Michael Ng
Nikau Hindin
Michael Ng
Nikau Hinden
SNAP HAPPY Fashion pages would be nothing without photographs. At Ponsonby News we’re fortunate to work with some of the best (and nicest) photographers in the industry, as well as talented up-and-comers. Meet four of our favourites, with different specialities and at different stages of their careers.
MICHAEL NG International Runway photographer WHAT IS AN INTERNATIONAL RUNWAY PHOTOGRAPHER? HOW DID YOU COME TO BE ONE? That’s me - someone who travels the world photographing supermodels walking in shows by the best fashion houses. Seriously, it involves a lot of hard work and long hours editing on the computer, but along the way you have a lot of fun and get to see amazing shows and lots of beautiful people. Getting here was a bit of an accident really, and a bit of luck. I was given a ticket to a show at London Fashion Week and loved the excitement and energy of that single show. That’s when I decided I wanted to specialise in photographing fashion shows. I learned my craft shooting on film and when I arrived back in New Zealand, I went to every fashion show I could get into, just to practise. One morning, I met a photographer at a lab and we got talking and he invited me to Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in Sydney. I was the second shooter and after each show I had to drive to two labs to get the films processed and be back ready for the next show within an hour. While in Sydney I met another photographer who said come to New York, and on to London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. I jumped at the opportunity and have never looked back. I thought Sydney Fashion Week was tough doing 16 hour days in a week, but in Europe it was 16 hour days over six weeks.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE DESIGNER TO SHOOT? Some of my favourite designers are Prada, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Gucci, Kenzo, WORLD, Burberry, Yohji Yamamoto, Miu Miu, Versace, D Squared, Victor & Rolf, McQueen, and Rick Owens. WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE VENUE? I love Paris Fashion Week. It’s the most over the top with big budget productions, but any show which takes place in the Grand Palace or Petit Palace is going to have the WOW factor. Saying that, Milan and Berlin have some amazing buildings and they are both very cool cities which I enjoy visiting. ANY ADVICE FOR AMATEUR SNAPPERS OR ASPIRING PRO’S? Shoot what you love but also respect your photographic industry by putting a value on your own work. Fashion photography is the hardest genre in photography to break into, making the competition intense, so you to have a good business plan to pay for all your cameras, travel and computer equipment.
NORRIE MONTGOMERY Social photographer HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A SOCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER? I was offered the job some eight years ago, when the Sunday Star-Times started having proper social pages in the newspaper. Bridget Saunders was the gossip columnist and I was the photographer. We would go to all the best parties in town and she would do writeups of the events, and I would make the people who attended look beautiful.
WHAT MAKES AN OUTSTANDING RUNWAY PHOTO? When you have great models and hair and make-up, the right lighting and of course an amazing designer.
I now freelance for the Herald on Sunday and Rachel Glucina is the columnist. I also saw a gap in the market. People would comment to me that I had taken their photograph at a certain event but that their picture didn’t make it to the paper. Obviously a newspaper has limited space for photos, and not every shot is going to make it in. That encouraged me to set up my website www.thealist.co.nz. Now when I am commissioned to cover an event for a PR company I can upload the images the very next day. Everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame.
WHAT’S A HIGH POINT IN YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Having the opportunity to shoot fashion shows in Europe and visiting venues which are otherwise not open to the public. It helps to appreciate the interiors as I studied architecture before changing professions.
WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? That’s easy. The best part is actually attending all these events and taking the photos of course. The worst part is when you have been to a great event and you have around 400 images to edit.
One show which does stand out is an Alexander McQueen show which was like a game of chess - the floor was lit up in a checkerboard pattern and the models moved into location as a robotic voice announced the position like a game of chess.
WHAT MAKES AN OUTSTANDING SOCIAL PHOTOGRAPH? Capturing that moment. The thing is you don’t have a lot of time and the light is never the best where the parties are being held. So you have to think on your feet, and know
WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? THE WORST PART? The best is experiencing the shows first hand, seeing what the designers and their productions teams create and being part of it. The worst is when the taxi driver gets lost trying to find an address or when you’re rushing from one big show to another. You’re literally running with all your big heavy cameras and lenses and that’s when you can make mistakes, so you have to be organised.
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
DEADLINE – 20TH OF THE MONTH October 2011 PONSONBY NEWS+
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