FACE OFF Judge: Melissa Rodwell, Fashion Photography Blog

Here’s another happy revelation: Fashion photography expert & lover Melissa Rodwell will be joining Julia Dean & Victoria Brynner as one of this year’s esteemed FACE OFF judges. The Angeleno native, along with being an established photographer herself, is the creator of THE go-to fashion photography blog (aptly titled “fashion photography blog”), which is the ultimate resource for all you fashion photogs everywhere.

The charming Melissa Rodwell has been on top of her game; working in the field as professional photographer for over 2 decades. The born and bred Angeleno graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena before embarking upon a career as a fashion and portrait photographer. Her work has brought her to shoots in New York, Paris, Barcelona, Hamburg, and Australia…but it’s LA that she’s happy to call home. She & her work have been featured in several solo-shows at galleries both in LA and around the world. One of her most discussed photographic essays, titled “Boys,” demonstrated an idea of seduction and sensuality from the female prospective. The work(s) aimed to challenge the depersonalization of women in many Men’s magazines. Deeep, right?

Her passion and dedication to the wonderful world of fashion photography has led to one of the most successful blogs regarding the topic. Fashion photography blog is the one you need to read (if you don’t already). Rodwell reveals detailed information & techniques as well as spotlighting new trends and new talent. Sounds like she has just the right eye to spot the next best thing.

Name?
Melissa Rodwell

Occupation?
Photographer

Connection to photography world?
Commercial photographer since 1987

When did your love of photography start?
I got lost one day in Paris in 1980 and I accidentally found myself in a gallery that was exhibiting work by Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, David Bailey and others. I was totally mesmerized. That was it, I came home, begged my father to let me borrow his Canon AE-1 and have been taking photographs ever since!

What makes a strong image for you?
Capturing a moment that transcends the ordinary. The lighting tells a story of mood and the expression on the model’s face or the way the body is gesturing can set the image apart from just another ordinary photograph.

Who’s out there shooting great images today?
Joey Lawrence is young and amazing. Javier Vallhonrat’s work has always blown my mind.

Who is the Andy Warhol of today?
Probably Terry Richardson for his shock-value. And he’s a genius at self-promotion. Wasn’t Warhol, after all??

FACE OFF is a competition. Do you think you’ll recognize a winning image as soon as you see it?
Yes, I’m sure I will.

What do you think the secret to succeeding in photography is today?
Being great at self-promotion and marketing is key in today’s heavily saturated industry. Obviously you have to have talent to succeed but then you have to find ways to stand out and get your name out there.

One thing you want to get straight with the world?
Ha! I don’t think you want to open up that can of worms! Let’s see: being a woman with a strong personality who defends what is right does not equal “bitch”. Any way, like the bumper sticker says: Well-behaved women seldom make history.

What counts most: raw talent or fine-tuned skill?
Raw talent. But then you have to know your shit.

Your blog is out of this world. What was the impetus for it and how did it blow up like it has?
My blog was my husband’s brainchild. He convinced me to do it because he’s a genius when it comes to the internet and marketing. He saw a vacancy in the niche market for fashion photography blogs and bought the domain name in the first 15 minutes of searching for blogs on fashion photography. I write for it and obviously find the topics to post about and the images to include within the posts but all the marketing and admin work on the back end of the blog is him. Without him the blog wouldn’t exist. But of course, without me, he wouldn’t have a blog either. So it’s a good collaboration. I have really no idea how it blew up so fast. I think part of it is good content, which is written honestly and conveys the element of “there are no secrets to this stuff” kind of way. Plus I’m approachable to a point which really has made my fan base very huge. Again, it’s about getting your name out there and letting the world know you exist. I had no idea when we started out that my blog would actually get me work! I just thought it would be a fun thing for me to do and satisfy my other love which is writing. The blog has been a real asset to my career. Who’d have known?