Amanda de Cadenet’s photography has been variously described as ‘truthful’, ‘beautiful’, ‘haunting’ and ‘intimate’. The renowned fashion and portrait photographer shoots advertising campaigns, Hollywood starlets, rock royalty, and her friends at play, always infusing her work with an appealing honesty and authenticity.
Amanda de Cadenet: Yes, I grew up mostly in London. But I was working as a model from age 14, so I was traveling around Europe and New York from a young age.
A: That was a portrait for Cheap Date magazine. Karen and I had mutual friends, and I think that portrait reflects the ease that we felt with each other. It was actually a Polaroid that Pascal at Box worked his magic on. So many people love that image. It’s the one I always give for charity auctions, because it SELLS!
Q: My other favorite is the first photo under the music section of Julian Casablancas (for obvious reasons). Could you tell us about photographing Jules? What is his energy like when it comes to stage presence, and how have you gone about capturing all that he embodies as a performer?
A: Photographing cute boys and my amazing girlfriends. Keanu for Vogue Hommes was pretty important for me in a few ways. Firstly, I love that man, and it was profound to take his picture and let all the love shine through. Secondly, it’s a big deal for a woman who is 35 to shoot a Vogue cover. Annie Liebowitz and Ellen Von Unwerth are a generation above me, so I felt like I was making a dent in the largely male-dominated area of cover photographers.
Q: What can we expect from you in the future? I’ve heard you have a project you are working on called “Women’s Issues” – could you tell us a bit about it?
A: I am launching an online interview series with women about women’s issues and rights. Most of my editorial ties in to women’s issues in some ways. I just shot a 10-page nude story for Harpers Bazaar, showing beauty in diversity of body types: curvy, skinny, different skin colors, etc. It’s a big deal for a main stream U.S. fashion magazine to agree to do this, and the women who are sitting for me are all very high profile, but also believe in helping raise awareness. There are so few female photographers who have the interest in or ability to represent women with some kind of integrity, but this is something I feel strongly about, so I am doing what I can. Since I grew up in front of the camera, I have some idea of what its like to be photographed and in the media, so I am being considerate of that when taking pics of other people.
Images courtesy of Amanda de Cadenet.
