Griffin Lipson's life was changed by a chance encounter on an ordinary train.
The 22-year-old photographer, a graduate of William Penn Charter School, had recently moved to New York City when the New York Times photo editor sat next to him.
As soon as she met him and saw his work, she hired him.
His journey as a celebrity photographer began with Lipson starting at the top.
His first subject? Oscar-winning actor and producer Nicole Kidman.
“I was very green and very naive and didn't really understand what was actually going on in this moment,” Lipson told NBC10.
He learned while photographing A-list celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Grace Jones, Meryl Streep, and Denzel Washington.
“Being featured in the Times helped me connect with other clients,” Lipson said of the experience.
Then, at the age of 24, she decided to take a risk and become a freelancer. Eventually, he was at the Met Gala, where a photo Lipson took of a then-pregnant Cardi B getting ready for the gala went viral.
“Within 20 minutes, every newspaper was reporting it. It was just a viral, viral, viral moment.”
Since then, he has worked with international entertainment television and film royalty, cultural and political figures such as Dame Judi Dench, former US President Bill Clinton, former US Vice President Al Gore, and director and producer Spike Lee. He appeared before the icons.
The Philadelphia native collaborates with his subjects like they're people rather than stars, even putting NBC10's Keith Jones at the end of his lens.
He told NBC10 that just like model Kendall Jenner, the real art is making the subject comfortable. He traveled with her throughout her country and became her admirer-turned-companion.
“I treated Kendall and the team the same way I would treat anyone in life, and we had a friendship that developed,” he said.
Near the top of Lipson's list is human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, whom Lipson says continues to be a source of inspiration for him and his work.
“The biggest thing I learned about myself is that I have to forget about the noise. I just keep my head down and go to work and just keep grinding,” he said.
