Thursday, May 5, 2011

[Un]Discovers: Darryl Vides Kennedy

For this coming month, I will be featuring 4 photographers as I feel like May is always about arts! Today, I am honored to have Darryl Vides Kennedy to be my feature of the week!


Hi Darryl, thanks for letting me to feature you on this site! So, is there a particular reason you want to be a fashion photographer?
Fashion is sometimes seen as superficial but to me it’s a fascinating, ever- changing, creative and highly lucrative commercial industry. What other industry reinvents itself twice a year? I am fascinated by every aspect of it and want to be a part of it’s creative process; continuing to make fashion progressive and desirable. If I am honest, characters in fashion are also a lot more interesting versus other industries!


Yes, the people in this industry are far more interesting because of their distinct personalities. As a photographer, who are the masters you look up to? What kind of things have you learnt from them?
Well my favourite photographers are Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. Their respective images prompt a lot of questions from the viewer and I personally never tire of them. I continue to see new aspects about their images every time I review them. They simply never date.

I also admire the fashion photography of Mario Testino and Patrick Demarchelier. There is a reason why Burberry continue to commission Testino because his images are both evoke and create desire. And he delivers this consistently with excellent production values.

The above named photographers inspire and influence my work. However at the end of the day I trust my own eye.


I love Mario Testino and Patrick Demarchelier photos, they are simply stunning! Now back to you, how will you describe your photography style?
Honestly, I am on a journey of discovery right now and am always experimenting so not yet sure what my definitive style will be, if any. I guess I’m resisting being labeled or boxed in by just one ‘look and feel’.


I think you have the "out of the box" style which makes some of your photos to be very memorable! Up until now, what is the most memorable shooting moment?
Shooting a model in a back alley in Notting Hill...she was only wearing a fur coat and heels
and it was not that secluded!

And the time I shot Liam Gallagher of Oasis. That was interesting. I had a very short
time to connect and make sure I got the shot and I did!


Ah, Liam Gallagher, I hope you had a good time shooting with him. So, how does the internet change your view on the photography industry? Has this technology gained you a lot of opportunities?
It has not changed my view on the industry per se but it has contributed to allowing me to quickly distribute my work to clients and agencies without having to rely on traditional channels. It has helped democratise the industry to an extent.


Nice answer! Last but not least, if you could work with a super model in the future, who would you want to work with and what kind of shoot you would want to do?
Definitely Kate Moss - my idea is already sketched out. I will photograph her in a way
she has not been seen before. It will be fashion-related of course but the result will be an
unexpected delight to her followers.

I also hope we can move on from the ‘celebrity as model’ and return to the days of the
iconic super model.

------------------------------------
Now it's time for me to ask him some trivia questions!

Film or Digital Photography? 
Both at this point in time. I personally prefer the quality of film but it really depends on what is best for the concept at hand. This question will be irrelevant in future as we are increasingly living in a digital world.

Bluer or White?
RGB

Stripes or Dots?
Ha ha, I love all shapes and sizes.

Facebook or Twitter? 
Twitterface, the hybrid approach works best for me!

Coffee or Tea? 
Organic Cawfeeeeeeeeee....the best kickstart to the day.


Red or White Wine? 
It depends what’s on my plate, and obviously the weather! You also cannot beat a chilled Château Minuty Reserve or a Red Stripe beer after a long day’s shoot.

Mac or PC?
Mac syncs with my brain, using a PC feels like having 2 left feet!

France or Italy? 
Can I have both, please? The best of both Mediterranean worlds! Oh... and an African sunset to remind me of my youth.

Kate Moss or Lara Stone? 
I’d love to photograph both. If the question was “who would you prefer to sit next to at a dinner party”, then I’d go for Kate Moss.....pleaseeeeeee. Can you imagine?! I’d also love to meet and photograph Helena Christensen.

Vogue or Dazed & Confused? 
Oh that one is easy, Vogue every time.


Thank you so much to Darryl for taking his time to answer some of my questions. I wish him all the best and am looking forward to see more amazing works from him! Keep up the good work! All photos are courtesy of Darryl Vides Kennedy.

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