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Hello and welcome to November’s News from the AOP 

Our Member Focus is photographer Wendy Carrig, we hear how she is embracing
moving image and her involvement in setting up the stunning magazine; 
Perfect Bound.

©Wendy Carrig 

How did you get into photography? 
Inspired by a keen interest in my family history and a love of old
family photographs I felt the need to record life.
At school I secretly aspired to become first a filmmaker, then a
photographer. I loved the challenge of both arts and science;
creativity meets geeky stuff.
 I studied photography at Salisbury
College of Art, then worked in London assisting fashion and portrait
photographer Mike Owen for four years before setting up on my own.
I showed my work, a small portfolio of test pictures, to a number
of key fashion and beauty editors and shot my first fashion editorial
for 19 magazine in 1990. I’m pleased to say that one job led to
another and I have been busy and happy in this industry ever since.

©Wendy Carrig 
 
How has your style changed over time? 
I don’t know if my style has changed that much, I am still drawn to
the things that have always inspired me - new faces, changing light,
a different view; and I still photograph what inspires me, rather
than following trends. However I do believe a photographer’s style,
as individual as their personality, does become stronger and more
defined with time.

©Wendy Carrig
 
You’re producing more moving image work nowadays, do you find you
are commissioned for more moving image or is that personal work
you’re producing?
Moving Image is a growing part of our industry and I have become more
involved with the process of creating film at all levels; from
shooting behind-the-scenes movie shorts on my iPhone, being filmed
myself whilst onset, to directing a film crew and models for a
fashion client. The directing side of film is really exciting and
feels like a natural progression for me. It’s something I will be
pursuing more in the future.

©Wendy Carrig 
 
We were very excited to hear about the launch of Perfect Bound
magazine. How did that come about?

It started as a chance conversation between friends - each having
worked on, contributed to, and enjoyed a lifetime love of magazines -
and has progressed into the formation of a small creative collaborative.  
We wanted to produce the kind of magazine that would interest and
excite us in the way we had enjoyed teen mags and fanzines in our
youth; but aimed at a grown up audience wanting content with purpose
and meaning. Our motto is ‘for curious minds’.

©Wendy Carrig 
What is the intention with that? 
To produce a biannual print magazine that reads like a classic
Sunday Supplement and has the look of a perfectly bound publication.
The resulting artifact is more than we hoped for with a diverse list
of contents and contributors including Nitin Sawhney, Suki Dhanda and
Terence Pepper; it has the feel of proper paper and the smell of
printer’s ink.
What was your involvement? 
As contributing editor I have had the pleasure of commissioning art, 
photography and writing; and as a contributing photographer I have 
produced new fashion, beauty and portraiture work, and I also shot the 
cover.

©Wendy Carrig 
Why is the AOP important to you?  
I have been a member of the AOP since I set up as a photographer.
They have advised me on legal issues and provide a platform for a
strong union of photographers whom I can call upon for advice on all
matters relating to our industry, and beyond. I consider the annual
AOP photography Awards a benchmark for professional photographers.

What’s next? 
Aside from my commissioned work, already working on Perfect Bound
volume#2.


See more of Wendy's work here