Photographing a fashion icon

Zandra Rhodes in her studio, photograph by Hannah Kells

My name is Hannah Hathaway Kells and I’m a third year BA Photography student at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Farnham. I have a great passion for photography and thoroughly enjoy studying at UCA.

I was given the fantastic opportunity to go to the Fashion and Textiles Museum in London where I would get to meet one of my favourite fashion designers, Zandra Rhodes, and be shown around her studio, and have some time to take some portraits of her.

On entry it was a fascinating maze full of an array of beautiful fabrics and costumes, screen prints, and vibrant colours. Though there was a slim time frame to take pictures, Zandra was very welcoming and patient to work with. Each location to photograph her was full of character and I felt really reflected her as an artist.

Zandra Rhodes in her penthouse, photograph by Hannah Kells

When photographing Zandra, I used a combination of my Canon digital SLR and medium format film on a Hasselblad. I really enjoy using medium format as I love the high quality it gives. I have used medium format for previous projects, and I am still exploring it. I am also fond of using the available light around a subject; I try to avoid using flash. Whilst digital is a good medium to work with, I like the excitement, unpredictability and process of using film and it was a good opportunity for me to work under pressure with the camera and light meter.

Working with Zandra was one of my greatest accomplishments so far, and was a great experience to photograph and meet such an inspiring and talented artist.