As we countdown to the launch of the 2015 Australian’s Annual, with the associated group Gallery Exhibition, we wanted to give all those fans of fashion and fine art photography something to tease their creative appetites. Over the next 10 weeks we will be giving viewers of FIB.com a chance to see interviews and some of the work that will be in the MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY Vol 13 Australians Book and Show.
Paris based Tasmanian, Justin Cooper has blazed a very unique trail at the highest echelons of the global fashion image making industry. He studied art and commercial photography at RMIT University and later at the College of Fine Art, Sydney. He has a deliciously prodigious eye for blending beauty and fashion with surrealism and youthful oddity. Justin is a photography connoisseur when it comes to capturing transient moments. His work is a visual conversation between human behavior and fine art. Justin captures shapes and poses more dramatic that movement.
The young lens-man boasts a broad resume, earning recognition from illustrious names such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire and Manuscript. He has also worked on esteemed advertising campaigns such as Lee, Jigsaw, Elle McPherson, L’Oreal, Clarins, Sephora and Biotherm. Justin Coopers editorials embody a rich composition of contemporary and emotive futuristic fashion, which strike simplicity and sophistication.
We recently sat down with Justin for an interview.
With the evolution of photography today, the rise of the “selfie”, the boom of image publishing sites like Instagram, and the use of Photoshop and other beginner level image Filtering effects, it could be said that there has been a Democratisation of imaging making, and that anyone with an iPhone is now a photographer. How has this changed the industry? What does it mean for the professional photographer? And where do you see it going?
Photography is an evolving medium and is continually being ‘revolutionised’. Changes happen with ever-increasing speed in a mix of science and technological advances that are there to be embraced. It’s absolutely clear that those who fear change will always be left behind.
Today, a 5-year-old can take a mesmerising image with any of the multiple gadgets available. This is brilliant. Will he, his peers or his parents know what genius image he might have taken? Probably not… It’s the context, usage and understanding of visual communication that requires a higher a level of comprehension now the technology is universally available. With the over-saturation of images it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, I do believe that some posses a keen perception and skill to harness the current climate, addressing the needs of today’s most prominent clients – those who are in ‘cultural’ terms (which is itself open to definition) the leading visual makers.
Fashion photography, in the past has been seen as a prestigious almost exclusive club, do you think things have changed in that regard?
Agreed, it has predominantly been an exclusive playground for the fortunate – however there has been and always will be exceptions. Raw creative talent will always have a place and thankfully this has nothing to do with commerce.
The late great Corinne Day refused to retouch her models, thus producing raw & sometimes gritty natural images, which stand in stark contrast to the kinds of heavily adjusted kinds of images created by people like the fashion duo; Mert & Marcus, whose end result is nearly 80 per cent retouching and post production. Where do you stand on post photo manipulation?
Photography has always been about manipulation whether people admit it or not. Even the so-called documentary-style photography has no ‘truth’. A photographic composition is a consciously selected event. There are multiple factors to consider. For example, whether a photographer crops out important information just outside the frame, or highlights a certain area to make it more visible. There have always been decisions that attempt to persuade the viewer in one way or another. These are decisions that attempt to herd the viewers’ thoughts into a certain mode of belief, whether done consciously or intuitively. So where a photographer draws the limit, is his or her choice.
Personally I have no problem with the illusionary nature of photography. The problem, if any, is the education and awareness of the viewer as to what they’re seeing or how they’re reading a photographic image.
Nick Knight the British photography has been quoted as saying his favourite camera is his iPhone 6 not his Hasselblads. What do you say to that comment, and that “The best camera is the one you have with you at all times”. The likes of photographers Nick Knight & Rankin have become media brands in their own right. Not only are they photographers but also media publishers, editors, journalists & writers. How important is innovation and the addition of new skills today? Is it enough to be a pure play photographer or do you need to add other elements to keep at the top of the game?
This makes me think that everyone is waiting for a secret formula. I don’t believe there should be any rules for anything, it really depends on what you want out of your photography – this approach to me is fairly superfluous. But if that works for Nick, great. The only guidelines that work for anyone are ultimately those that prove useful.
