As a veteran fashion week photographer, Andrew H. Walker knows a thing or two about the less attractive side of a glamorous industry. On the heels of New York Fashion Week Fall 2019 (which ran from Friday, February 8 to Saturday, February 19), Walker sat down with PDNedu to shed some light on the nitty gritty of the fashion photography business, and offer some advice for young photographers who are interested in entering the industry.
Walker is a staff photographer at Shutterstock, and previously worked at Getty Images. In addition to photographing NYFW for the last 10 years, he has traveled internationally to photograph events like the Cannes Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Dubai International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Doha Film Festival, the Superbowl, and fashion weeks in Miami and Aruba. Walker is grateful that he can make a living out of something he loves: “Fortunately, at the end of the day, even an exhausting one, I’d rather be doing this than anything else.”
Photo © Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock
PDNedu: How did you get into the business of fashion photography?
Andrew Walker: I’ve been shooting fashion week since 2009 for different agencies. In those ten years, I’ve shot every aspect of fashion week, from backstage to front row, sponsorships and the runway.
PDNedu: When was your first NYFW show, and what was this experience like?
Walker: Unfortunately, I don’t remember the shows that I shot my very first season. I was new to the industry and didn’t recognize any designers, and since I was new I was never assigned to any “big-name” designer shows. I did a lot of small, lesser-known designers whose fashion shows were in odd locations and had awful lighting setups. These were challenging gigs! Thankfully, my situation has changed a bit. The downside to getting more big gigs is that I’ve become a bit jaded. I’ve shot every big designer show imaginable, so it’s rare for me to be excited to shoot something in particular. Instead, now I get excited if the lighting is done properly and if I have a great position on the riser.
PDNedu: What shows did you shoot this year?
Walker: I shot a lot of shows this year, but the ones that stood out the most were Christian Siriano, Dennis Basso, Cong Tri, and Naeem Khan. When you’re shooting, it’s easy to get caught up in making sure you’re getting the right shot and the right color/exposure; you don’t have time to pause long enough to realize how amazing the designs on the runway are.
The Cong Tri show stood out in particular. I can vividly remember the models wearing these elaborate designs with big beautiful bows and accessories. The Christian Siriano show was also great. Despite it being logistically challenging, it was one of my favorites: truly beautiful production.
PDNedu: Being a fashion week photographer sounds so glamorous! What is it really like?
Walker: It’s not glamorous at all; it’s a lot of hard work and a lot of waiting around. A lot depends on what I’m shooting: backstage, front row celebrities, sponsorships or after parties. More recently I’ve been shooting runway shows. Each type of coverage requires a different mindset and different equipment, and each scenario creates different perks and challenges.
Shooting backstage happens an hour before the show and gives photographers the opportunity to be more creative, capturing moments like models getting their hair and makeup done, the designer attending to details and the models relaxing before they hit the runway.
Shooting the front row celebrities is simply mayhem, particularly if they are A-list celebrities. There are usually four or five photographers milling on the runway while guests are entering the venue. The goal is to get full-length images of what celebrities are wearing and then a photo of them sitting together. Shooting runway is the most technically challenging; it’s completely “do-or-die.” Whether or not you are successful boils down to two things: having accurate camera settings and having a clean position in the middle of the runway. Once the lights go down and the show begins, you have a few seconds per model to get all of the shots: full-length, half-length, headshot, plus shoes and/or accessories.
Photo © Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock
PDNedu: What gear do you use?
Walker: Before each show, I always double check that I have all the appropriate equipment, and that it’s clean and ready to go. This includes my Nikon D5, Nikon 80-400mm, Nikon 70-200mm, Pelican case, monopod with correct head and new 64 gig memory cards. Outside of my actual equipment, I also always bring a charged camera battery and backup battery, protein bar, charged phone, headphones and weather-appropriate clothing.
PDNedu: What do you enjoy the most about photographing fashion week?
Walker: My favorite part is the challenge of entering an entirely different situation every day and figuring out how to make strong images.
PDNedu: What advice do you have for young photographers trying to break into the fashion industry?
Walker: Be nice. Making friends and making yourself a welcome addition to the ragtag group of fashion week photographers will help you immensely. It’s a small, tight-knit group of photographers, security guards, and publicists who have worked together and known each other for years. If you’re new to the group and only out for yourself, your job will be harder than it needs to be.
To see more of Walker’s work, visit his website and his Instagram, @andrewhwalker.
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