{"id":106092,"date":"2018-04-16T13:03:16","date_gmt":"2018-04-16T17:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=106092"},"modified":"2018-04-16T22:55:38","modified_gmt":"2018-04-17T02:55:38","slug":"photographer-thurstan-redding-explains-the-personal-politics-of-taking-a-picture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=106092","title":{"rendered":"Photographer Thurstan Redding explains the personal politics of taking a picture"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.centerimg {padding:4em 7em;margin:20px 0;}\n.centerimg img {margin-bottom:0px;}\n.instagram-media {margin:auto !important;}\n#wp-content hr {margin: 40px auto 80px auto;width: 80%;}\n<\/style>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/3.jpg\"  data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2076\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-106148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/3.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/3-462x640.jpg 462w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/3-925x1280.jpg 925w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/3-900x1246.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small>Harold Smart and James Spencer, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/candy-magazine\">Candy Magazine<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n<p>Backed by make-or-break magazines and editors alike, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/thurstan-redding\">Thurstan Redding<\/a> is emerging from his under-the-radar moment and positioned for imminent come-up. In fact, the 25-year-old photographer has already stood behind the lens for American Vogue, British Vogue, Arena Homme +, i-D, Dazed, Love, M Le Monde, Man About Town, Candy &#038; Buffalo Zine. Thurstan Redding, Hong Kong-born, France-grown and a former student of politics at Cambridge University, has defined a clear line of thought throughout his growing list of works: intimately and carefully framing his subjects\u2013often friends\u2013in the context of their respective and collective identities. Redding, now based in London, is part of the new generation of photographers fine-tuning the photographic terms and articulating representation through fashion&#8217;s lens and beyond. He&#8217;s doing so, of course, with plenty of talent. He spoke to Models.com about experiences of casual racism, his favorite subjects and his dream Comic Con shoot.<\/p>\n<p>Follow Thurstan on Instagram <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thurstanredding\/?hl=en\">@ThurstanRedding<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-3.jpg\"  data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1957\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-106096\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-3.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-3-491x640.jpg 491w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-3-981x1280.jpg 981w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-3-900x1174.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small>Louis Chen, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/charles-jeffrey\">Charles Jeffrey<\/a> A\/W 17<\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Do your roots influence your work? How so? <\/strong><br \/>\nI wouldn\u2019t say it has directly influenced my work from a thematic perspective. Being mixed race is something which influences my personal life, my conception of belonging and home, but in my work I\u2019ve always chosen to focus on an escapist fantasy which is what fashion really meant to me growing up. I absolutely adore the work of artists in fashion, and other industries, that pull from their heritage to inform their work, but for me it\u2019s never been something I wanted to define my work by. <\/p>\n<p>My Asian heritage, however, does affect the way people have treated me while working in fashion. Not always, of course, and there\u2019s huge amazing swathes of the industry committed to inclusivity and diversity in a very real way, but being mixed race I am privy to casual racism that others don\u2019t always notice. I\u2019ve become a lot more aware of how culturally insensitive both fashion and photography can be. Not only have I been confronted with full-on racism, but also with much more subtle forms of aggression that are much harder to pin-point as they often come from a place of ignorance and not malice.<\/p>\n<p>On my own sets it\u2019s happened several times that someone that I haven\u2019t met before instantly assumes I\u2019m from the beauty team solely on the basis that I am Asian, and that the photographer must be white. This is before I\u2019ve even introduced myself, and I find it surprisingly presumptuous and prejudiced. This is an example of the kind of subtleties I\u2019m referring to, but of course there are much worse examples\u2013that have happened both to me and to many other in the industry and wider all the time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-1.jpg\"  data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1875\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-106102\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-1.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-1-512x640.jpg 512w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-1-1024x1280.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-1-900x1125.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small>Olivierbizhan Azarmi, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/charles-jeffrey\">Charles Jeffrey<\/a> S\/S 17<\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>What are the modern challenges of being a photographer?<\/strong><br \/>\nI think many will agree that compromise is definitely something every young photographer is faced with. Shoots have to be a collaborative effort and therefore always lead to compromises, but especially in commercial situations it can become quite tricky to satisfy a financial agenda when pushing your own creative input. That\u2019s something I feel most photographers will probably relate with: striving to sustain crucial commercial links but also be satisfied with your own work. This isn\u2019t the case with all clients though, thankfully, many do respect your opinion and I\u2019ve been lucky to work with art directors and editors who have been very understanding and supportive of what I wanted to do. <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>On my own sets it\u2019s happened several times that someone that I haven\u2019t met before instantly assumes I\u2019m from the beauty team solely on the basis that I am Asian, and that the photographer must be white.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Is there anything you had to unlearn to improve? <\/strong><br \/>\nDefinitely, I think it\u2019s quite easy to develop certain bad habits when shooting and that\u2019s something I had to work quite hard on unlearning. I also discovered photography via digital, as analog photography initially felt very inaccessible. This meant I became used to the luxury of having an unlimited number of shots, whereas shooting with film really forced me to think out every shot beforehand &#8211; which took a lot of getting used to. <\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-5.jpg\"  data-rel=\"lightbox-image-3\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2063\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-106098\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-5.