Interview: Photographer Maciek Jasik does fashion!

27 febrero, 2014PaolaInterview, Photography1 comentario
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We knew we were onto something! Remember how awesome we thought photographer Maciek Jasik’s bold use of color would look applied to a fashion context? Well, turns out Maciek was approached by New York Magazine to shoot 15 Dazzling Spring Pieces through his kaleidoscopic lens, bringing to life designs by Lanvin, Alexander McQueen and Prada. Maciek let us know about it and we caught up with him to learn more about his new love affair with fashion, how he achieves his signature style, where he’s headed next and his advice to aspiring photographers.

Tell us a bit about you.
I came to the USA at the age of six from Poland. I grew up in the midwest and in the Boston area. I went to university pre-law, worked as a media journalist in New York, an English teacher in Japan, an editor in Baltimore, a photo assistant in New York. When I began shooting for myself, it was very important that I produced work that I loved and which pushed the medium forward. I didn’t want to be like anyone else.

Is this your first fashion shoot? How did it come about?
I had tested for modeling agencies when I first came to New York, but the shoot for New York Magazine was my first commissioned fashion shoot. The editors at The Cut at New York magazine saw my work and thought it’d be a great fit in a fashion context.

maciek_jasik_01_02The photos are very true to your style–did you feel any different shooting within a «fashion» context? Would you do fashion again?
It was initially challenging matching the colors in my work to the colors of the clothes, but I enjoyed it. Restrictions make you better at what you do. I definitely plan on shooting more fashion stories.

How do you achieve the color and movement effects of your images?
I don’t reveal how I introduce color into my photographs, but the effects are all done in-camera. A hands-on analog approach.

What inspired you to use this effect?
The idea to focus on movement and color arrived in a room of Post-Impressionist work at the National Gallery in London. I was
overwhelmed by how powerful the works were, with so little detail, but with such a great emphasis on color. I decided to try to replicate the feeling in photography. I’ve been influenced by painters like Francis Bacon, Odd Nerdrum and Ian Francis in creating work that is emotional, dynamic, full of color, but unsettling in small, subtle ways.

maciek_jasik_09_10What gear do you use to shoot?
I shoot with a Nikon D800. I mixed hot lights with Profoto strobe.

Do you choose your models? What sort of direction do you give them to achieve those poses?
I chose the models. I showed them my previous work and we discussed starting points and ending points for jumps and lunges. Since the colors and clothes tend to be, for lack of a better word, pretty, it’s important that the action subverts those elements. I tend to like movements that appear confusing at first, as the viewer attempts to make sense of what they’re seeing, rather than just accepting it as something familiar and moving on immediately.

What is your dream job?
My dream job? How about shooting the Prada campaign. Haha!

maciek_jasik_05_06What are you working on next?
I’m shooting about a dozen new ‘A Thousand Souls’ portraits and working with bands and musicians in New York on their promotional material. I’m planning to return to Death Valley sometime this year or next to finish shooting a color landscape project.

What advice would you give aspiring photographers to get their work noticed and land interesting jobs?
Invest your time and energy to learning the history of photography and painting, know what’s come before you and what’s happening now. Create your own aesthetic that comes from within you, that is your contribution to the medium. Don’t worry about fitting in. Create original work. And do that, over and over. Connect with people and shoot with them. Over and over. And you’ll be fine.

See the rest of Jasik’s fashion shoot over at The Cut.

One Comment

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