Based in Manhattan’s Fashion District, Richard Warren is a celebrated name in the world of fashion photography. He began his career assisting big names like Bill King and Helmut Newton in New York and later travelled to Milan, Paris and Sydney to shoot for internationally renowned publications like Italian Bazaar, Australian Vogue, Follow-Me, Dolly and Australian Harpers Bazaar. He returned to New York in 1990 and was among the first to dive into the digital arena and set up a state-of-the art, 22-mega pixel digital studio in Manhattan’s Garment district. In an exclusive interview with Fotoflock, the fashion guru talks about his successful career, the art of storytelling and his sexy style of photography.

Would you classify photography into genres? If so, would you say you are a fashion photographer?
Yes although I shoot many different things, my specialty is fashion. In New York there are many photographers and you have to specialize.

 You have a degree in Graphic arts from Western Washington University. How big a part has that played in your photography career?
Before digital became the norm, my knowledge and expertise of Graphic Arts was not used as much. But today, even when using Photoshop, the tools I use in it directly relate to my background. They aren't just buttons for me.

How much have Bill King, Helmut Newton, Denis Piel and Robert Mapplethorpe influenced your style as a photographer?
To be a successful photographer you need to have a mental inventory of what has been done in photography and what has not. In general “everything has been done” so you use this knowledge base to apply lighting or posing to your unique situation when on a job.

The personal work is like play time.You exercise your abilities without the fear of making a mistake. It’s vital to being a successful artist.

What led you to move to Milan after working with such big names in New York?
In the mid 1980s there were more fashion magazines in Europe than there were in the US. Also the stigma that American designers are not as refined as European designers was prevalent then. To be considered a fashion photographer you had to know and photograph “real” fashion i.e. European fashion.

You have said that you learnt more in a week working as the third assistant of a professional photographer than in the 4 years of your photography school. So is hands-on experience more essential than theoretical know-how for succeeding in this industry?
Going to school helps with the technical side of things but I think most working fashion photographers have not gone to school for photography. Even if you go to school you have to assist / intern.

Does one need to adopt an aggressive approach when first starting out as you did to win your first big break with Italian Bazaar?
I think most people going into photography do not realize how much you have to be able to sell yourself. I don’t think this is natural with most people so you have to either learn to be aggressive or persistent, the latter being a better technique.

How do you strike a balance between your personal and commercial work?
The personal work is like play time. You exercise your abilities without the fear of making a mistake. It’s vital to being a successful artist.

We know that you like to plan your shoots well ahead of time. What kind of preparations and planning go behind every shoot?
First I decide on the concept then the casting of the models, and crew that will suite the concept the best.

Do you consider story telling an integral part of photography?
For me, fashion photography is about story telling. Magazine editors call fashion pages in a magazine “stories” and I take that term quite literally. Sometimes the story is a narrative and other times it is simply fashion forecasting or reportage. In any case you need to be able to tell stories in different ways. The art of this simply comes with time and the knowledge you get looking at current and past fashion stories.

You have to know the difference between making it fashionable or making it look like a Playboy shoot.

You are one of the biggest names today when it comes to lingerie photography. How did you step into this particular genre?
My fashion work has always been on the sexy side. Shooting the way I do and with lingerie simply made it sexier. However most of my lingerie clients do not want sexy. It is better to be able to capture feminine as that has a broader use for most intimate apparel companies.

When shooting lingerie, what sensibilities does a photographer need to possess?
When we talk fashion you need to know and understand the clothes. Who buys them and what the designer wants to say with their product. You have to know the difference between making it fashionable or making it look like a Playboy shoot.

In this digital age, how much time do you spend in the darkroom if any?
I have not been in the darkroom for 8 years.

	Quick Four: Your favourite printer: Epson 4800 Your favourite shoot: Bondi Beach Australia: swimwear story Your preferred location: A European mansion Your ideal day: A shoot where everything goes as planned!

Photos by Richard Warren | Fotosocial