Photographers are the all too often overlooked heroes of the fashion world. Whilst attention is always given to the models and the brands in campaigns and shoots, we see the people who made those images possible are rarely given the credit they deserve, which is near criminal considering the amount of work that goes into photography shoots.
So, today we are here to right that wrong and shine a light on just a few of the talented photographers working in the fashion world today. But, not just any photographers – we’re here to celebrate the very best female camera magicians in the industry and their empowering, uplifting and boundary breaking work! These incredibly talented women have each portrayed how it feels to be a woman in their own unique ways, celebrating the highs, the lows, the intimacy, the vulnerability and the fun all in equal measure. Get ready, your Insta feed is about to be blessed with a massive amount of female power!
Annie Reid
There’s an immediate sense of intimacy and vulnerability in Annie Reid’s photography. Annie isn’t afraid to get up close and personal when photographing her models, and whether the photo is either a simple headshot or something more noticeably intimate, that same level of striking vulnerability and honesty shines through. Her style is also tinged with nostalgia, with grainy video and photo effects and sun-drenched visuals being prominent throughout her work.
Carlijn Jacobs
Carlijn Jacobs embraces the surreal in the absolute best way with her photography, with a wicked sense of humour and trippy, iridescent colour palettes oozing through her catalogue. The surrealism expertly blends both nostalgia and futurism whilst also portraying and celebrating female empowerment in a gloriously unique way. Extreme close ups of heavily glossed lips, women photoshopped onto giant heels and pregnant women painted entirely in gold are just a few examples of this surrealist dreamscape.
Emre Unal
Looking for a photographer who is laden with some serious punkish attitude? Then look no further than Emre Unal, who is able to blend this attitude with a healthy dose of intimacy for a really special effect. Emre has a very diverse range of styles across her portfolio, with classic black and white portraiture, surreal photoshop experiments and sensual portrayals of the body all sitting alongside each other in a really cohesive way. Having such a diverse range of styles could easily look inconsistent but Emre and her work avoid this expertly.
Charlotte Rutherford
With collaborations with Apple Music, Lil Nas X, Halsey and a host of other big names under her belt, Charlotte Rutherford has certainly made a name for herself within the industry. Her body of work is marked with an immediate sense of humour and some seriously trippy colour palettes that embrace themes such as religion, futurism, sex and even nods to video games like Sonic the Hedgehog. Charlotte is definitely one of the most unique photographers on the scene right now and shows just how far the boundaries can be pushed.
Vicky Grout
Vicky Grout’s photography embraces a more down-to-earth vibe that captures the day-to-day moments of life that might seem otherwise mundane, such as shopping at the corner shop, and highlights them in their honest glory. This style of Vicky’s photography has a distinctly British feel that exudes an unmistakable charm, attitude and rawness that has come to be so associated with British culture.
Christine Hahn
There’s an immediate level of grace and sophistication in Christine Hahn’s photography that conveys a strong amount of maturity. With a portfolio made up of strong portraiture, Christine is able to capture her models in a way that, whilst obviously sophisticated, still maintains a lighthearted whimsy. Amongst her fantastic portfolio sits the cover of Camila Cabello’s single ‘Don’t Go Yet’ which is drenched in warm nostalgia and, of course, makes Camila look like the queen she is. If you’re looking for a mature and elegant celebration of women, then Christine Hahn is definitely your photographer.
Anna Zina
Anna Zina manages to capture all the sides of being a woman in vulnerable and playful shoots, many of which harken back to classic styles of photography that were prominent throughout the 60s and 70s. Monochromatic shots strip away all colour and leave the models at their most bare and pensive, whereas other photos are fitted with nostalgic filters that make you feel as though you are reliving a moment that never actually happened. It’s a wonderful portfolio of work, and at the forefront are women at their most vulnerable and most powerful.
Olivia Richardson
Clean and straight to the point, Olivia Richardson’s style of photography is pristine and overflowing with playful personality. With the ability to both be bold and strip things back to basics, Olivia’s photos celebrate women at their most human and their most playful. Equal parts vintage and modern, the photos themselves pop with vibrant colours and retro inspired visuals from oversized sunglasses to lit cigarettes, all of which are done in a suitably playful manner.
Petra Collins
Petra Collins has a style that is reminiscent of how a fairytale would appear in reality, otherworldly yet unmistakably real at the same time. This combination blurs the lines between reality and fiction amazingly well whilst utilising grainy effects, satisfying colour palettes and light work tinged with nostalgia. Among Petra’s many accomplishments is directing the music video for Olivia Rodrigo’s smash hit ‘Good 4 U’ which combines all the hallmarks of her photography work beautifully.
JUCOPHOTO (Julia Johnson & Cody Cloud)
JUCOPHOTO is the collaborative photography project of Julia Johnson and Cody Cloud. One of the most immediately noticeable aspects of their work is their insane use of bright and bold colours, which they utilise in incredibly satisfying ways, with colour almost becoming as much of a focal point as the models. Speaking of models, the duo have collaborated with some huge names including but not limited to Kim Kardashian, Reese Witherspoon, Troye Sivan and Tyler the Creator, in addition to photographing promos for season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Words By Andrew Coyle
Photo Credit: Charlie__chops Instagram
