PRO CASE STUDY
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY?
I always had an interest in the storytelling that came with the fashion world. I worked two jobs to save up enough money to buy my first couple of cameras and a laptop.
From this I began photographing my family, then travelled to London to shoot at London Fashion Week. LFW was where I started to get to know people, from designers to models, from make-up artists to other photographers, all while experiencing the reality of being under pressure. I haven’t looked back since!
WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES YOU FOUND WHEN STARTING OUT?
I swiftly realised just how much competition there is. Every young fashion photographer is aiming for those same magazines, shooting the same style with the same ideas. I knew if I wanted to succeed, I needed to really think about who I was as a photographer.
HOW HAS LIGHTING ASSISTING HELPED YOUR IMAGE PORTFOLIO?
It’s helped me in many different ways, in all different avenues of the industry. I experience being part of a tight team and leading others as a first assistant. The knowledge I have gained of camera equipment, lighting and pre-production enables me to know what a photographer wants before they ask and learn about what setups work in different situations, such as working with models or celebrities as well as still-life shots.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT PHOTOS TO PUT IN YOUR PORTFOLIO?
The first thing I will always look at is the lighting, but first and foremost it needs to be whether that image is telling that story and evoking that emotion from the audience I’m trying to translate. My portfolio is like a series of mini stories – a journey through my work.
Experienced fashion photographer Kai Narin recounts his journey towards a fully rounded image portfolio