NEED TO KNOW
Oscar Abolafia was a glamour photographer who photographed some of the biggest stars in pop culture, particularly throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s
A collection of Abolafia’s photos is brought together in WOMEN: Icons by Oscar from Lanoo Publishers, showing some of his most memorable shots of the women of the day
PEOPLE spoke with his wife, Joanna Abolafia, about the story behind his iconic photo of Meg Tilly from the set of 1988’s The Girl in a Swing
Oscar Abolafia knew how to make his subjects comfortable.
The late photographer’s work is the subject of WOMEN: Icons by Oscar from Lanoo Publishers. This book showcases numerous iconic women who appeared before Abolafia’s lens throughout his career as a glamour photographer starting in the 1960s.
“I think it was natural to who he was,” wife Joanna Abolafia tells PEOPLE, using his experience with Meg Tilly as an example. Oscar got the chance to work with Tilly on the set of the 1988 film The Girl in a Swing.
Meg Tilly for ‘The Girl in a Swing’
Credit: Oscar Abolafia/TPLP/Getty
“There was a photographer on set and she didn’t get along with him. It was a nightmare. And so, they called Oscar to see if he could get something out of her,” Joanna explains.
It was one of the rare occasions Joanna went with Oscar on a shoot. She explained, “Well, he really did not want to take me along and I really didn’t want to go along. He was very meticulous and he almost ignored me, because if I was with him, he felt he needed to be there for me and protect me. So he was always watching what was going on.”
“He was very professional. And so, I watched that, and I also watched the respect that he got. Everybody knew him, and that was very nice. I really, really liked it. But I understood it was not a good idea for me to come with him,” she added.
Joanna and Oscar Abolafia
Credit: courtesy of Joanna Abolafia
Joanna did find herself with Oscar to witness the shoot in the Everglades.
“He may have had other work in Florida, so I went with him. Sometimes, I helped Oscar with lighting and things. So we were there, and she almost fell in love with him, and not that he fell in love with her, but there was such a connection,” she continued, adding, “They were so in tune with each other that she was ready to do anything, anything.”
The connection made the creative process that much smoother, Joanna shares, which was important in the challenging outdoor environment they found themselves in.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Meg Tilly for ‘The Girl in a Swing’
Credit: courtesy of Joanna Abolafia
“That picture that Oscar took, we went in the Florida Everglades. There were no alligators. We didn’t get that crazy. But in a wooded area and everything, there were mosquitoes that were almost carrying us away,” she recalls.
“And Meg just took her clothes off, didn’t care about it. She wanted to do anything he asked of her. So I thought that was very special. They really had a connection.”
WOMEN: Icons by Oscar from Lanoo Publishers is now available, wherever books are sold.
Read the original article on People