'No one will ever know the most stressful photo I’ve ever shot in my life:' Behind the lens with one of Canada's most famed celebrity photographers
CTV
With TIFF underway, a new exhibit in Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre celebrates the 30-year career of world-renowned red carpet photographer George Pimentel
Inside Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre is a red carpet, highlighting images of the world’s biggest celebrities and the famed photographer who snapped them.
The exhibit, "30 Years of Red Carpet Style with George Pimentel," draws people into the work of iconic Toronto-based photographer George Pimentel. The iconic photographer is based out of Toronto and often found on the red carpet at TIFF, which is getting underway now, but he’s revered around the world, spotting A-listers at Cannes Film Festival, the Academy Awards and many more.
“People love to star seek and these photos are life-size so it gives them a glimpse and it gives them an energy that they’re actually near a star,” said George Pimentel, standing amongst his work as he spoke with CTV National News.
Massive prints of Hollywood elite hang from the atrium, glistening in the September sun shining through the mall’s skylight. Others are printed and placed on temporary walls, allowing shoppers a chance to wonder the red carpet, looking through the lens of Pimentel.
“I just want people to say, ‘Oh wow, this is my favourite actor,” says Pimentel. "In the end I just want beautiful quality and I don’t want anyone to look at it like its paparazzi or a dirty photo. I want it to be like old Hollywood."
Pimentel's career was built on honesty and integrity, forging genuine connections with those he was capturing. It was relationships that helped get him to the centre of the red carpets, trusted by not only stars but event organizers, producers and media teams.
