Land and Hotel LaChapelle, both containing vivid and bizarre portraits of celebrities such as Marilyn Manson, Drew Barrymore and Uma Thurman.
LaChapelle directed singer Elton John’s show, The Red Piano at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, which premiered in 2004. The show features extensive use of video technology on an LED screen backing the show that, when built, was promoted as the largest and brightest of all time. Several of John’s songs during the performance are accompanied by short films by LaChapelle.
LaChapelle’s film Rize, a documentary on the krumping style of dance that invaded South Central Los Angeles, premiered at Sundance in 2005 and was released theatrically that summer.
