Portrait photographer David Suh was tasked with assembling the cast of Marvel’s latest superhero romp, Thunderbolts* (aka New Avengers), for a rapid portrait shoot that was over in just five minutes.
During that limited time he had to cajole the in-demand octet of A-list actors, including Florence Pugh (who returns as Black Widow’s sister, Yelena Belova), David Harbour (who steps back into the Red Guardian suit) and Sebastian Stan (who plays everyone’s favorite emo super soldier, Bucky Barnes).
Check out Suh in action to see just how much of a pressure cooker a high-profile professional photoshoot can be:
The Instagram Reel starts off relatively relaxed, with the photographer inviting Harbour to pose first, taking a few snaps before bringing in Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Suh wastes no time in connecting with the actors and getting them to assume specific poses.
Top-billed cast member Pugh is up next. And despite earning plaudits for her performance as Yelena Belova, it’s her incredible silver platform shoes – which David Harbour refers to as “moon boots” – that steal this particular shoot. So much so that Suh shifts aside a red block that’s obscuring the sparkling accessories so they feature in the photo.
Stan is up next and doesn’t hesitate to follow the photographer’s instructions by sitting on the floor and saying: “I love that you have it all down.”
I’m a Sebastian Stan fan as it is, but I thought this was a touch of class, happily following instructions and putting the photographer at ease. In fact, the whole shoot is a great example of a portrait photographer interacting with subjects in a really fun and positive environment.
But it was still a high-stress situation, because no sooner had Suh photographed Wyatt Russell (who plays US Agent) and engaged in a little friendly banter than somebody stepped in to let him know that he only had one minute left.
Cue the photographer inviting Hannah John-Kamen (who plays Ghost), Geraldine Viswanathan (who assumes the role of Mel) and Lewis Pullman (who’s Bob) into the fold to quickly finish up. Once everyone is posed, Suh rushes over to a camera set on a tripod, asks the cast to look towards him, and captures the shot.
But what I love most about this video is when David asks the cast to assume their signature poses, only for Florence Pugh to say: “My signature pose is my eyes crossed.” And with that, I’ll let you check out the incredible final result by watching the Reel.
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