Kayt Jones
If you’ve flipped through the pages of any major fashion magazine from the US to Europe, you’ve almost certainly seen Kayt Jones’ work. Based in Los Angeles, but raised in London, Jones has photographed some of the most famous faces in fashion and Hollywood’s brightest stars. Awarded Female Photographer of her Generation by Harper’s Bazaar, Jones tells Beverly Cheng about her rise to international stardom, as someone behind the camera lens.
HK Magazine: How old were you when you picked up your first camera?
Kayt Jones: When I was fourteen, I borrowed my dad’s camera. It was a film camera, a Pentax Spotmatic. I still remember my first roll of black and white film that got put in—it had only 36 frames.
HK: Are you ever nostalgic about classic photographic film in this digital age?
KJ: Digitalism is amazing, but I always want to remember the things that I loved when I started shooting, which was with film. There was a sort of mystery when developing the film. But, I’m now in a generation where people ask me, “what was it like to work with film?” And I would just like to tell all of them that I’m not a dinosaur.
HK: Are you a fashion lover?
KJ: I love the clothes, but their purpose is to add to the narrative of the story. To add to what the characters are trying to convey.
HK: What’s the best part of your day?
KJ: The energy of the photo shoots. Incredible energy is brought forth by having to get to know the person [who is being photographed] quite intensely and in a short period of time.
HK: Do you prefer models or celebrities?
KJ: I actually like both. Funnily enough, some actors aren’t as comfortable having their picture taken even though they’re always in front of the camera. For a model, it’s easy in one way, because a great model knows that they’re modeling, so they have a certain ease being in front of the camera.
HK: Who’s your muse?
KJ: I’m very bad at choosing one particular person—I like many people at one time, which is probably why I do so many group shots. There can be something very exciting about shooting someone who’s lesser known. Shu Pei, for one, is a very beautiful Chinese model and a much newer face. But, shooting someone really famous can be equally thrilling, like Claudia Schiffer, who I’ve shot a number of times. She brings something different to every single shoot.