Detail from 'Self-Portrait with Eighty Cakes' - BBC News online
We have all heard of famous Old Carthusians in the world of business, finance, economics, law etc. But what about those studying creative subjects, like art? Charterhouse, having been nominated as best school for Art in the UK by The Week magazine, can boast to have taught Tim Walker, now a fashion and portrait photographer for Vogue.
Recently Art pupils at Charterhouse were incredibly lucky to have Tim Walker come and speak about his portrait photography. The occasion was very special and gathered a crowd. The atmosphere was mesmerizing, with print-outs of Walker’s works scattered on the wall, and lighting muted to see the screen projection better… Tim Walker’s art is imaginative and fantastic. He has a distinct style, innovative, trancing and beautiful. Many of Mr. Walker’s works have been included in the 100 Years of Vogue exhibition. He has photographed such icons as Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Eddie Redmayne and David Hockney.
With each photograph he is trying to capture the essence of his subject, conveying a little bit of their true self. He says that capturing this is hard. You cannot rely on a plan completely – otherwise it’s too rigid. Portrait photography relies on the building of a relationship between the photographer and the model, a relationship of trust and mutual understanding. It is like a tunnel, with each standing on either side. You can stay far away and then the photo is artificial and staged, or you can approach each other and one moment something truly genuine is captured. Equally, says Tim Walker, you can miss that connection completely. This element of risk is what drives Walker’s passion. Each photoshoot is an adventure. Each photoshoot is unpredictable and exhilarating.
Tim Walker prefers to work with film rather than digital photography. He says this is because the colours are diverse and unique and the polaroids have a special feeling to them that cannot be duplicated by digital photography. He says that film can really capture the atmosphere of the scene. This approach is quite rare in contemporary photography, especially because digital photographs can be manipulated so easily. Tim Walker also does not know if he has good shots until the negatives are revealed in the lab: yet another demonstration of his risk-taking nature.
Photography is personal. Even when doing a portrait Tim Walker goes with his personal perception of that person. Throughout his career, Walker has always tried to remain as true to himself as possible, a kind of creative “selfishness”. That is, you cannot listen to what others want; your own feelings should guide you. And that is the only way of creating something genuine and touching, delicate and intimate.
Photo shoots by Tim Walker
To view more of Tim Walker's photography please view his website:
| Tim Walker Photography | EXTERNAL PAGE |