Monte Carlo, 2014
G A B Y F L I N G
Seeing is believing, a mesmerising perspective TEXT: PHIL GALE | PHOTOS: GABY’S FLING
Few industries are as competitive as fashion photography; documenting beauty, styling fashionably and capturing moments. We can all be harsh critics, but when faced with stunningly well-shot images, we stop in awe. A fleeting glimpse of skin, a small piece of lace, a longing look, these are intimate moments, moments of beauty, that need to be captured and few do it as well as photographer Gaby Fling, as she waits for the perfect moment in each shoot. Capturing a moment in time with a simple click of the shutter is something that we are starting to take for granted, but within the swamp of snaps, there are some great images that really pique our interest, brimming with originality and a certain unique essence. Amsterdam-based Fling is one of these treasured few, shooting with the insight of how to capture true feeling, catching intimate moments in a
32 | Issue 12 | December 2014
split second without tricks. Her images are not only causing a stir, but bringing across a new perspective, allowing you to look through her eyes, seeing what she sees. Fling takes you with her into her world of seeing and believing. “It is all about the right moment, a gut feeling! I frame the image, sometimes cropping in on something really small and intimate, a rustle in the fabric or the model’s body,” explains Fling. “I think that it is down to my roots as a stylist and how I started shooting with feeling, that makes my style what it is.” Fling started out as a stylist for ELLE magazine before heading out on her own as a freelancer. Tough times in 2004 prompted the dive into photography, she explains. “I was working on a new collection and decided to use myself as the model.” Duly holding the camera at arm’s length and shooting close-up, soon to be
dubbed ‘selfies’, Fling found that by taking these images of herself, she was “creating something very intimate”, rediscovering herself and “creating a Fling moment” capturing her gut feeling. Ten years on and Fling has carved a name for herself in swimwear and lingerie photography, working with everyone from top fashion brands, private clients and also on personal projects providing limited edition prints and a stunning limited edition book entitled Truly. Her style has been the key to her success. Fling explains: “My clients come to me because they love my style, they are taken in by the images that I produce because my work has space for the person looking at it to have their own thoughts. It is also humbling when a client tells me just to shoot as I normally do, they trust my eye and are thrilled when I produce images of them that are strong and beautiful, Fling moments.”