British photographer Leon Mark’s work has featured in Dazed & Confused and upcoming issues of Dazed Japan and i-D magazines. Here he discusses what has shaped and influenced his photography.

Images

 

Q&A

Name: Leon Mark
Year of Birth: 80’s
Nationality: British
Based In: Europe
Website: www.leonmark.co.uk

How would you describe your style?
I love the method of working with film, I like the fact you have something physical to keep afterwards and have to wait a little for the results from a darkroom. With my style I try to create something that I hope wont date to soon, something more timeless than a current trend.

What do you think is your best work so far?
The portrait shots of a boy called Dunkel shot in Paris was fun to shoot, having to dodge certain security people to get the photos, and then having to wait ages for the right light.

Three people you would love to work with:
Susie Mashford who’s a model from Select that I’m going to be shooting soon has an amazing look, so I’m looking forwards to working with her; Courtney Love would be my dream portrait to take; and I’d love to be able to do anything with Carine Roitfeld from French Vogue.

Who do you think is one to watch?
Gabriella Marina Gonzalez, a final year designer from Saint Martins is making a great collection right now, and George Mavrikos for photography. Also, I really hope to work with Hans Madsen on something.

Influences

Bernard Faucon – Photographer
While I was in France I found an old Bernard Faucon book. I found his images beautiful, they are these saturated staged photos using custom mannequins. I love all the colours and how each photo has so much work and detail put into each shot.

Bret Easton Ellis – Author
He is really inspiring to me in how he wrote his first novel in one summers break during college. He creates these atmospheres in his books that you can really visualise and try create in photos.

Dennis Cooper – Author
All of Dennis Cooper’s books are about messed up teenage youth, on supposed ‘taboo’ subjects. I really like the characters in his books. Before doing a shoot I try and imagine characters and scenes rather than just an image.

Gregg Araki – Film Maker
The Doom Generation and Nowhere are amazingly over the top, you can pause either film and each frame is a really strong image. It’s been described as ‘A Beverly Hills 90210 episode on acid’.

Dutch – Magazine
A magazine in the 90’s edited by the photographer Matthias Vriens. It had some of the best photo shoots and really made me want to work within fashion photography.

Hole – Band
Hole is Courtney Love’s band and Live Through This is one of my favorite albums ever. She always had really good art work and photographers for her albums, and the cover of Live Through This with the beauty queen is really iconic.