Mario Testino has come a long way since the late 1970s when, to make ends meet, he could be found waiting on tables in London restaurants. These days you’re more likely to catch the multimillionaire dining in the world’s most fashionable eateries with his celebrity friends.

Disgruntled with life as a waiter, the young Mario decided to take a photography course and in 1980 he began shooting his first professional pictures. More than two decades later, the 46-year-old Peruvian hasn’t looked back. He is arguably the world’s most acclaimed and sought-after photographer, and has captured images of some of the greatest icons of fashion, screen, music and style.

No one can forget those stunning images of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, taken for Vanity Fair just months before her death. And he has earned the trust of all the A-list names, from Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta Jones to Queen Rania of Jordan.

“A great portrait for me is when I manage to get a glimpse of the person behind the mask,” Mario says. “I always try to get a side of them that they haven’t given to other people.”

To find out more about the charismatic photographer and to see a selection of his fantastic portraits, check out this week’s HELLO! magazine, on sale now.