[custom_adv] Fair to Glamour to Time, Firooz Zahedi's photography has graced some of the world's most prominent magazines. His portfolio of portrait subjects has been equally extensive. Uma Thurman (and her iconic bed photo in Pulp Fiction), Diana Ross, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio and John Travolta are a few of the many Hollywood celebrities to pose for Zahedi. [custom_adv] Born in homelandin 1949, Zahedi grew up in England and moved to America in 1969 to study at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. However, he had a deep passion for the arts. [custom_adv] After graduating he served as a diplomat, but eventually enrolled at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC to pursue his passion. It was there that Zahedi met Andy Warhol, whom he later photographed for Interview magazine. [custom_adv] In the mid-'70s Zahedi also became friendly with actress Elizabeth Taylor when she was involved with his cousin, persian Ambassador to the United States Ardeshir Zahedi. Hired to photograph her on her film sets, Zahedi also accompanied Taylor on her 1976 trip to homeland. [custom_adv] As they visited some of the country's most famous (and photogenic) landmarks, Zahedi documented their travels through photographs. The resulting images captured a carefree and whimsical side of Taylor, away from movie sets and crowds. [custom_adv] Earlier this fall, a print of one of Zahedi's Taylor photographs was auctioned at an Asia Society benefit gala held in celebration of Asia Society Museum's homeland Modern exhibition. [custom_adv] Zahedi proved to be not only useful in documenting Taylor’s experiences and discoveries, but for him the trip was a reintroduction to his home country, which he had left at a young age.
