Turning tips into memories

Fashion photographers at Photo London

Photo London drew a huge crowd to Somerset House in May. This year the capital's largest photography fair had a massive scope stretching from vintage photography of the late 19th century to some of the biggest contemporary industry names.
From experimental to documentary, this year the fair also showcased a vast range of genres, and as you would expect, there was a strong fashion presence. Traversing the realms of fashion and art between the glossy magazine and the gallery wall, these photographers have not only shaped the face of luxury brands all over the world, but are some of the most famous chroniclers of modern culture. Here are some of our favourite images.

Rankin

The erstwhile enfant terrible of British photography John Rankin Waddell, better known by the moniker Rankin, rose to celebrity through his sultry, epoch-making photographs of the 90s. He cemented his cult status through his co-founding of the seminal counter-culture and fashion magazine Dazed and Confused. His work, presented by the Milan-based gallery 29 Arts in Progress, offers a softer side to the ex-party boy, capturing the model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in listless poses throughout a ghostly circus-themed sequence.

WHERE

29 Arts in Progress Gallery, Booth G14

Harley Weir

There’s a noticable lack of representation of female fashion photographers in the fair this year, so we were glad to see work (albeit just the one) by British photographer Harley Weir. By the time she was 27, the Central St Martins graduate had already established a magnanimous influence on the fashion industry with campaigns for Balenciaga, Céline, and Stella McCartney. The single work on show is taken from a Missoni campaign which showcases Weir's ability to reimagine the human form and create images bursting with tactile sensuousness.

WHERE

Michael Hoppen Gallery, Booth C1

Tim Walker

British photographer Tim Walker’s exquisite dreamscapes and idiosyncratic fairy-tales have entranced imaginations worldwide ever since he shot his very first fashion story for Vogue at the age at 25. This pearlescent portrait whets our appetites for his upcoming retrospective in the V&A in September.

WHERE

Michael Hoppen Gallery, Booth C1

Miles Aldridge

Pills, perms, plastic – who doesn't delight in the frisson of colour and anxiety when gazing upon the suburban snapshots of fashion photographer and artist Miles Aldridge. Known for choosing conventionally beautiful models, he captures their dead-pan expressions in archetypal housewife roles, conveying a stifling Betty Friedan-esque sense of domesticity.

WHERE

Christophe Guye Galerie, Booth C3

Emma Summerton

Australian born photographer Emma Summerton is one of the leading photographers working in fashion editorials today with a prolific portfolio across Vogue (British, Italia, American), W Magazine, i-D, and Dazed & Confused. Summerton's highly-charged compositions often experiment with unconventional angles to create a sense of narrative and mystery.

WHERE

Christophe Guye Galerie, Booth C3

Nick Knight

One of the most influential photographers of our time, the visionary British photographer Nick Knight needs little introduction. Knight brings the fantastical theatre of his mind to life through sumptuous, sculptural and almost extra-terrestrial works. As well as historic creative collaborations with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior, his elevation of fashion photography to the lofty heights of high art has been cemented through exhibitions in the V&A, Saatchi Gallery and Tate Modern. Seek out this ethereal image of model Ming Xi wearing a Chanel Haute Couture gown.

WHERE

Christophe Guye Galerie, Booth C3

Helmut Newton

It can be hard to describe just how much influence Helmut Newton held and holds today in the realm of fashion. His provocative, highly erotic black and white photographs of women shocked and awed with their overt sexual suggestiveness and mastery of chiaroscuro lighting. Palm Beach gallery Holden Luntz has an impressive spread of the German-Australian photographer's arresting nudes.

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