The esteemed photographer and director discusses her process, her podcast and her decision to step in front of the camera as a model herself.
If you’ve ever scrolled through your favorite starlet’s social media, opened up a glossy porn mag or watched a scene from your favorite company, chances are you’ve seen the amazing work of Holly Randall. Holly has been a staple in the field of glamor photography for years and has also amassed a heavy arsenal of director credits. She recently put down the camera for a few moments to give us the 411 on all things Holly Randall!
HUSTLERMagazine.com: To say you have a storied and illustrious career would be a gross understatement. What was the catalyst that led you down your artistic career path?
Holly Randall: Well, I don’t think we can talk about my career in the adult industry as a photographer without mentioning my mother, Suze Randall. I’m not sure how many people are aware of this, but I was born when my mom was [a] photographer at HUSTLER, and my birth was actually announced in the magazine. Growing up, I’ve always been fascinated by photography and used to steal my mom’s Polaroid camera to take photos of… well, everything. I started taking photography classes at school when I was 12 and I was immediately hooked. That was the only time I had a real epiphany: that this was going to be something I would do my entire life. Obviously, at that time, I didn’t think I’d end up working in porn, but when I came to help my parents run the website Suze.net soon after it launched (when I was about 20), I found that I really liked the industry and what my mom had built. So I stayed!
You’re not only a photographer, you also direct! Is there a noticeable difference between the two?
Oh God, yes… for photos, you’re looking for that one frame—that one perfect moment in time to immortalize. When it comes to video, it’s (obviously) multiple moments strung together to tell some kind of story. And you’re capturing people moving, sometimes talking… so there’s a lot more to deal with. In a photo, I can literally move someone’s limbs into the position I want and tell them to hold it—not true for video, which is all about motion. There’s a lot more directing the talent, and some talent are more comfortable with photos than with video, and vice versa. So each one presents its own set of challenges.
