Photographer Tom Munro Releases Collection Of Celeb Portraits

A renowned fashion and celebrity photographer for over thirteen years, Tom Munro is releasing his very first book appropriately titled Tom Munro, a true culmination of his extensive celebrity archive over the years. Tom's dedication and passion towards his craft have attracted some of the highest acclaimed actors and musicians of the century including Beyonce, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga, Scarlett Johannson, Madonna, Joaquin Phoenix, Justin Timberlake and Kate Winslet to name a few. The book will be available in stores nationwide in May 2010 and retails for $75.

Tom achieved overnight success and recognition from his early shoots for British Vogue and Harper's Bazaar in the late nineties. He has since contributed to some of the world's most prestigious magazine publications including Elle, Details, W and Vogue (U.S., Italian, Russian, Chinese and Japanese editions.)

An artist in demand for his extraordinary ability to draw celebrities out of their shell, Tom has an unorthodox technique of giving his subjects an action to perform during the shoot. For a 2007 cover of L'uomo Vogue with Dustin Hoffman, Munro suggested Hoffman jump in a swimming pool fully clothed. "I asked him to put on a snorkel and a diving mask because I saw the irony of it; it was too good an opportunity to miss," he said. Similarly, Leonardo DiCaprio jumped in a pool for Munro at the Chateau Marmont once.

He met Madonna for the first time in 2007 shooting for Elle and the two have since become friends, collaborating on various projects. The iconic singer/performer/actress wrote the foreword for the book for which she is also featured on the cover. "Madonna is an extrovert and really understands the pictures. She gives so much of herself to the photographic process, and to feed off that kind of energy is intoxicating," said Munro. Tom directed two Madonna videos, "Give it 2 me" and "Die Another Day," shot the book for her 'Sticky and Sweet' World Tour and accompanied her to Malawi in 2009 to document the extensive aid projects underway in the country through the action and support of Raising Malawi (an organization founded by Madonna whose mission is to end extreme poverty and hardship for two million orphans and vulnerable youth.)

Tom is currently working on a major exhibition to be held prior to the launch of Tom Munro where select iconic celebrity portraits from the book in the form of vey limited exhibition prints will be auctioned off to help fund Raising Malawi and M.E.A.K (a UK based non-profit charity dedicated to raising awareness and much needed medical and educational aid to Kenya.)

TITLE: Tom Munro
PUBLISHER: Damiani
LIST PRICE: US $ 75.00
FORMAT: Clothbound with acetate dust jacket.
9.5 x 13 in. / 240 pgs / illustrated throughout.
ISBN: 9788862081252