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-5-465x640.jpg 465w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-5-931x1280.jpg 931w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-5-900x1238.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small>Harold Smart and James Spencer, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/candy-magazine\">Candy Magazine<\/a><\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the most truly unrelated thing that has inspired you or left an impression on your work? <\/strong><br \/>\nI have no idea why, but I very often get ideas when I\u2019m commuting on the tube or on the bus; it\u2019s surprisingly a really great place and time to just think through ideas clearly. I\u2019ve also listened to Ella Fitzgerald and A Tribe Called Quest repeatedly for years and that\u2019s been something that\u2019s really helped when I\u2019m planning shoots. I guess it just really appeases me in a way that I can\u2019t rationally explain. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Can fashion shoots be as personal as, say, personal work? <\/strong><br \/>\nAbsolutely, I don\u2019t think any fashion story can really be totally impersonal. I feel there\u2019s always elements of self-portraiture somewhere in one\u2019s work. Fashion shoots also require a personal and intimate element to them in the exact same way that personal work does. Although on a fashion shoot you might only be spending a day or even a couple of hours with someone, it\u2019s still crucial to establish some kind of link with that person. Otherwise I feel the images can easily feel really distant. <\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-2.jpg\"  data-rel=\"lightbox-image-4\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2100\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-106095\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-2.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-2-457x640.jpg 457w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-2-914x1280.jpg 914w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-2-900x1260.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small>Vincent De Talleyrand-Perigord, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/buffalo-zine\">Buffalo Zine<\/a><\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Your favorite kind of subject or person? Any examples? <\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m inspired by my friends. Among them are some of the most fascinating and resistant people, who really dissect and critique identities in very powerful ways. This hasn\u2019t necessarily been the case for me, but I\u2019ve felt it\u2019s my job to try and offer them representation in my work. I feel very committed to the idea of subtly repositioning queer and political bodies into a classical photographic canon. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve always aimed for my work to be accessible to a wide range of audiences, while paying subtle tribute to the queer people I know and love, and being unquestionably and inherently gender, age and racially diverse. All I aim for is for people to understand that the the subjects of my images have every rightful place to be there.<\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-6.jpg\"  data-rel=\"lightbox-image-5\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2063\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-106099\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-6.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-6-465x640.jpg 465w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-6-931x1280.jpg 931w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-6-900x1238.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small>James Spencer, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/candy-magazine\">Candy Magazine<\/a><\/small>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p>All I aim for is for people to understand that the the subjects of my images have every rightful place to be there.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-8.jpg\"  data-rel=\"lightbox-image-6\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1942\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-106101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-8.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-8-494x640.jpg 494w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-8-989x1280.jpg 989w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-8-900x1165.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/adwoa-aboah\">Adwoa Aboah<\/a>, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/love-magazine\">Love Magazine<\/a><\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Can you give me an elevator pitch for your fantasy project? <\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019ve been lucky enough to shoot it! I spent a couple of days at Comic Con last year documenting the art of cosplay. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve been wanting to do for years and will be out this fall. Rarely have I been in a more inclusive space that celebrated diversity and individuality in such a creative way. It\u2019s also one of the first projects I\u2019ve been a real part of on the publishing front, which is something I\u2019m very keen to explore in the future.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-4.jpg\"  data-rel=\"lightbox-image-7\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1951\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-106097\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-4.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-4-492x640.jpg 492w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-4-984x1280.jpg 984w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2018\/04\/thurstan-redding-4-900x1171.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/max-overshiner\">Max Overshiner<\/a>, <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/client\/man-about-town\">Man About Town<\/a><\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--pp-thumb-start--><!--PictPress found no dir \/2018\/04\/106092--><!--pp-thumb-end--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harold Smart and James Spencer, Candy Magazine Backed by make-or-break magazines and editors alike, Thurstan Redding is emerging from his under-the-radar moment and positioned for imminent come-up. In fact, the 25-year-old photographer has already stood behind the lens for American Vogue, British Vogue, Arena Homme +, i-D, Dazed, Love, M Le Monde, Man About Town,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":443,"featured_media":106148,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10414,16,2],"tags":[10609,11395,11394,11378,7704,11397,11398,10333,11396],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106092"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/443"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=106092"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106092\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106164,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106092\/revisions\/106164"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/106148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=106092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=106092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=106092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}