Leni's Model Management - a blog about models

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Photographer of the week - Keir Laird

Why did you become a photographer?
I became a photographer/was inspired to do so because of National Geographic magazine and the work of the photographers who contributed to National Geographic. I can always remember the work being very dramatic and full of visual spectacle, and from then on I was hooked and wanted to learn how to do it for myself.

What/who is your inspiration?
I'm inspired by a lot of things, and it's hard to say if I have one main source of inspiration. I like all things visual, so I take inspiration from film, photography, illustration, traditional paintings and even sculpture. However I do always find myself very interested in people's faces and their expressions/body language, how an image of someone can tell you so much about them. Photographers that I would say inspire me are the likes of Nadav Kander, Todd Hido, Rory Payne, Alec Soth, Irving Penn and Josh Olins to name but a few.

The best thing you have photographed?
My favorite thing to photograph is people for sure, whether that be in a fashion or portrait sensibility. My most successful photographs come from when there's a genuine expression from the person/people being photographed, and when that expression is accessible to the audience that are looking at it.

Any exciting work coming up?
As for things coming up - I'm due to shoot an up and coming London D.J quite soon and I'm always looking to shoot new faces and test as much as I can.

www.keirlaird.com