A candid interview with Australian fashion and celebrity photographer RUSSELL JAMES, one of the photography world’s leading lights…
In a career spanning nearly three decades, Perth-born photographer Russell James has photographed the world’s most beautiful women, its most prominent people, and its most arresting landscapes. His photographs have appeared in major publications around the world, and his collaborations with them and global brands including Victoria’s Secret have featured icons such as Gal Gadot, Barbra Streisand, Rihanna, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Adriana Lima, Gisele Bundchen, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Candice Swanepoel and many more. James traces his creative influence back to his roots deep in remote Western Australia. Seeing “the arts as a vital common denominator,” he founded Nomad Two Worlds, a nonprofit organisation that “provides grants within the arts to people from marginalised communities who otherwise might not have the opportunity,” among other charitable endeavours.
James’ awards include the Hasselblad Masters Award for “Fashion” in 2008, the West Australian of the Year Award for “Art and Culture” in 2013, Harper’s Bazaar China’s “Fashion Photographer of the Year” in 2018, and the Australian Fashion Laureate “International Impact Award” in 2018. There are six internationally published books of his work, including his first monograph, Russell James, in 2008 and his most recent Collector’s Edition, published in 2019.
His latest project, Belong, is a travelling exhibition of more than 30 photographs that were taken in the remote Kimberley Ranges of West Australia, showing “the beauty, the grandeur, and the vulnerability” of this natural habitat. Several of the images feature stunning Australian-born model Bella Geminder. “Belong is born from my inability to put into words the wonders of the Earth and our fragile connection to it,” James says. “Of all the places in the world where almost no modern-day man could ever come from, this is the place where I have always felt that I most belong.”
How has fashion and celebrity photography evolved since you first began taking pictures professionally?
I entered the world of fashion at the crescendo of the supermodel era when the industry was about to see celebrity and fashion begin to collide. Pre-social media there was a realisation that there was an appetite for the “story” of the subjects, and celebrity satisfied that quite perfectly. Within a year the vast majority of magazine covers and ad campaigns had moved from supermodels to celebrities. Gisele Bundchen lead the rebellion and was the first supermodel to take back a cover of a fashion magazine. Today celebrities and models share the fashion market somewhat equally and models now have their own personalities exposed through social media.
After more than 30 years in the business, how do you find fresh inspiration?
A simple answer: inspiration is everywhere. For the entirety of my career nature has been a driving force behind my photography. Even when I am on a strict studio shoot, the shapes and concepts for me may be inspired by a closeup shot of a leaf or a giant waterfall. This is not something that translates — I don’t expect that the collector or magazine reader can see that reference. Social revolution has also opened the doors to a much broader canvas in terms of subjects and subject matter. It’s a responsibility of photographers, creative directors and designers to push boundaries, even at the risk of being too early for their messages to be completely received.
Has your creative process changed over the years?
My process has remained similar over the years, however the discipline that comes with time has made it far more effective. I trust my gut much more conceptually-speaking, and I’m willing to make the call far earlier if I know something is or is not, will or will not work. The result for me has been my work growing stronger. It may seem more deliberate than this, but it is really just a reduction of random elements that makes things run efficiently.
How did you first become interested in social causes, and how did it change your life and work?
I had a strong sense of social cause for as long as I can remember, however it has taken different shapes over the course of time. For example, I joined the police force at 19 years of age because I had an altruistic view that I’d be helping victims and be a kind of crusader. The reality is that a few short years in I was mired in the politics of career advancement and I often had to stop and reconsider ‘why’ I was doing it in the first place. After five years I eventually realised it was time to move on. My work there though exposed me to harsh topics like racism, excessive violence against women (and I also met some terrifyingly violent women as a police officer), and just the overall darkness that modern society has yet to shake. When I began to work with aboriginal and marginalised communities through my foundation Nomad Two Worlds, I found a way to merge my activist self and my creative self. I began to use my photography as a powerful communication tool and to use my fashion industry network to provide opportunities.
Have landscapes and natural settings become more interesting to photograph than supermodels and celebrities?
My greatest challenge in getting an agent in New York for many years was not being able to answer what type of photography I wanted to specialise in. I have always loved ‘photography’ — whether a vast landscape or an intimate human portrait. Each influences my creative process in so many ways. At the moment, in this year of the pandemic, I have had a strong lean towards nature (as I suspect many people have). My recent portraits have been raw and natural. Celebrity has also taken on a different meaning at present. As we speak, I am two days into a week of shooting the leading specialised surgeons in the world, shooting each as they leave the hospital after surgery so I can capture their truest identity. Contrary to popular belief, I have always felt we are, to a large extent, the product of ‘what we do.’
Who are some of the favourite subjects you’ve photographed over the years?
That is like asking who are the favourites of my children (…and we all have them). Aboriginal elders and heads of state have always brought a great fascination for me. I have enjoyed shooting Gisele, Kendall Jenner, Candice Swanepoel and so many of the amazing models that this last decade has produced. I love photographing Barbra Streisand because of the absolute integrity of her creative process. I could go on and on.
Where do you think the future of photography is headed in the next decade?
I wondered if photography might lose its relevance as video took over social media, however the opposite is true. In the art world photographs are appreciated more than they have ever been, and the fine art world of photography is growing. In the social world, as attention spans have dropped even lower, the photograph has re-emerged as the quickest and most powerful way to say a lot. Photography is becoming the only true international language.
Who would you most like to work with next?
The person or team that is credited for developing an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Nothing in my lifetime has affected the world more. ■
By JARED PAUL STERN
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