Photo by Neil Kendall |
Today I bring to you an interview with top burlesque
photographer Neil Kendall. Anyone who is
interested in burlesque has heard of top burly photographer Neil Kendall. You
will recognise his work as classic Hollywood vintage shots oozing class and
glamour. Neil has worked internationally for the last 20 years as a freelance
photographer and producer best known for his vintage and burlesque portraits.
What’s more I also bring to you some of his
wonderful work below showing some of his great images. In addition you can also
take up a spectacular offer to have your own vintage style photo shoot in February
2015 for only £150! Now there is a deal not to be missed!! For further info or
to book your shoot before all dates get snapped up contact Neil on his Facebook
page quoting APUGFEB150 for this great opportunity!!
Have you always wanted to be a photographer?
As far back as I can remember there was no
real vintage scene when I started so I would use vintage shops and style and
art direct shoots with girls that had a look but yes it’s in my blood creating
wonderful images. Has been my life for so long
Photo by Neil Kendall |
Have you always photographed burlesque style shoots or have you worked
in other areas as well?
It’s always been pin up and burlesque now of
course there is a big demand for it but I got started when I went to California
and met Dixie Evans who was the Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque in the 1950's she
ran a museum and died just last year she set me on a life long journey of
burlesque photography
How has your business changed and developed over the years?
I build a lot of sets and props now so it’s a
bigger business than when I started I just work hard and keep my head down that
hasn't changed!
What do you love most about photography?
It’s just the creativity which I really enjoy,
obvious I know. I shoot lots of performers who have weird and wonderful acts
and am known the world over as the 'Best Burlesque Photographer in the
business' so I have to keep coming up with creative idea concepts and poses and
I love that whole process.
What achievement with photography are
you most proud of?
I did Dita's tour photography for ''Strip Strip Hurrah '' so had my work everywhere on giant billboards in Hollywood Vegas and the infamous House of Blues too that was amazing.
Photo by Neil Kendall |
I did Dita's tour photography for ''Strip Strip Hurrah '' so had my work everywhere on giant billboards in Hollywood Vegas and the infamous House of Blues too that was amazing.
Where have you had your work published?
Loads of places Vogue to V magazine , Burlesque Bible to the Guardian now I do private sittings more and don't focus as much on editorial as it doesn't pay so well and keeping a vintage life as your followers know is expensive!
Loads of places Vogue to V magazine , Burlesque Bible to the Guardian now I do private sittings more and don't focus as much on editorial as it doesn't pay so well and keeping a vintage life as your followers know is expensive!
It’s fairly easy for people to get what they would consider good
photographs these days as digital camera specifications are increasing, editing
software is easily available, even camera apps for mobile phone such as
Instagram have taken off. What do you think sets apart the professional
photographer from the amateur snapper?
Knowing how to light and work with studio
lights is the key difference, knowing what poses work for different body types.
Pros tend to have a much better sense of composition and a personal shooting
style and know exactly what they are doing from year so of experience rather
than leaving badly or flatly lit photographs and relying on software to make
their pics better than they really are.
What type of photo-shoots do you enjoy the most? |
I love the vintage film noir classic Hollywood set ups which I am known
for as everyone looks so good with the lighting! But I do love my themed sets I
make everything from underwater caverns to 1930s film sets so that whole
process of set build etc is really great fun. I just shot a queen Victoria and
alien and art deco devil all in the same week so it’s surreal but, of course, I
love that.
What type of
photography do you have the biggest demand for?
Pin Ups Burlesque and vintage Hollywood style portraits
really I get booked for other things like vintage wedding s too out of the
studio and a just made a film which was amazing for English Heritage set in WW1.
I have a house which has featured on TV it’s
filled with weird and wonderful props and upstairs is my studio. I love working
from home and am a real home person
What other
photographers do you look up to?
Hurrell from the 1930's had the most amazing lighting, it’s
just so beautiful.
You have worked with
some fabulous people. Can you share for the readers the people you have had the
chance to work with?
Dita sticks out as we had so much fun drinking champagne and
she was splashing around in her giant martini glass, actually a good
friend of mine had helped rhinestone her glass, it’s so bloody heavy , so she
is there swishing around as I am clicking away drinking champagne, that was
vintage heaven!
Who has been your favourite model to work with?
Lou Lou D'Vil is great she has the look of
Jane Russell from the early fifties you could put a bag on that girl and she
would get 20,000 likes, she just has the fierce face of a total film noir movie
set form another era really and I love faces. I really have to like
models I work with too, as it’s such a joint effort to get that perfect shot it’s
a lot of work so I like to chat and work through it in a fun way, I don't take
myself too seriously at all.
