this instagram shows stars as you’ve never seen them before

celebrity candids done right

by nylon

Dave Benett may only have 10.7k followers, but his Instagram account is quickly becoming our favorite of the whole bunch. A photographer for London’s Evening Standard newspaper in the early '80s, Benett has countless, candid images of the rich, famous, royal, and debauched—all that are seeing the light of day for the very first time.

No star was too big to escape Benett’s lens: Think Princess Diana laughing at a joke whispered by Liza Minelli, Kate Moss and Alexander McQueen out at a party, and Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman wearing some very questionable jackets.

The photographer joined Instagram back in October at the behest of his daughter, Camille, who now serves as the account’s “creative director.” “People have forgotten that to take a great picture requires access—access is where the greatest images come from,” Benett told The Daily Mail. But it’s clear Benett had more than just access; it’s his ability to capture people that are larger than life looking relaxed and joyful that give his photographs that special something—a far cry from the paparazzi shots that fill the tabloids and pollute the Internet today.

Click through the gallery to see some of his stunning photos. 

photo via @davebenett instagram
photo via @davebenett instagram
photo via @davebenett instagram
photo via @davebenett instagram
photo via @davebenett instagram
photo via @davebenett instagram