Thursday, March 17, 2011

a fling with the northern light...

Do you ever wonder how street style bloggers and photographers choose who to photograph? Some get attracted to bright colours, some to original outfits - the crazier and bolder the outfit the better. Some photograph the celebrities, some stick with the pack and shuffle from one person to another in an organised flock.

Personally, I wouldn't be able to tell you what my approach is. I may choose to photograph one outfit over the other even if both of them are equally as tasteful and stylish. I may be attracted to the face or to the manner, to the kookiness or to the attitude of a particular person. It is very difficult to explain.

Take Hedvig for example, I first spotted her in the BFC tent before the John Rocha show. I first noticed her coat which you will be able to see in my next post. I came up to ask her for a photograph and, to my great surprise, discovered that her coat was from Zara (it looked way too expensive to be a Zara piece!) As we started chatting, I couldn't help but notice Hedvig's beautiful manner - softly spoken, poised, demure but not shy and very elegant.

Although I love street style fashion and it is my primary type of photography, I quite regularly veer towards portraits. I get fascinated by the fact that a snapshot of a person's face without any words, without any particular information, sound or smell or even colour can tell a story (whether you read the right story from a photo or not is a different matter).

The face is not something that you can dress up, albeit some people's excessive make up may suggest otherwise. A face is what it is. Old, youthful, sad, happy - what you see is what you get.

At fashion week you are spoilt for choice with beautiful girls and striking faces. It really is a field day for photographers. But then again - you always choose one face over another. I don't think it's even about being pretty or having high cheekbones. It is about personality and attitude because I really do think a photo can actually communicate both of these to the audience.

So after a quick chat I decided to drag Hedvig outside for a photoshoot. These shots are very rough, some out of focus and the composition is.. well.. not ideal but I just love the sequence as I feel it really gives you a feel for Hedvig's personality and manner.

Hedvig Opshaug, as you may have guessed by the name, is from Norway but is currently based in London. She is a Fashion Editor at Flingly, a fashion and lifestyle blog, and has her own blog called Northern Light.

Interestingly, like many other bloggers, Hedvig is not a product of creative nurturing but rather comes from a maths and banking background (which is a change from the standard - law.. seriously you would be surprised how many ex-lawyers joined the blogging army :)

After moving to Stockholm for work and later to London, she somehow found herself immersed in the fashion world and hasn't looked back. You will not see Hedvig sporting crazy outfits or decked out in vintage finds, rather she is a showcase for slick, polished, often minimalist look.

Check out her blog and say hello!

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