Gary Wallis has been a freelance photographer for over 20 years working mainly in fashion and portraiture. He has shot for magazines around the world including Japanese Vogue, Dutch Elle, Marie Claire, The Independent Magazine, The Evening Standard, i-D, Dazed and Confused, Swedish Slitz Magazine and more. His commercial clients have included Topman, Motorola, Sony, Lloyds, Harper Collins.
His first photography book was published in March 2015, 'McQueen - backstage the early shows'. This is an intimate document of the legendary designer's early work using previously unseen images. The book was published by www.bigsmilepublishing.com
Gary has also taught photography for 20 years at leading UK Art College Central Saint Martins and is now Subject Leader in Photography for the Communication Design Program teaching across the Masters and Bachelors degree courses. He also has a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Please feel free to view Gary’s work here:
or see him on:
Instagram @wallispictures
Twitter @mrgarywallis
I was obsessed with art as a child, drawing and painting. I only started photography because I wasn't allowed into the darkroom for three years at school when I was doing my art O level as it was only for the 6th form students. So I insisted on being taught how to process film and print the first week of my art A level. Then photography gradually took over.
When I was doing my Graphic Design Degree at Central Saint Martins I completed most of my projects using photography. I chose that course because photography was a big part of the course.
I spent every spare moment in the photo studios or darkroom. Then when I graduated they asked if I would teach first years how to print in the darkroom… 30 years later I am still there 2 days a week teaching Photography and film. The rest of the time I would work freelance in fashion and portraiture. Years later when my children came along, I wanted to wind down the travel, so I approached The Photography Institute about becoming a tutor so I could work from home more.
The most important skills are passion and interest for the subject. All the technical stuff can be learnt, the most important thing to decide is what you want to photograph and why.
My favorite images are all of my family but in terms of my commercial work I am most proud of my Alexander McQueen archive of work .
Everyone can learn to take better pictures, the best way to learn is to take pictures, look at them and then take more pictures.
The main thing I focus on in my degree teaching is to help the students discover what it is they want to photograph. Photography is a form of communication, so what is it you want to communicate?
It can come from anywhere.... the street, an art gallery, I am also obsessed with phone books.
There are so many... Irving Penn was one of my first inspirations, Diane Arbus , Nadav Kinder , Daido Moriyama - this list is endless!
Seeing the students develop and achieve their potential.
Don't be overwhelmed by all the technical stuff, we are here to help and just keep shooting.
During the difficult times of the Corona pandemic, it helped me to 'get out of the house' and my comfort zone as well and to experience this changed world differently. Something I would not have done without the course assignments.
Los Angeles
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