We take a look at our favourite models turned photographers, from iconic artists to new faces to watch.
HELENA CHRISTENSEN
Being one of the world’s first supermodels wasn’t quite enough for Helena Christensen. Helena turned her hand to photography and has since shot for likes of ELLE and Vogue as well as snapping a whole host of celebs including fellow model and actress Kate Bosworth. In a recent interview with PORTER magazine, Helena said, “When I work as a photographer, I get so excited and exhilarated I forget to breathe…I don’t ever once talk about stopping for lunch as a photographer, but as a model I want to stop for lunch like an hour into the shoot.”
BUNNY YEAGER
Bunny Yeager was a force to be reckoned with. The pin-up girl turned photographer is widely credited for the popularity of the bikini in America (who knew?!) and sewed most of the pieces she shot on her models and herself, apparently she used to show off about the fact she never worn the same outfit twice in an image and to be honest, if we made all our own clothes, we’d do the same too. Endless exhibits of her work were held both during her lifetime and as a memorial after her death in 2014. The story goes that one of her images for a high school assignment was sold and the rest is history, her most famous work with Bettie Page and Playboy followed, and she worked both behind and in front of the lens for the magazine.
Admittedly Indrani hasn’t taken to Instagram too many times to document her life as a director and photographer but she doesn’t need to prove her worth online, the fact that she’s half of a fashion photography powerhouse along with Markus Klinko speaks volumes alone. Indrani began modelling at 14 but by the time she was studying at Princeton photography had taken over, as it tends to when David Bowie and Isabella Blow commission your work.
Suki most notably turned her hand to photography snapping a series of her friends for the I’ll Be Your Mirror exhibition in 2013. Cara Delevingne and Georgia May Jagger took turns in front of the camera for their supermodel pal. A photographer in the making, perhaps? We’re hoping she’s got an archive stashed away as she said, “A certain point came when wanted to document growing-up adventures.”
London-based Swedish photographer Lina Scheynius gets intimate on Instagram often for her self-portraits. She began way back in 2006 just uploading snaps online whilst she was a model and her successes only multiplied from there, contributing to the likes of Dazed&Confused, Vogue, AnOther and Die Zeit as well as publishing her own photobooks. Head to her Insta for dreamy snaps of rainbows and knickers.
Maybe we’re a little biased as Christopher has been featured as a Model To Watch by us as well as having some of his photographic work published by us for a piece on American duo Girlyboi but after establishing a modelling career with SUPA, he’s making waves as a photographer. If you ask us, he’s just as talented in both fields, maybe a series of self-portraits next?
After being enlisted by Dazed&Confused to give us all a look into the backstage glamour of the couture world, everyone’s had their eye on Louise Parker. The model from Minnesota has walked for Chanel countless times but taking her turn behind the camera, you can see all of her playful yet atmospheric snaps on her website.