By now, you've probably heard that Annie Leibovitz was the original photographer commissioned to shoot Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's wedding. Since they couldn't work out a deal in time, Leibovitz pulled out the day before the wedding, and a talented 22-year-old music photographer was called to replace her. While the high-profile wedding in Italy was no doubt Conor McDonnell's biggest job to date, the young photographer from England has an impressive portfolio and is used to shooting famous people.
Apparently, his career began by telling a little white lie. When he was 14, McDonnell tried to get into a sold-out show of indie rock band The Subways by emailing the band asking for extra tickets. Impressed by his persistence, the band told McDonnell to pretend he was their photographer and sneak into the show. Needless to say, the plan worked. "I owe The Subways a hell of a lot for that pass. It completely changed everything for me," McDonnell told the Liverpool Echo.
The Subways / Image via Conor McDonnell
Since making his way into the sold-out concert, McDonnell has gone on to work for a number of publications and brands and has photographed Bono, Rita Ora, and Ellie Goulding extensively. He's even gotten hang time with Beyonce and Jay Z during his many shoots with Rita Ora. Hov apparently told McDonnell that he likes his work.
In the same 2010 interview with the Liverpool Echo, McDonnell said that his dream day job would be to have Kanye or Jay Z ask him to tour with them. Looks like he's gotten a little closer to that dream, having shot Kanye and Kim's wedding (which now includes the most-liked photo on Instagram).
It's safe to say that this 22-year-old is winning at life. You can go to McDonnell's website to see the rest of his photos and follow his epic life on Instagram. Here are some of our favorite flicks below.
