Continuing with my slew of reviews on photographers I have a local finally. Christian Melvin, currently a student in Miami along with being a full time fashion photographer caught my eye with this photo. Melissa Rodwell also made this photo her Snapshot of the Week on her blog, Fashion Photography Blog. For me this photo has an eerie feel about it, yet it is captivatingly beautiful. The models eye's looking to the sky along with her arms nonchalantly thrown around her make's you ponder, "What is going through her mind?". She seems as though she's daydreaming of a day when she can always feel one with nature, just as she does now floating in the water. This photo makes me want to get to know this girl, and isn't that a photographer's job? To make you wonder.....
I was so curious about where Christian get's his inspiration for his photography, so we had a quick email interview:
Why did you start doing photography, how old were you when you knew you wanted to do it?
"I got my first DLSR for my 13th birthday, and I have been interested in photography since I was about 10, I used to just go online and look at fashion photography but at that age I didn't think that I could become a fashion photographer. I started at 14 just shooting my friends; I was so terrible when I started! But it just all came from taking photos of my friends. I think I started just from a love of other photographers work."
What is your goal in your work? Are you trying to express a certain look (do you have a theme your going for in particular)?
"I do want to keep a certain feel to my work. Recently, I have been focusing on keeping an element of natural beauty. Makeup and hair is such an important part of the industry but I think natural beauty doesn't get the attention it deserves. Models are so beautiful on their own and I think that should be showcased. I’m always surrounded by the more commercial world of Victoria’s Secret models and celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Megan Fox and I just feel like it’s so much more special when a girl can be effortless and not have to try and be stunning and beautiful. I have been trying to take my photography in a more edgy direction and start experimenting and taking risks. I want to keep an artistic perspective on my work and stay true to my personal taste."
"Well, I am 16 right now so I am going to graduate from the FIU dual enrollment high school program but I think I am going to go for a photo degree in one of NYC's colleges. I definitely want to live there, I feel like compared to Miami NYC is so much more suited to the type of fashion photography I want to do. I am attending the fashion photography pre-college program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan in July and I am so excited for that! But I want to do fashion photography for the rest of my life, I'm really passionate about it so I just hope to always keep improving. I hope to be shooting for Vogue one day!"
After this interview and finding out that Christian was only 16 I was shocked to say the least. His accomplishments are outstanding for being such a young age. Keep an eye out for this one, he's surely to be an up and comer with greatness in his future.