I use my iPhone a lot for documenting things such as locations, but I’ve never published anything from it so far. By contrast, cumbersome cameras in challenging locations have hindered me on occasion. It truly depends on what kind of photographs you like or want to take. I gave all my favourite cameras away to friends.
Do you know of any rising new stars from here or abroad that you predict big things for in the industry?
Honestly, I don’t really look for or think about this. I’m sure there are amazing new talents on the ascendant right now, however what I find more interesting is perhaps the changing trends of where these talents will come from. I hope the future will see a shift a way from the usual Western-centric hot spots.
What skills aside from the technical image making set do you need to learn & master to make it to the top level in photography?
An understanding of human behaviour and psychology helps. Then I think it depends on the style of photography one likes. I think a solid background of art history and theory has helped me communicate with art directors and clients as well as intuitively draw upon the past to make some outstanding imagery.
What leading magazines, websites on the art of photography do you look to and respect above all others?
I used to look at magazines such as W and Italian Vogue for inspiration years ago. Some theme-driven concepts are still unique even today. However recently, I haven’t found one single platform that can truly inspire me as a single source point of reference – there’s so much available around us.
I prefer to look at many disciplines and areas of creations to help fuel my wonder-lust. This might be a trip to the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature or listening to an operatic tragedy, perhaps stumbling upon someone’s narcissistic selfie on social media, or even an idyllic pastoral landscape in Better Homes and Gardens. Inspiration comes from everywhere. I’ve built my own library of visual media, which is my greatest source of inspiration.
What kinds of things do you do to promote your work these days? What kinds of things do you do to get new contracts and commissions?
Self-promotion is not my greatest asset. I like my work to speak for itself. Sometimes if I’m on a job and working with creatives whose opinion and sensitivity I trust, I’ll just show them something I’ve been working on, or some ideas I’ve been exploring to get some feedback. This is a more organic approach that comes more naturally to me and has resulted in new areas of work. Therefore I prefer to concentrate on visions and concepts and allow others around me to generate wider-scale promotion. I try new techniques or approaches with new commissions as much as I can, trying new things to stay fresh, always pushing boundaries. I challenge myself to evolve as an image-maker and tackle a new medium if required.
Where do you ideally need to be based to be an internationally successful photographer?
Ideally, anywhere you want to be. We live in a new digital super-connected era of possibilities.
How do you describe your style & technique? How do you keep it fresh in such a rapidly paced industry?
It’s often a struggle for me to balance what I personally really like in pictures and what has been successful for me with a greater audience. I try to find a way to tap into what I think is unique to me on a subconscious level, then blend it with some of the more modernist trends I see happening.
Are you loyal to a certain camera/s? How do you keep up with ever changing technology?
There are certain cameras I’ve been loyal to for various reasons in the past, but I’ve grown out of being a camera-fetishist. While there are some amazing precision pieces as well as unique quirky cameras, I’m less and less interested in cameras themselves. Thankfully there are technicians and manufacturers who provide incredible precision instruments that are ever evolving with awesome new capabilities. I use what I think is necessary to get the job done – whether it’s for the client or myself. The end-result is the image – however that’s achieved is the most important element.
Where do you find your inspiration? Do you have a muse, have you in the past? Why do you think you did that?
Mostly the raw inspiration comes from emotions felt through music. It can be any genre. This approach is spiritual for me. Audio creates the emotion for me and this is my unique fingerprint. There are also trends in the types of faces I like but this is slowly evolving, usually shifting slightly over the years. I think something psychological informs my appreciation for the physical. The Soviet bloc facial structure obsessed me for many years, now that shift has switched more to northern China.
What has been your career highlight so far?
I love those jobs where everyone is in harmony: it’s like clockwork. Everyone is excited and putting in so much energy to create and truly believe in what is going on in front of camera. When you feel everyone’s absolute commitment and you think “this is new” as you have your finger on the button of the camera.
The above is a partial excerpt from the MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY “Australians 2015″
To contact Justin Cooper check out his website here
