Ace photographer Colston Julian has shot for clients including United Colours of Benetton, Dior watches, Pepe and Elle. He talks to Fotoflock.com about his sources of inspiration and offers tips on shooting fashion stories.

You are an expert in editorial, fashion and lifestyle photography, amongst other fields. Which is your favourite field and why?
I shoot a whole range of subjects. I also shoot interiors and food. It’s very difficult to say which is my favourite although most of my work now is people-based. At the moment around 70% of my work is for editorials and 30% is commercial. People tend to like my fashion photography so they put me down as a fashion photographer. However, I like the process of photography in general. I like shooting people and at the moment I am working on a project which aims to portray Bollywood actors in a different light which is realistic rather than glamorous.

You also enjoy adventure sports and mountaineering.
When I was younger I liked skateboarding, BMX and mountain biking. In the future I’d like to do more adventure sports photography and possibly merge adventure sports photography with fashion photography.

You have a studio in Toronto and some family there too. What made you choose to stay in India?
India, especially Mumbai, is very close to my heart as I was brought up here. However, I travel to Canada for a couple of months a year. I also outsource a lot of work from Canada. I chose Mumbai as a base as I am excited by the new urban culture which is coming up in India and which is a mixture of Western and Indian influences. The energy, the spirit and fusion inspires me.

How has living in India influenced your photography?
India has given me both inspiration and direction. It is a country where most things we see are in their most pure form, whether culture or colour. The light here is beautiful and different from anywhere else. However, India has a lot more to offer than just what you see on the surface. It has so many layers and textures to it, by way of the cultures, people and regions.

Do you prefer film or digital photography? Why?
Nowadays 90% of my work is digital but film has been an inspirational base for me. I still shoot on film on my large format 8x10 and 4x5 cameras. I enjoy the process and discipline immensely. Digital photography is definitely the future and I like working on the medium as well, however I think film shall continue as it has a beautiful character to it.

You have been described as an “equipment junkie”. Why do you think equipment is so important?
I have been called an equipment junkie but I don’t really agree with that description. In my opinion it’s all about having the right tools for the job. I think good equipment is like having the right car to win a race. You can’t win an F1 in a Sedan correct? If I’m doing a commercial job I never take any chances – I always take equipment, which I know I can rely on, and that can make the image making process easier.

Having well-maintained equipment is especially important in India where there is a lot of humidity and dust. Having said this, I also find it hard to let go of things. I still have all my film cameras and film back and I still use them!

However, I’m not excessive to the point where I cannot work without equipment. It’s not always necessary to have a lot of equipment. In Paris for a Shoppers’ Stop campaign all I used were two lenses, one body and one light. What is very important is that you know your equipment and exactly what you want to do with it.

You began your career as an assistant to cinematographer Ko Hung Chang for an ad film.
Yes, in fact I never thought I’d be a photographer … I became one through a series of accidents. When I was working for the production house I was so amazed by the filmmaking process that I said to myself, “this is it, this is what I want to do”. I found that the cinematography process was what I liked most – lighting large sets was exciting. Cine light caught my interest (even today I primarily use cine light for most of my work  and I am particularly fond of the 4k arri PAR HMI and Kino Fows). Most of my lighting technique and style comes from my training in cinematograhy  I enjoy the motion picture process and miss it desperately.

Any films in particular that have inspired you?
To be honest, when I’m in need of inspiration I often turn to a Calvin and Hobbes comic book, read a couple of  pages, and then approach the situation in a different way. If you let yourself relax and allow your mind to think freely, you will often come up with good ideas. If you don’t switch your mind off you won’t see what you need to see. 

But there are films that have inspired me like, “Gattica”, “Angela” by French Director Luc Besson and some of Guy Ritchie’s films. However, I don’t see these films and then say, “let’s do a Guy Ritchie or Luc Besson” – you have to approach them from a deeper, more personal perspective.

To give an example of how a film has inspired me, I was once asked to shoot a story for Elle India, on the fashion trend, overalls, for the Autumn/Winter issue. The title of the fashion story was to be “Factory Girl”. I was stuck for ideas on how to do this fashion story keeping the trend in mind and accommodating the story title, “Factory Girl“ without being directly inspired by the film. Later that evening I reluctantly watched “Spiderman 3” with a group of friends. There was one scene where Spiderman falls through scaffolding. At that moment I knew that was the element I needed. We erected some scaffolding in the studio and mounted HMIs on it and shot inside this! I try not to lift the whole idea but get direction for lighting or a mood, or for the character in the fashion story.

What are you working on right now?
I’ve always been intrigued by the Bollywood culture. However, I find that 90% of the photos taken of Bollywood stars are the expected images. I want to shoot them in a different way – raw, without make-up, as people you might bump into on the street. I’d like to show something outside their public image – a softness or a certain mischief perhaps.

You describe your style as “effortless and timeless”. How do you achieve this?
I’m a little old school in my approach to photography –I like to think of my style as mine, I try not to do something that’s already been done. I don’t like to complicate things – why use twenty lights when you can put someone beside a window? And if I have to use twenty lights for effect, I never compromise on the naturalness of my image. Most of all I try and keep the talent / model at ease, and try to keep the body language comfortable and relaxed. I tend to direct them a bit while I shoot,or present a situation to them so that they have a environment to be in and hence can be the character or play the mood we require for the shot .

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One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed doing editorial work is the freedom and space in which we are permitted to work. They never say “This is what we want you to shoot” but instead they say, “Here are the clothes/accessories, we have this idea and direction, what do you think we can do together?”

I remember one feature in particular –an accessories story for Elle. We thought of several directions in which we could take this shoot but then I thought I should perhaps treat this story differently. I wanted to shoot the model going through these emotions – not necessarily happy – during the shoot. Elle, as a brand in the fashion market, has the tagline “Sexy Stylish Spirited” and mostly shoots happy fashion images and so I was unsure if they would accept the idea for a fashion story. However, when I explained to them my point of view – that all people go through stages, that no one is happy all the time, and that after a low comes happiness or joy – they accepted the idea.. The response was positive.

On another occasion, I was asked to do a shoot for a feature on equestrian fashion. We discussed many different ideas but they had all been done before. Then I had the idea of shooting the girl as though she herself were a wild horse that was being trained. We gave the model all the accessories: a saddle, a bit, etc. and then instructed her on her body language.

What does it take to make a strong fashion story?
I love it when I shoot fashion stories as though I’m shooting a film. A direction, a thought, perhaps a situation. I think it’s critical that there’s a storyline to everything and I make it a point to explain the story to the model before the shoot. Otherwise we could fail. What is critical in fashion photography is teamwork. Without a great team of make-up, hair and fashion stylists, lighting technicians, etc., it would be very difficult to make a great fashion story. It is always the team in fashion photography that counts. It would be wrong for a photographer to take all the credit.

You have been on the panel of Get Gorgeous – tell us about the experience.
I would have liked it to be different in several ways. I don’t have much to say about it or the selection of participants or the final winner. Reality TV shows depend too much on shock value and the promotion of commercial brands. I do think it could have been a solid platform to find new talent if they had taken it more seriously.

What do you think can be done to improve the modelling scene in India?
I think India has a lot of potential. However, people need to understand the job of a model better. In India the term “model” is used rather loosely – a lot of models really want to get into Bollywood. To be a model you really need to understand the brand you’re shooting for or understand luxury goods and also live a little of the lifestyle – travel, have a variety of interests and not just be obsessed with how one looks.

Photos by Colston Julian | Fotosocial