An interview with Cathleen Naundorf

Q. When did you first become interested in fashion photography?

A. In the late 1990s, I started in Germany as an assistant photographer. I have also worked in places like New York and Singapore, but now live in Paris. This move was a personal decision as I thought it would afford me the opportunity to develop and grow artistically.

Q. What satisfaction do you get from fashion photography?

A. I have a love for fashion/glamour, photography and ethnic cultures. This love for ethnic cultures grew as I lived and worked and as a result I was often touched by these men and women. I feel that the picture is not just about the clothes that the model is wearing, but much more. I love how it exhibits the grace, movement and femininity of women. It’s as if the model is wearing the clothes for herself. A part of who this woman is—her personality--comes across in each picture.

Q. How did this set of pictures come about? I.e. What did you do to get the opportunity to shoot for these designers?

A. I have been a photographer for years and in 1998, I took my first Polaroid photograph for the German 'Elle' magazine. I used small format PolaPan film. It worked for my client and me –I loved it! From then on, other magazine and catalogue editors, Marie Claire and Fendi Germany, among them, saw my work and loved it. As a result, they booked me to do fashion work.

My taking photographs at large fashion houses began in 2002 when I approached 'Seredin and Vasiliev' and took the picture, 'Seredin & Vasiliev. 2002, summer' that you see in my portfolio. The image was taken of their current Haute Couture collection.

Then John Galliano, having seen my Polaroid pictures of 2002 that I did for designers Seredin and Vasiliev, allowed me to photograph pieces from his Pret a Porter collections in 2004. The picture, 'John Galliano, Sommer 2004' is from this portfolio. After that I worked with other Haute Couture houses – Emanuel Ungaro, Valentino and Jean Paul Gaultier. The designers liked my style; it was very different from the average photographer.

The fact that I use a Polaroid print as my finished product was one of the contributors to the uniqueness. Furthermore, I have styles and attitudes towards fashion that are similar to most of the designers'. I also find it important to understand each designer's philosophy on fashion and with that in mind, the designer trusts and allows me to photograph his/her designs. Additionally, the fact that I do not choose stereotypical models, but those with a more ethnic look, adds to the attraction and uniqueness.

Q. In seeing your shots of fashion, what "sold" them on using you for this assignment?

A. Up until this moment, the designers do not use the photographs. I use them myself; they are pieces of art - they are my life, my soul.

Q What was your brief from the fashion houses?

A. As the photos are for my personal use, they give me their collections and trust me with all decisions, from the theme – e.g. China or the future – to hair, choice of model, location or film type, i.e. the whole set-up of the shoot!

Q. What was this series of images all about? Are the images related at all?

A. They are not related. The images are from different collections, different themes, but as an entity, they form my portfolio.

Q. How have these fashion images been used?

A. I exhibit and sell them at auction houses, e.g. 'Gallerie Bassenge' in Berlin, Germany and 'Dorotheum' in Vienna, Austria. My pieces of art–the Polaroid prints – are limited editions, collector’s items.

I get jobs in fashion for magazines and catalogues. On a recent shoot, I took fashion pictures for 'American Express' magazine which featured Haute Couture in a ten-page spread.

Q. In looking at the shots, I'd be very interested in knowing how much control you have in interpreting the fashion statement, lighting, etc. Did the fashion, model's hair and make-up contribute to your decision on how to portray each individual?

A. I decide everything; I have absolute creative freedom.

Q. What is it about Polaroid film that you like for fashion assignments?

A. One unique piece of Haute Couture – one original photograph. Another thing is if the picture does not turn out the way I envision it, I can take another one straight away.

Instant photography enables me to work closely with the model and the team to get the exact result I am looking for. It also allows me to offer that something else, something that differentiates my product.

I love the fact that you can use a long exposure time, up to one or one and a half minutes.

These factors result in a very different fashion shoot, very different from the average commercial fashion shoot. For example, I do not use the stereotypical 'pretty' models, wind machines, continuous shooting and many flashes. I use ONLY daylight and reflectors! The pace is different. The models have time to relax, to understand the creative goal and to participate in reaching it. We are collaborating, communicating more easily. Because of this, the model's personality comes through in the pictures.

I would like to point out that I would never use digital photography. I have many reasons for this as I've already explained, but another reason is that I would never consider retouching the photographs!

Q. What film do you use? What do you like about these film types?

A. I like the natural nature of the colours, especially the skin tones, that I can obtain using Type 79 film.

I love black-and-white film and know straight away whether I am going to use black and white or colour for a shoot because of the collection, the model, or the theme. When a black-and-white image is needed, I use Type 55 P/N film because it is so fine, enabling me to make 50x60cm enlargements from its negative. I always like to leave the Polaroid signature "frame" on each black-and-white picture as it again displays Polaroid’s uniqueness. It's really a natural frame for the photograph.

I love the "blue-ish" tone of Type 64 T film. Its unique colour quality adds a mysterious edge to the photograph.

In the future, I plan to shoot using 8x10 instant film, both black and white (Type 804) and colour (Type 809).

Q. So many photographers/artists use various Polaroid films for their personal work? As you may know, Sarah Moon has long used Polaroid films for her haute couture shoots as well as for her personal photography, even as the basis for her recent films. Do you make personal art using Polaroid films and, if so, what are you working on?

A. I take most of the Polaroid fashion photographs for my pleasure. I make all of the designer Haute Couture pictures as art – for me, for my exhibitions. I have just exhibited 30 of my Haute Couture fashion photographs in the Hotel Scribe in Paris. Now I am working on preparing a large exhibition for 2007 in which I will display fashion from the Haute Couture houses of Jean Paul Gaultier, Lacroix and others. This exhibition will take place in major fashion cities around the world – London, New York, Paris, Milan and Berlin.

See Cathleen Naundorf’s extensive fashion portfolio at her web-site www.cathleennaundorf.com

All photographs copyright Cathleen Naundorf. All rights reserved.