Behind the Scenes
Photographer Sven Eselgroth takes us behind the scenes at the Harvey Nichols AW12 Fashion Show
What’s it like to shoot a fashion show for such a prestigious store?
I’m not going to lie – It’s pretty high pressure! I have to capture the guests and celebrities arriving, the models getting shots
ready of every backstage, catwalk outfit and general
photographs of everyone milling around before and after the show. So it’s a lot to do but I love the technical challenges that arise and working with the Harvey Nichols team is
always great. Of course the photos at the end make it all worthwhile as well.
How much preparation goes into shooting a fashion show?
A fair amount of preparation goes in. On this particular shoot I met with the HN marketing & events team to discuss the timeline of the day, venue layout and shot list. I like to plan in advance which of my own lighting rig to take with me so I can control the light backstage.
On the day of the show, I get to the venue extra early so I can check out the set design, speak with the lighting technicians
to find out what they
have planned and have a practice run with the dress rehearsal. I then set up my lighting rig to control my shooting environment as much as possible.
Of course things rarely go to plan, on this occasion there was a high profile funeral blocking car access to the site for 3 hours so everything was running late which added a lot of pressure, but everyone stepped up and still managed to be ready on time!
What did you enjoy most?
My favourite part is actually capturing the candid moments that go on backstage. There is a lot of waiting around and then a flurry of activity in the last half hour. The moments before the models go out is the best time to get shots as the atmosphere has a bit of tension and excitement. It was also a delight to photograph model Jade Thompson (winner of Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model), she just looks incredible through the lens.
Behind the Scenes
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