Tim Walker's Photographs Are Straight Out Of Dreams
I did a little Instagram post a few days ago on my all-time favorite photographer, Tim Walker, but wanted to dive a little deeper into my longtime love for him and share a bit more of his work.
I don’t remember where I saw him first - maybe in an issue of Vogue where his work often appears. (I’ve never had a subscription but I’ve picked it up enough over the years in book stores) And I don’t remember which exact photo I saw first — I remember which ones I’ve loved the longest, like the glowing tents seen below — but as much as I wish I did, I don’t remember which one specifically was my Walker-introduction.
The man takes the term fashion editorial and crushes it to a pulp. His work is so far beyond that. The level of detail in each shoot must take days to properly curate. And so much of his portraiture enters a super dreamy surreal place… I love it. It would be a bucket list dream to be shot by him/watch him shoot.
(I feel like he and Tim Burton would definitely get along! Both big time magic makers that definitely seethings through a uniquely beautiful lens.)
As a teenager and young adult I was way more devoted to photography than I admittedly am now. One of my first jobs at about fourteen/fifteen was as a wedding and portrait photographer’s assistant. It was a great experience, granted we were using all film cameras at the time and didn’t have the instant gratification of digital shoots; but I learned about reading light in a room and working with film and cameras and helping perfect all the details within the frame of a shot. I also got to shoot candid moments at weddings, which I always enjoyed. I had a nice film camera, too, and on my own time I’d shoot my friends and my hometown and my backyard, too. A few years later in college I got a digital DSLR and it blew my mind.
One afternoon in 2008 my brother’s girlfriend and I (on a whim) dragged some living room furniture under an oak tree — the oak tree she and my brother would get married under a few years later — hung up one of my birdcage chandeliers over a branch, ran a giant extension cord out to it, poured some white wine, and had an outdoor living room photo shoot! My boyfriend at the time served as our photographer, and we had so much fun.
But Walker’s portraiture is out of this world. He’s done major brand collaboration portraiture (the yellow background below is a collaboration with Zara), and regularly shoots important figures and celebrities. (I love every shoot he’s ever done with Tilda Swinton - and there are many. I’d guess she’s a bit of a muse to him!)
(All images in this post are by Tim Walker)
“The Dress Tree” shown above… SIGH… Admittedly my favorite by Walker, and the photo that I shared to my instagram a few days ago. Shot in 2002, I do remember it being among the first of his photos that I saw — and I was instantly mesmerized by it! (How could you not be?) It sweeps my imagination away every time. I think I need to write a short story around it and send it off to Tim — what do you think?
What photographers or artists stoke your imagination? Drop me a comment below so I can check them out!
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