I don’t know what it is about New York. It must be something in the Hudson river because right now our focus has shifted and it seems to be centred on the city . It first started in 2008 with a feature on Kristiina Wilson. We are now following up with another young fashion photographer Laura Rose. We were really inspired by her sharp, often humorous, approach to high fashion.
I have to admit I was taken aback by Laura’s answers to our standard Q&A’s. Being a fashion photographer, living in New York city, I admit to having certain preconceptions (misconceptions?) based on the quality of her work but her candour left me surprised.
1. Can you remember the moment when you decided to become a photographer?
After high school I spent several years as an actor doing all sorts of theatre, commercials and some film work. Over time I realized that it wasn’t the acting I loved so much as being on set and seeing how it all comes together. And I didn’t really want to act, I wanted to be behind the camera; and not a movie camera so much as a still. When I realized this I noticed that it synced up exactly with what I was like as a kid, dreaming of working in fashion and shooting everything in sight with my trusty Instamatic. So I followed my instincts and took a photography class thinking maybe this might be my path. I’ll never forget when the teacher pulled me aside after class and urged me to continue through the program. It was a small pat on the back but it validated what I was feeling and made me want to dig in and fight to make this happen. So that was my jumping off point and afterwards my appetite for learning and shooting just got bigger and bigger and bigger. But I struggled with the idea that I could really be a photographer and shoot fashion until recently. I was on one of my shoots and in one of the quiet moments where the makeup artist was touching up the model I looked up and everything just looked perfect to me; the lighting, the model, the clothes, the vibe. And I thought this is it, I can do this and this is exactly what I want to do. It’s a pretty amazing feeling when that happens.
2. Did you study at any schools/institutions or are you a ‘learn-as-you-go’ type of person?
I’m a little bit of both I guess. I started by working my way through the photography program at Santa Monica College but after that I just shot like crazy. My roommates would make fun of me because I was so inspired to shoot anything and everything. Didn’t matter if it was the kitchen faucet, a picture frame or a brick wall. But it really wasn’t long before I narrowed my focus to shooting fashion so I spent lots of time assisting on big professional shoots and learned a ton. In the end my position on the school vs. learn-as-you-go is this… Classroom learning is great and it gives you a backbone of knowledge to experiment but if you want to get good there is no substitute for shooting your butt off.
3. Are you a New York native? What is it about the city that you think fuels creativity?
I’m not a New York native, but I’ve spent about as much time living in NYC as anyplace else so I feel like one at this point. I grew up in a very small coal mining town in Eastern Kentucky called Hazard. What I love about New York is that it is so diverse and full of creative people in all sorts of areas. Living here you can just feel that all around you cool stuff is being built or shot or recorded. It’s like some big ball of creative energy that I feel compelled to contribute to and help keep it moving.
4. Favorite photographer?
Hmm… that’s a tough one. I have favorites for all different types of photography, but in terms of fashion I have three at the top of my list. Steven Meisel for being a true innovator and pioneer. Just when you think you’ve seen it all from him he steps out of the box to surprise you. Craig McDean is another whose work is always evolving and has such beautiful style. And last but not least Mario Sorrenti for his incredible lighting and composition. But really there are so many photographers out there who I admire. It’s pretty intimidating when I compare my work to theirs but I think it motivates me to keep working to improve.
5. Who or what inspires you?
Not sure how to say this without sounding a little ridiculous but I’m inspired by beauty and I’ve always got my antenna up to look for it. It could be a piece of clothing, the eyes of a great model, the way light splashes across the side of a building, a great sunset, a cool song… you name it. When I come across something that grabs me, instinctually I attach an emotion to it and the next thing you know my mind is imagining a story around it. I tend to see my fashion shoots as short films so maybe that’s my acting background finding it’s way back in my work. Ah…beauty.
