GOING ROGUE
THE WORK OF A CAPE TOWN PHOTOGRAPHER.
photographer lara bredenkamp talks living and working in cape town, her photography process and style.
Featuring @willow.iona
Photographs by Lara Bredenkamp.
interview date: 7th january 2025
TYG: How did you become a photographer?
LARA: I have always love to capture moments with people. Since, phones were able to take pictures. “How” is a very interesting approach for me. I think I was always destined to be behind the lens.
TYG: What was it that drew you to photography and fashion?
LARA: My Vogue Magazine collection. The first 20 pages have always been enticing. I kept wondering why South Africa’s fashion scene doesn’t dip its fingers in telling more daring fashion stories through a lens, like Vogue does. Maybe I could try?
TYG: Who were your influences?
LARA: Four photographers to be exact:
Fashion : Carla Güler, Svenja Ava Müller and Kamilla Hanapova
Documenting: Greg Williams
TYG: What is Cape Town like to work/live in? What's the fashion and photography scene like there?
LARA: I have always dreamt of moving to London and that there couldn’t be a more magical city for me, until I moved to Cape Town. It’s buzzing and something is always happening. I have found the industry quite welcoming and supportive. I believe that you should never burn bridges in any situation and the creative industry in Cape Town for me, has been a true sisterhood of the traveling pants experience. When one door closes, another one opens, thanks to the supportive creatives in and around CT.
TYG: How do you normally go about planning a shoot? Tell us about your process.
LARA: Oof, this is going to be embarrassing and I should be better at it but it all starts with a conversation, that leads to a vision board and then we gooi. I should be faffing over planning shoots more throughly but my challenge is that I get too obsessed with the post production of a shoot that the present creativity of it gets lost. Therefore, I try to plan less, have an idea and go with what the shoot presents to you.
TYG: How would you describe your own style? What are you drawn to?
LARA: I would describe it by going rogue. Not by being unprincipled or dishonest but by going off the book and create something that is independent and uncontrolled. I don’t even know how my camera works have of the time. Haha but the more off script the movements and frames can go the better. The shape in the photo should in-vision art not an “add to cart”
TYG: Where are some of the best places your photography has taken you?
LARA: London, United Kingdom and Seoul, South Korea.
TYG: What sort of things do you look for from a model when working with them?
LARA: A sense of humour and good nails.
TYG: Are there any ideas you've not shot yet that you would like to?
LARA: Oh my goodness so the ideas EVER stop. Plenty. I am planning on creating my first exhibition this year. Hopefully that will tick the box for one of the ideas.
TYG: Who would be your dream person to photograph/work with and why?
LARA: KENDAL JENNER cause the girl crush is real. and Greg Williams, he is the true reason that I fell in love with photography.
