Morgan Miller, born and bred New Yorker, has shot for various fashion brands and was featured photographer at Leica Camera’s S-Studio event held at Milk Studios. Previously, we spoke with Morgan at length in a two-part interview about his iconic images series and presented here today, he explains about the additional photos in the series featured at the Leica SoHo store which had its opening during New York’s Fashion Week.
Q: You’re slated as the featured photographer at Leica Store New York SoHo, and the work chosen by Leica consists of images to be exhibited at the opening. What equipment did you use for these images? And how do you feel your photos fit in with the store?
A: The photos will be exhibited at the grand opening of the Leica Store New York SoHo during Fashion Week. Leica is one of the world’s best and most prestigious photography brands of all time and the photos being exhibited were all taken with its top of the line S-System. The Leica S-System allows for amazing sharpness of each detail in an image and incredibly vibrant colors that have amazing depth in every photo. There is an unparalleled ability to capture emotion in images taken with the S-System. Because of the equipment and my style, my opinion is that there is a natural synergy between my photos and the nature of the flagship store.
Q: The centrally posed images of individual women, each conveys a different feeling or emotion. Yet they seem to go together as a group. Was this “variations on a theme” aspect intentional, and did you have this in mind when you were creating these images? Again, all these images seem to strongly convey the subject’s personality or a specific aspect of it, which lends each one a special dynamism that transcends typical fashion images. Do you agree, and can you share some of your thought on this?
A: These photos are part of the same series: K Nico Strong Fashion Through the Night. When working with the same model for multiple images, the goal is to get a different feeling from each shot. This is partly created by the relationship between the photographer and his model, but also crucial is the work of the stylist, and hair and makeup artists in creating something new and unique for each shot. Then the model needs to be able to channel the style of those looks and of course the photographer must be able to coax and capture these moments and their magic with his lens. This is one of the reasons why a great camera and precise set of lenses like those of the S-System are so crucial to a successful shoot.
Q: The last image displayed in the Leica SoHo Store looks like it could have been taken 50 years ago, yet is very “today.” This poses something of a philosophical dilemma, because fashion, by its very nature, seems ephemeral, or at least expressive of a particular time place, and is constantly changing and going through cycles, yet this image has an eternal quality that is ever fresh. Can you enlighten us on this paradox from your perspective?
A: There was a vintage inspiration to this image and it is part of a fashion shoot for Flatt magazine, 2013. You are correct fashion is cyclical but good fashion is also timeless. Everything eventually comes back into fashion. Photography is kind of the same way. People can relate to great photography, no matter when the photo was taken. To me, that is the genius of a good photograph, its beauty stays or emotion stays current always. All the greats from the past very often inspire today’s creators whether in photography or fashion. My goal is to create something fresh and new whether finding inspiration from the past or doing something totally new.
Q: What are your plans for continuing to explore the fashion realm, and are you moving away from or moving deeper into the concept of “re-energizing the classics” as you have done so effectively?
A: I have always loved the classics so I will always search for inspiration in them, but I also look forward for more modern concepts for my shoots, so will continue to push the envelope in both directions. Searching in the past will help me find inspiration in the present, but I also believe one needs to remain current or even ahead, always with a finger on the pulse of now if one wants to create truly great work. I am eternally striving to make new, different and exciting images!
Q: What other genres have you thought about pursuing professionally or in your personal work, and have you ever considered taking a similar “retro” or “homage” approach to other traditional or classic genres such as portraiture, landscape, still life, abstract imagery, etc.?
A: I love shooting people, so will always have that be a major subject matter, whether for fashion, fine art, lifestyle or beauty. What I will do with those topics remain to be seen, though I will always study the genius of past and current photographers, as I don’t ever want to stop learning. I will continue to strive to create things unique, beautiful and iconic, something that people in the future will hopefully want to study.
Thank you for your time, Morgan!
– Leica Internet Team
Morgan Miller is the featured photographer at the Leica Store New York SoHo, which officially opened on February 12, 2013. To connect with Morgan, visit his website, Twitter and Facebook page.
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