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What advice would you offer to models looking to build a portfolio?
Go to a good photographer, don't try and cram
everything into one shoot as its quality not quantity hair and make-up is key
to get the right look I do special packages for girls starting out so it’s
worth sending me a Facebook message its Neil Kendall Photographer my style is a
bit more classic Hollywood cinema glamour than pin up but all the shoots
are different.
Are you teamed up with a hair and make-up artist for your shoots?
Yes two great artists Kellie in the North and
Ya Ya in London they are wonderful I love working as a little team and what is
great is they do both hair and make-up too.
You have worked with some of the best burlesque names in the business.
How does a burlesque shoot differ to a fashion shoot?
It’s more skin!! Really with burlesque it
feels... more vintage, so I have a complex light set up of four or five lights
which I wouldn't use in fashion as it’s a lot cleaner in terms of
lighting rigs.
You have also photographed many performers in action, what challenges does this present?
Photo by Neil Kendall |
God it’s getting that exact moment and nailing
it. I was shooting in Vegas this summer for Burlesque Hall of Fame, and it’s
like bang, bang, bang really fast. I was a little rusty at first and you have
to work so quickly, so I loved the results, they used them in Burlesque Bible
but it was tough going because no performer wants to see an unflattering shot
gurning mid stocking peel!
Who are your personal favourite burlesque performers to watch?
Lada Redstar is great ,she has this wonderful insect act Kitty Bang Bang and Banbury Cross just have great heat on stage and are really wild I love the comedy of Fancy Chance and Velma Von Bon Bon , I booked Anna Fur Laxis who does an axe throwing striptease which is incredible.
Who are your personal favourite burlesque performers to watch?
Lada Redstar is great ,she has this wonderful insect act Kitty Bang Bang and Banbury Cross just have great heat on stage and are really wild I love the comedy of Fancy Chance and Velma Von Bon Bon , I booked Anna Fur Laxis who does an axe throwing striptease which is incredible.
Why should someone choose you for their photography needs?
Check out my work! I truly came from a
vintage scene rather than just jumping on the bandwagon because it’s
fashionable and I am the best at vintage lighting around plus the shoots are
great fun to do!
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You are also behind Goldust the
exclusive entertainment provider of well-known burlesque and cabaret shows in
the North West. Why did you decide to make the move to show production?
I wanted to develop my artistic portfolio my
degree was in Drama and Art so I just felt I wanted to make something special
and extend what I was doing photographically to the stage. I didn't realise how
it would take off now I get Arts Council funding and do these huge shows with
acts from all over the world. With Goldust the shows just grew and grew, I
have produced for over ten years and the scene shows no sign of slowing down
which is great.
What do you think makes a quality show?
What do you think makes a quality show?
Booking the best acts and having variety within
the show. I always have Burlesque , tap dancing penguins, circus acts and
side shows, juggling clowns, fire acts, its more entertaining than seeing too
much of one thing for an audience. Variety is key I think.
What do you think makes a good producer
from both the cast and audience perspective?
Someone who gives an audience a night to
remember and treats artists with respect and humour and does what they can to
make the show as slick as it can be, because with live shows things can and do
go wrong! Audiences need to be dazzled entertained and feel like they have been
taken away from day to day life.
What events do you have coming up?
What events do you have coming up?
Photo by Neil Kendall |
In Chester I am doing the fringe on October
11th Christmas Burlesque on Dec 16th and a vintage new years eve party on
Chester you can find me at Neil Nez Kendall on Facebook and my site is www.goldustshows.co.uk it
has links to Facebook and twitter for all event news on there.
What do you like to do with your down time?
What do you like to do with your down time?
I really don’t have a lot I do an awful lot of
vintage shopping and have a huge collection of vintage film stills and burlesque
collectables so I travel a lot to places buying items I am a compulsive vintage
shopper I just can’t stop!
What does the future hold?
I am off to work in Hollywood for a month then home for the autumn shows. Halloween, it’s my favourite time of year and should
be a national holiday! It’s a very busy time so I am working on sets and
shoots. But tell your readers to look me up I am always up for shooting vintage
pictures it’s my passion.
Photo by Neil Kendall |
I would like to thank Neil for his time with this interview. Make sure
you check out Neil’s Facebook page for more photos of his work and to keep up
to date with the action. In case you missed it before you can also take up a spectacular offer to have your own
vintage style photo shoot in February 2015 for only £150! Now there is a deal not
to be missed!! For further info or to book your shoot before all dates get
snapped up contact Neil on his Facebook page quoting APUGFEB150 for this great opportunity!!
I hope you have enjoyed.
xoxo
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