Phil Oh has covered six Met Galas for Vogue. It’s an understatement to say the assignment is quite different from his usual medium, street-style photography. Every year, his Met Gala photos merge the energy and spontaneity of his Fashion Week coverage with the high gloss of a red carpet event and plenty of star power. Oh has taken photos of Rihanna in her gilded Guo Pei gown; the Hadid sisters and Kendall Jenner sprawled out on the museum steps; and FKA Twigs and Robert Pattinson holding hands, a photo that sparked a particular frenzy on Oh’s Instagram. He recalls how teenage Twilight fans sent him thousands of messages about Pattinson’s budding relationship.
There’s more where that came from, of course. Oh is sharing 60 of his all-time favorite Met Gala memories here, including candid snaps of Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and many more stars. Funnily enough, the first Met Gala he covered happened almost by accident: “I came to the Met to shoot a photo of someone in their gown for a story, and then I was just going to go home,” Oh says. “But then someone on the photo team said, ‘While you’re here, we’ll give you a red carpet pass, and all of the celebrities are getting ready at the Mark Hotel, so you can take photos of them leaving.’ Trying to convince the security guards I was legitimate was a challenge, because I was in street clothes and my hair was a mess. All of the celebrities were [confused] because I was the only person in the photographer section who wasn’t in black tie.” Oh got some help, though: He called out the photo above with Taylor Swift, Karlie Kloss, and a security guard, who’s directing them toward the camera: “That guard noticed I was in my regular clothes and the celebrities weren’t stopping for photos,” Oh says, “so he helped me out the entire night.”
He said his own favorite photo is the one of comedian Amy Schumer holding a plate of mini donuts. There’s another hand reaching out—and, lo and behold, it’s Oh’s. “I think that really makes the shot,” he says with a laugh. To be fair, it was a long night, and that dessert looks pretty irresistible. Revisit all of Oh’s favorite photos and memories from over the years below.