Photo Pro July/PortfolioTitle:
Fine Art Meets Fashion
Intro:
While his background might be unconventional, British photographer Simon Proctor has taken the fashion world by storm over the past five years, creating a look that is uniquely his own
WORDS: TERRY HOPE IMAGES: SIMON PROCTER
Think of fashion photography and you probably conjure up a certain look in your head, with elements of in-your-face brashness, screamingly loud clothes and an aggressive edge that challenges you to look away. Fashion by its very nature is full on and the way that it’s depicted can be very much in the same vein, which is why it’s all the more remarkable to come across the work of Simon Proctor, who over the past five years has been quietly building an international reputation for himself as one of the most original photographers involved in this area, with a look and a style that is uniquely his own.
There is something very traditional about Procter’s approach, a sense of classical art and a look that borrows at times not so much from the streets but from the old masters. Perhaps there’s no huge surprise then to discover that this photographer didn’t arrive at his current position via a conventional route but through a background in fine art, and the story of how he broke into the fashion scene is a fascinating one, which will give hope to anyone who believes in the intervention of fate.
“I started out by studying for a BA in Fine Art in Nottingham some 20 years or so ago,” says Simon, “and after I’d graduated with an Honours Degree I needed to find a way of making a living, something which is notoriously hard to do in this area. I never had any background in photography – my course focused on painting and sculpture, and we considered those studying photography to be the posh kids, because film was so expensive – but I did pick up some tips from a friend of mine who was on a photographic course at the same time that I was at university, and I learned by asking him a lot of stupid questions.”
Photography started to become a bigger part of Proctor’s life once the digital revolution took off and he taught himself some basic Photoshop skills to give himself another opportunity to earn a living. “I was doing all kinds of things, from illustration to washing up, to keep body and soul together,” he says, “and I also made the decision to move to Paris because this was a city that I had always dreamed about. It didn’t disappoint, and once I arrived there twelve years ago I made some really good friends and contacts straight away.”
Through offering post production retouching Simon found himself working in studios around Paris and he started to make contacts with fashion photographers and had the opportunity to see first hand some of the work they were producing. It was at one of these studios five years ago that he had a fortuitous meeting with James Kaliardos, a make up artist and the co-founder of New York’s hugely influential Visionaire Magazine, and the connection was to change his life forever.
“I helped him to fix his Mac and we just became friends from there,” says Proctor. “One day he mentioned to me that he was looking for someone to take a few photographs at the forthcoming Dior show. It wasn’t a conventional assignment: the idea was that someone would shoot the catwalk from above and would have to balance 35 metres up in the air on some scaffolding, but I loved the idea and jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t the kind of thing that the other fashion photographers wanted to cover because it didn’t involve getting close up to the clothes, but I worked hard to produce some great pictures of the overall space and it worked out really well for me.”
The pay off from his first assignment was immediate: Kaliardos loved what he saw, recognised a raw talent and was keen to use the novice photographer again. Within five weeks Simon was shooting a global advertising campaign for Nike and his rise to the top had begun.
What marks Proctor out from those around him, aside from his fine art influences, is the fact that he’s working through instinct rather than from a template put into place by a conventional photographic education. “I’m completely self taught,” he says, “and I’ve never watched another fashion photographer at work. I never assisted and obviously now I’m working in the fashion business myself the chance to go into another photographer’s studio simply doesn’t arise.
“Fashion photography appeals to me because it’s probably one of the last really creative areas that there is. You’re hired as an artist for your skill in interpreting the clothes and unless you’re working on a tight advertising brief where you’re often obliged to do a job and follow the line you have the chance to really put something of yourself in the picture.”
Camera gear has never been an obsession for Simon and he made his first foray into the world of digital imaging with a spy pen that delivered resolution of just one third of a pixel. From there his progression was eclectic: he worked up to cameras offering 2 and 5 megapixel resolution, and as he started to take on more professional work he couldn’t resist the chance to step back to film technology and invest in an ancient Mamiya Press camera, which came with 6x7cm and 6x9cm backs. “The lenses it came with were really sharp,” he says, “and the whole outfit only cost me £200.”
These days Simon works with 35mm style DSLRs in the form of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, while he’s also invested in a Phase One camera and P65+ back. “I needed medium format digital for my fine art projects,” he says, “and I decided to buy the kit rather than have to rent it every time I wanted to shoot pictures. It was expensive though: probably one of the most painful cheques I’ve ever had to write!”
Now an established part of the fashion world Proctor travels the world, shooting mainly Haute Couture in Paris and fashion advertising in New York, and he clearly loves what he does and still has to pinch himself to realise how totally his life has changed on the back of a lucky break.
“So many people look at what I’m doing and would love to follow me into this area,” he says, “but I have to say that it is much tougher to break in than you could ever imagine. It’s so competitive that there’s no real carer path that you can take to get you into the business.”
However, Simon himself is living proof that miracles can happen, so the advice would be to never give up if fashion is what you really want to do, and to grab any opportunity that might arise and make sure that you make the very most of it.
Contact:
HYPERLINK "http://www.simonproctor.blogspot.com" www.simonproctor.blogspot.com
On Show at Ascot
Simon’s latest project has seen him collaborate with Vivienne Westwood and millinery master, Stephen Jones to create an iconic image to celebrate Royal Ascot 2011. The picture takes inspiration from frocks and hats from across the centuries, and features two bespoke couture pieces and one demi-couture piece from Westwood’s Gold Label collection, all posed against a background of the Ascot stands.
‘It was a fantastic commission to be given,” says Simon. “In fashion photography it’s all about collaborations, and you can’t really work with better people than Vivienne Westwood and Stephen Jones because you know that they will just input so much into the project, in terms of back-up, hair and make-up and all round support, and it’s just a joy to be involved with them.”
When Royal Ascot takes place from June 14-18 the daily fashion show that takes place in the Bessborough Restaurant will be a highlight as usual, and Simon’s picture will be centre stage while a roll call of the British fashion pack - Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Jones, Amanda Wakeley and House of Hardy Amies - will each be attending to showcase their latest designs.
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