Q&A
Kelly is based in London, and has recently graduated from Leeds College of Art and Design. She creates quintessentially British fashion stories, and her portrayal of vintage glamour coupled with her appreciation of soft, beautiful colours transport us back to days gone by.
What ideas were you trying to explore through this body of work?
The idea behind this work was very simple, I just wanted to produce a vintage inspired fashion story.
This work seems to be linked with a narrative; the images are almost like film stills. Was this something that you considered when creating these photographs?
Yes, I wanted the images to tell a story so I planned the narrative and directed the model to act it out. I take a lot of inspiration from 1960’s British films, this particular shoot was influenced by ‘The L Shaped Room’ and ‘Darling’.
Where do you think your fascination with vintage and nostalgia stems from?
I think it started with music, my Dad grew up in the 60’s listening to bands like The Beatles and The Who, from a young age I listened to the same bands and I became fascinated not just with the music but everything about the 60’s. I think my discontentment with the world today makes me nostalgic too!
What other photographers influence the way that you work?
I adore the work of Wendy Bevan and Sandra Freij. Wendy shoots a lot on Polaroid, I love the colours and grain of Polaroid film.
What equipment do you use to make your images? Is this choice of kit an important aspect of your image making?
I try and only shoot film, for this shoot I used a Mamiya 645. I prefer to work only with natural light if I can help it. I think it is important to use film to create work with an aged aesthetic, its more authentic. I feel like I’m cheating if I use digital!
Where do you hope that your photographic career will take you? Where do you hope to be in five years time?
I hope to assist various photographers in the next couple of years and eventually work freelance as a photographer myself, I’d love to shoot for Lula and Material Girl.
And finally; Tetley or Yorkshire Tea?
Yorkshire of course!