Fashion Photographer Miguel Jacob and his fiancée Jen Parsons. Image by Amy Lu.
I caught up with top Canadian fashion photographer Miguel Jacob at the Greta Constantine SS’11 show and talked with him about capturing fashion moments through the lens.
Name: Miguel Jacob
Job: Photographer
Website: www.migueljacob.com
Exhibit Details: “Always On Camera” at Alison Milne, at 49 Ossington Ave., 2nd Fl., (Nov. 10-Dec. 12/10).
Opening Reception: Nov. 10 at 7-10 pm
AL: Which Canadian fashion labels have you shot for ?
MJ: Pink Tartan, The Bay, Jeremy Laing, NADA, PYA Black, Nove, Line, Toscano and Twenty Cluny.
AL: Who are your personal favourites in terms of Canadian Designers?
MJ: Mark Fast, Rad Hourani, Jeremy Laing, Greta Constantine, Twenty Cluny and Nicola Andrea Taralis.
AL: You have a photo exhibit coming up, can you share a few details about it?
MJ: “Always On Camera” is my first solo show and features a selection of black-and-white portraits that I shot from December 2009 to May 2010. During this six-month period, I set up six Saturday “sittings” in which I would invite several subjects to perform in front of the camera, scheduling them sequentially one after another in 40-minute time slots. The subjects, who were mainly unknown to me and were often contacted through Facebook, include local artists, musicians, drag queens, eccentrics, dancers, models, designers and activists. Rather than attempting to capture the “personality” or “soul” of the sitter, I was much more interested in the performance, geometry and the way in which the body and the chosen costume and/or accessories would interact with the minimal props (such as a stool, a chair or cube) in a vacuous studio space creating what I hope will be unique, graphic and arresting images.
AL: What is your favourite subject to shoot?
MJ: People, Mannequins, abstract forms…anything that is inspiring and mysterious.
AL: What do you think is more important to success, the love of your craft or hard work?
MJ: A combination of both along with luck, contacts, timing and vision. It also depends how you define “success”.
AL: Please tell me about your dream shoot…. model, clothes, location, publication.
MJ: For me, a dream shoot would be working with the right team. It all depends on the feel and look of the shoot. Some of my favourite models are Raquel Zimmermann, Anja Rubik, Guinevere van Seenus, Crystal Renn, and Natasa Vojnovic. These girls are have great personalities and presence, and are not afraid to venture into unchartered territories. They have all collaborated with the best image-makers in the world to produce both iconic and unique images. With regards to clothing, I love the avant-garde designers like Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto, and Vivienne Westwood, as well as the more classic designers like Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, and Givenchy. Again, it really depends on the feeling I would like to portray. In terms of location, I love shooting mainly in studio but would love to shoot in a location where I could work collaboratively with a set designer to create something strange and unique. Some of my favourite publications are Vogue Paris and Italia, Interview, Self Service, POP (when Katie Grand was still there), V Magazine, Self Service, etc.
AL: How do you capture the perfect fashion moment?
MJ: I try not to.
