Last-Minute Magic: Sandro Baebler on Photographing Nicholas Galitzine for Men's Health

When photographer Sandro Baebler got the call to photograph actor Nicholas Galitzine for Men's Health, he was at the park in Switzerland with his daughter on Friday. By Monday, he was in New York photographing Nicholas as he promoted his upcoming role in Masters of the Universe. While the turnaround was quick, Sandro embraced the fast pace, relying on experience, instinct, and a willingness to improvise. We caught up with him to talk about the shoot, working with actors, and why sometimes the most exciting projects are the ones that come together at the last minute.

This came together really fast. How did it all happen?

I got the email on Friday evening while I was with my daughter at the park. Luckily she was playing with friends, so I could start organizing everything right away. The shoot was on Monday in New York, so there wasn't much time to prepare.

Do you like working on things that last minute?

I do. Of course it's intense, but it's also exciting. You have to think fast and trust yourself. There isn't time to test ten different ideas, so you rely on your experience and instincts.

What do you like about that?

Sometimes when you have too much time, you can overthink things. On a shoot like this, you just have to make decisions and move forward.

What was it like photographing Nicholas Galitzine?

It was cool because it was the first time I was doing a sports shoot with an actor. Usually it's athletes. Nicholas had spent a lot of time training for the role, so the sports part was there anyway, but he could also give something an athlete normally can't because he can act.

How was that different from working with an athlete?

He really understood direction. He was doing everything right anyway, but then you could give him instructions about expression and energy on top of that. It was really cool.

Did that make you want to do more shoots like this?

Definitely. I would love to do more shoots with actors. They understand photography and storytelling differently, and that's really interesting to work with.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the day?

It was fun because when I walked through Times Square that morning, you could see promotions for Masters of the Universe all over the big screens. Nicholas was in town promoting the film, so it was cool to see that and then photograph him a few hours later.

What's the biggest thing you've learned from doing these kinds of shoots?

At the end of the day, nobody sees the timeline. They only see the photographs, and that's all that matters.