About Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth, a German photographer and director, specializing in erotic femininity. She has been a fashion model for ten years before becoming a photographer, and now makes fashion, editorial, and advertising photographs.
Connect with Ellen von Unwerth's life
- What’s the difference between seeing one of your images in a book or magazine to seeing them in an exhibition context?
- What’s your favourite image in the exhibition, Ladyland?
- In what way, do you think your work empowers women?
- What did you see in Claudia Schiffer that you loved?
- What was Rihanna like to photograph?
- Can you tell the difference in the way men and women photograph women?
- How do you ensure your subject is relaxed in states of undressed?
- What do you think the difference between nude pictures that objectify women and nude pictures that empower?
- Multiple fashion photographers have been accused of sexual harassment over the last few months. What’s your response to that?
- What is the future of seductive fashion photography in the Me Too and Time’s Up era?
- Have you ever been treated differently because of your gender?
- Which women do you find interesting to photograph today?
- How do you feel about selfies?
- What’s your take on Instagram?
- Of all the people who have photographed, who has been the most unforgettable?
- What are the ingredients of a successful Ellen von Unwerth picture?
- The way you portray women can sometimes be erotic, almost provocative. Are you never afraid of being misunderstood, of going too far?
- What are the pictures you haven’t taken yet that you wish to take?
- What would be your advice to a young photographer starting today?
- How did you select the pictures for Ladyland?
- How did the exhibition Ladyland come about?
- Of the selection, is there one that stands out as a true favourite in your exhibition, Ladyland?
- When you started out, the fashion industry was pretty male-dominated when it came to the likes of designers and photographers, some of whom stepped over the line of what’s appropriate. What do you make of it all?
- How do you see the industry changing in light of the revelations?
- You’re crediting with helping to launch the careers of the likes of Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Eva Herzigova. What were they like back then?
- Are there any girls on your radar at the moment who have the elusive ‘thing’ you saw in the supers?
- What’s next, after Ladyland?
- Is there anyone you’d really like to shoot that you haven’t yet?
- What is your favourite photography technique or style?
- If you look at your pictures an erotic element plays an important role. Or is sensuality the better word?
- When is a picture finished? You once said that when you started taking photographs, it was very important to develop the images, edit and retouch them yourself. What role do you play after the photograph has been taken?
- You initially said that this S Magazine project was fairly large. What did you like about it, or do you prefer working on smaller stories?
- How much freedom do you usually have with contract work?
- What you have done for this S Magazine is both nostalgic and modern all at once. Do you see the images as capturing the zeitgeist or as something more timeless?
- How did you get the idea for the issue of S Magazine?
- Before digital, it felt like fashion photography had a huge influence on the fine art world and vice versa. Do you think it’s possible that the onset of digital created a chasm between fashion and art or are they closer related than ever?
- Are there any young photographers whose work you are excited by?
- What does being iconic mean to you?
- Having longevity in your business is no small feat. What’s your secret?
- What advice would you give to yourself if you were just starting out in the business?
- Your latest book with Taschen, Heimat is available just this month. With that project complete, what’s next for you?
- Has the process or philosophy behind how you create or approach a shoot changed from when you started to now?
- We lost far too many important artists last year, some of whom you’ve worked with. Is there an artist you wish you had the opportunity to shoot but didn’t?
- What is the best way that you’ve found to relax?
- What is your favourite travel destination?
- What makes a picture unforgettable?
- What would you be other than a photographer?
- Could you tell us how to take the best selfie?
- What do women want today?
- What is special about Suki?
- Do you like Italy?
- How did you start your career because you were a model yourself?
- You are quite conversational when you are taking a pictures. Are you talking all the time? How does that relationship work?
- Do you like pushing boundaries when taking a picture?
- You are launching your own magazine for the very first time, what is different about this one? What is the idea behind it?
- What is the story behind the picture of Kate Moss and David Bowie?
- What makes a great fashion photograph?
- In many of your images it is seen that a story is important. Tell us more.
- What drives the story for each image? Is it the model you meet and then come up with a story or do you have a story and then you come up with the girl?
- Were you creative as a child? Were you interested in visuals and fashion?
- Were you ambitious as a child?
- You said you grew up up in a hippie community. What was that like?
- You grew up in foster care didn’t you? Did they encourage you to be creative?
- Tell us about the period when you got scouted to be a model.
- Did you feel like, when you were modelling you were allowed to kind of share your personality or is that maybe something that has contributed to why you want that in your photos?
- What’s been the biggest impact on how you play as a photographer? Was it just the experience of being a model and understanding things or was it the particular style and aesthetics of photographers? Or a bit of both?
