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 TIM
ZARAGOZA
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER/FILMMAKER
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
Tim
has collaborated with fashion magazines such as; V
Magazine, S Magazine, Metal Magazine, and CITY.
Last year EFM interviewed CITY Magazine
Fashion Director Julie Ragolia.
EFM first
noticed the classy edgy images that were shot by Tim
Zaragoza. Tim
shares with EFM his interest in film, photography,
and assisting established photographers.
Exclusively Fashion Magazine:
I love the work you do for CITY magazine, also I am drawn
to your short fashion film work as well; but first can
you tell me how your career started as a fashion
photographer?
Tim Zaragoza:
Photography was always a part of my life. But
really, the foundation for my career began pursuing
painting and then video art at the San Francisco Art
Institute.
EFM:
How long have you been interested in film and fashion?
TZ:
Well I'm an 80's kid…and I think for many of us,
Films played an integral role in how we experienced
the world. Before I left for San Francisco, I had a
short stint at a liberal arts college on the east
coast. It was there that I got into the work of directors
like Goddard, Fellini, Antonioni and Tarkovsky to
name a few. It’s the particular way in which these
filmmakers were all visual storytellers that
inspired so much of what I do now.
My interest in Fashion began during my travels in Europe
after art school.
What I witnessed happening in fashion felt so
dynamic, irreverent and free in comparison to my
experience in the Art World.
I gravitated toward Fashion photography; I suppose
because it was a way to return to a more visceral form
that functioned in concert with Pop-culture.
EFM:
Have you ever assisted a fashion photographer; if so
who and what have you learned from him or her?
TZ:
Assisting great photographers that I respected was big a
part of my development. Over 5 years as an assistant, I
worked with Juan Algarin, Cleo Sullivan, and then
Richard Burbridge.
All of these photographers had such different
personalities and photographic approaches.
I have such respect for each as artists and
people. But in the end, working closely with different
photographers helped me clarify what it was I really
wanted from my pictures.
EFM:
You are based in New York; where in New York do you get
inspired?
TZ:
The New York City subway never ceases to fascinate me.
EFM:
Do you prefer shooting on location or in a studio?
TZ:
Well I Love both, but Location is
definitely the more athletic of the two.
Great production is key.
I think it also helps to be a strong studio
photographer-when you can be creative in a naked space,
a location is an enjoyable bonus.
EFM:
Tell me one thing that no one knows about you?
TZ:
I was once held captive in Cuba.
EFM:
Do you find yourself trying to evolve or reinvent
yourself as a photographer?
TZ:
Always. Reinvention, I think is at the heart of what
fashion 'means'. A friend from V-magazine once said to
me that Fashion for him was just another word for the
present-moment.
So I'd say it’s more a reinvention that happens
naturally through the photography, the parade of seasons
and editorials.
It’s a continual response to a cultural landscape
in constant flux.
EFM:
Can you describe your personal style as a fashion
photographer?
TZ:
I strive to make images that I believe in; embracing the
persona and beauty of my subjects is a big part of
that...I always appreciated Lindberg and Newton for that
sensibility.
But I'm a stylist (in the larger sense), so it’s always
a celebration of artifice as well.
EFM:
Can you tell me the process on shooting for a fashion
magazine; how do you interpret the concept of your
clients (understanding the fashion director's vision)?
TZ:
I do a lot of prep with the clients and teams I work
with. Casting is always a paramount consideration.
I pull referential imagery in relation to the
initial idea or theme, create online concept boards and
then together with the team begin to edit through until
there's a clear direction with all the right pieces
of the puzzle in place. Like many other aspects of the
process it comes down to looking back and forth between
the big picture and the finer details. It has to all
make sense.
EFM:
Our famous question; what advice can you give to
aspiring fashion photographers?
TZ:
Never be afraid to leave convention behind.
Interview by Rochell “E” James
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