Fashion photographer Jacob Sutton (pictured) has shot for British Vogue, The New York Times and Interview, and for brands such as Burberry, Superdry and Hermés. He talks to Martha Alexander about learning on the job and how to make your subject feel comfortable…
How did your career begin?
After an art foundation year in Falmouth I did a Photography degree at London College of Printing.
How do you make your subjects comfortable?
I’m the worst person in the world at being photographed so I’m quite aware that being the subject doesn’t always come naturally. You have to very quickly establish a relationship of trust. The main thing is to have confidence on set without being graceless or arrogant, because it means you can ask people to do all sorts of things. I think this comes with experience.
As a photographer, do you learn more on the job or at college?
For me, the most important thing was to see how people went about creating pictures. I found it essential to work as an assistant. This is where I learned not just the technical knowledge, but also the skills that you can’t find in a curriculum – such as the way to motivate people and how to control a set. You only really learn that stuff when you are immersed in it every day.
How do you juggle your editorial, advertising and personal projects?
At first all I seemed to do was editorial, which was financially challenging. I do a good mix nowadays. I think people perceive advertising as boring to shoot, but besides the financial rewards it’s a very good technical discipline to have, and brings you new problems and influences. I’ve started working with moving image a lot more [in] the past couple of years, too.
Is the world of fashion shoots all it seems to outsiders?
When I was growing up I used to look at Vogue and was convinced that photographers must be hilarious to make the models laugh like they did in the Eighties. It was only when I was an assistant I realised that you could just ask models to laugh! It’s very manufactured. However, on a big set or in a beautiful location I do think, this is the best job in the world. I’ve had plenty of crappy jobs in the years before and during college, but you get spoiled a little and I guess sometimes it is pretty glamorous.
Can you share a top tip?
Start with an object or person in a dark room. Look through a camera and get someone walk around the room shining a single light source it on the subject. When you reveal the shape in a flattering light, fix it and start from there. If it’s a small source you’ll get hard shadows, if it’s a large source you’ll get soft shadows. Build it from there adding lights as you go. It’s as simple as that: flatter shapes by the way you reveal them.
Which cameras do you use?
I usually shoot on a Hasselblad H2 with a P65 back or a Canon Mark 3.
What advice do you have for budding fashion photographers?
Take pictures that you love taking; and if you’re any good, people will react to them with the same feeling of excitement. I’d say never give up, but I don’t think the people with the resilience needed to make it really need to hear that.
Visit Jacob’s website to see more of his work. Jacob has a film coming out on Interview magazine’s iPad app in February. Find out more.
Jacob is represented by D+V Management.