- Do you remember the first picture that you took ? Was there a point where you looked at your pictures and you actually liked it and thought that this was your aesthetic and this is what you want to take?
- You said that you can always tell if a photograph is been taken by a man or a woman. How do you do it?
- You say the word sexy a lot and i wonder, what is kind of sexy to you?
- Do you ever want to avoid presenting women in a way that is kind of traditionally appealing to men?
- Many of your images show people doing something and they are not passive. Is that something that is important to you, not to have the model as an object?
- You talk a lot about empowering women. Would you say that you are a feminist?
- When you say sexy, do you mean sexy for women themselves or sexy to a man?
- How do you hope your work is seen and would be remembered?
- What makes a picture unforgettable?
- If you were not a photographer, what would be?
- How to take the best selfie?
- What do women want today?
- What is special about Suki?
- Do you like Italy?
- In what way, do you think your work empowers women?
- What do you think the difference between nude pictures that objectify women and nude pictures that empower?
- Have you ever been treated differently because of your gender?
- The way you portray women can sometimes be erotic, almost provocative. Are you never afraid of being misunderstood, of going too far?
- Are there any girls on your radar at the moment who have the elusive ‘thing’ you saw in the supers?
- What’s next, after Ladyland?
- Is there anyone you’d really like to shoot that you haven’t yet?
- What does being iconic mean to you?
- Your latest book with Taschen, Heimat is available just this month. With that project complete, what’s next for you?
- Has the process or philosophy behind how you create or approach a shoot changed from when you started to now?
- We lost far too many important artists last year, some of whom you’ve worked with. Is there an artist you wish you had the opportunity to shoot but didn’t?
- What would you be other than a photographer?
- What do women want today?
- How did you start your career because you were a model yourself?
- Were you creative as a child? Were you interested in visuals and fashion?
- Were you ambitious as a child?
- You said you grew up up in a hippie community. What was that like?
- Do you ever want to avoid presenting women in a way that is kind of traditionally appealing to men?
- You talk a lot about empowering women. Would you say that you are a feminist?
- When you say sexy, do you mean sexy for women themselves or sexy to a man?
- If you were not a photographer, what would be?
- What do women want today?
- What’s your favourite image in the exhibition, Ladyland?
- What was Rihanna like to photograph?
- Can you tell the difference in the way men and women photograph women?
- How do you ensure your subject is relaxed in states of undressed?
- Multiple fashion photographers have been accused of sexual harassment over the last few months. What’s your response to that?
- What is the future of seductive fashion photography in the Me Too and Time’s Up era?
- Which women do you find interesting to photograph today?
- How do you feel about selfies?
- What’s your take on Instagram?
- Of all the people who have photographed, who has been the most unforgettable?
- What are the ingredients of a successful Ellen von Unwerth picture?
- What are the pictures you haven’t taken yet that you wish to take?
- How did you select the pictures for Ladyland?
- How did the exhibition Ladyland come about?
- Of the selection, is there one that stands out as a true favourite in your exhibition, Ladyland?
- What is your favourite photography technique or style?
- If you look at your pictures an erotic element plays an important role. Or is sensuality the better word?
- When is a picture finished? You once said that when you started taking photographs, it was very important to develop the images, edit and retouch them yourself. What role do you play after the photograph has been taken?
- What you have done for this S Magazine is both nostalgic and modern all at once. Do you see the images as capturing the zeitgeist or as something more timeless?
- How did you get the idea for the issue of S Magazine?
- Before digital, it felt like fashion photography had a huge influence on the fine art world and vice versa. Do you think it’s possible that the onset of digital created a chasm between fashion and art or are they closer related than ever?
- Are there any young photographers whose work you are excited by?
- What makes a picture unforgettable?
- Do you like pushing boundaries when taking a picture?
- You are launching your own magazine for the very first time, what is different about this one? What is the idea behind it?
- What is the story behind the picture of Kate Moss and David Bowie?
- What makes a great fashion photograph?
- In many of your images it is seen that a story is important. Tell us more.
- What drives the story for each image? Is it the model you meet and then come up with a story or do you have a story and then you come up with the girl?
- Tell us about the period when you got scouted to be a model.
- What’s been the biggest impact on how you play as a photographer? Was it just the experience of being a model and understanding things or was it the particular style and aesthetics of photographers? Or a bit of both?
- You said that you can always tell if a photograph is been taken by a man or a woman. How do you do it?
- Many of your images show people doing something and they are not passive. Is that something that is important to you, not to have the model as an object?
- How do you hope your work is seen and would be remembered?
- What makes a picture unforgettable?
- How to take the best selfie?
- What is special about Suki?
