BIO
BIO
Philip Stark received a B.F.A. from The Pennsylvania State University with majors in photography and cinematography. He served as an assistant to many leading photographers, such as Lord Snowdon and Duane Michaels,. In 1982, Irving Penn, arguably the world’s most esteemed portrait and fashion photographer, selected Mr. Stark to be his ‘first assistant’.
In 1984, Philip Stark opened his natural light studio on West 29th Street in NYC, primarily shooting portraits, fashion, and beauty for design, advertising, and editorial clients, among whom include Revlon, L’Oréal, Salomon Brothers, ABC-TV, BBC, Sports Illustrated, NY Times, LA Times, and Washington Post.
In 1995, at the urging of a friend who was an agent in the industry, Stark Studio began to create portrait-based headshots. Since then, many of Mr. Stark’s clients have landed leading roles in film and on Broadway, including 2004 Tony award-winning actress Idina Menzel.
Philip Stark Studio was selected by the Public Broadcasting Service to produce two title portraits of Bill Moyers for the national advertising campaign that opened its NOW program. Further notable commissions include nine-feet-tall posters for an Altino Brothers performance at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, and portraits for BBC, The Learning Channel, choreographer Mia Micheals, filmmaker Bettina Perut, and artist Michael Beck. Recently, Mr. Stark photographed the musicians Kool & The Gang, Chris Squire of Yes, Nellie McKay, Specko Jedno, and Ugonna Ukegwo, and created corporate portraits for the CEOs of Pay-Per-View, E! Entertainment Television, Manhattan Mortgage, Scott Kay, and Pacific Telecommunications Council.
Mr. Stark has lectured extensively throughout the states and abroad. Recently, his lectures have been presented to theater departments across the country, from The Yale Graduate School to the University of Northern Colorado, with an emphasis on the psychology of portraiture. Please contact Mr. Stark directly for this service.