Solve Sundsbo is a Norwegian fashion photographer who cleverly manipulates images making them out of the ordinary.
His work incorporates everything from X-rays and 3-D scanning to hi-tech manipulation and laborious hand-painted retouching. “If I’ve got a style,” says Sundsbo, “it’s that I’ve got no style.”
Sundsbo’s portfolio is every fashionista’s dream address book – designers including Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Gucci, Hermès, Bally and Armani. He has also branched out into short films, teaming up with Alexander McQueen to produce a piece for the Florence Biennale. “We set Eva Herzigova on fire,” he says. “She was really floating on water but it looked as if she was going up in flames.” He’s also responsible for some Dazed & Confused covers and the current issue of Pop, featuring supermodel Stephanie Seymour.
(Pictures of Edita Vilkevicute by Solve Sundsbo)
Solve is rallying against the mediocrity of fashion photography, he complains that “anybody can use a digital camera to take a picture and alter it in photoshop” and I’m all for experimentation and Sundsbo’s image manipulation gives fashion photography a complete fresh look.
To coincide with London Fashion Week, Sundsbo has launched an exhibition and Spring Studios, London – a former paint factory, now devoted fashion gallery. One of his best-known pictures on show is of the British model Karen Elson, with the contrasting colours altered to give a hard out of this world edge.
Then there are shots of Canadian model Jessica Stam smiling through vampire fangs, and designer Gareth Pugh in a knitted American football kit.
“The great thing about being a photographer is that you can manipulate your own universe,”
Written by:
Amelia K - who posted 31 articles on Trendland.
Fashion Lover, Tea Drinker, Obsessive Shopper, Amelia. An original gossip girl.
March 5th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Whoah – that is some crazy stuff. I am a Phoenix commercial photographer and work a lot with special lighting setups but this takes the cake. Great stuff!
June 18th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
ABSOLUTELY STUNNINGLY UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous.