Lord Snowdon: 'Taking photographs is a very nasty thing to do' – Telegraph

Lord Snowdon: ‘Taking photographs is a very nasty thing to do’

As Lord Snowdon approaches his 80th birthday, Elizabeth Grice meets the spirited photographer and former husband of Princess Margaret.

via Telegraph.co.uk: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/photography/7368664/Lord-Snowdon-Taking-photographs-is-a-very-nasty-thing-to-do.html

Most photographers try to establish a rapport with their subjects. Lord Snowdon prefers to let them stew a bit. “I’m not a great one for chatting people up because it’s phoney,” he says. “I don’t want people to feel at ease. You want a bit of edge. There are quite long, agonised silences. I love it. Something strange might happen. I mean, taking photographs is a very nasty thing to do. It’s very cruel.”