Squidge Magazine: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where you live/work, how long you’ve been a professional photographer for…

Alexandra Carr: I live in Hoboken, NJ and work mostly in NYC, Brooklyn and this area.  I’ve been a professional photographer for about 4 years.

SM: Can you also tell us a little about who you’ve worked for?

AC: Some clients I’ve worked with include:A4, Nylon, Nylon Japan, Celeste, Squint, Dooney & Bourke, Zac Posen and some record companies

SM: When did you first decide you wanted to be a fashion photographer? What first sparked your interest?

AC: I’ve always loved magazines, especially fashion magazines and was riveted by them from an early age. I came to photography as a career later because at first I was not sure that I wanted to do something I loved so much for commercial purposes.

SM: Shooting fashion, especially on location, is full of potential problems/issues/hazards. Got any horror stories?

AC: Not really any horror stories, apart from few run ins with perverts and crack heads. A shoot was disrupted once because someone called the police and said we were holding down a girl.  A couple of police cars showed up and it took a bit of time to convince them that nothing extraordinary was going on. It was pretty weird considering that the crew was mainly female with a couple of effeminate looking guys. They didn’t even ask if we had a permit (which we did not have).

SM: The classic question; digital or film? What do you typically carry with you on a shoot, camera equipment etc?

AC: I used to shoot medium format but lately I have been shooting 35mm. I have a Nikon Fm2 and a Nikon 300 D. The other stuff I bring really depends on the location but I usually have a couple of stands, a scrim jim and lights.

SM: And who are your favourite photographers?

AC: Many… Nan Goldin, Juergen Teller,  Inez and Vinoodh, Venetia Scott, Steven Meisel, Ed van der Elsken, Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton…

SM: There is a constant debate around how important education is in relation to photography, and wether college/university is a waste of time compared to hands on experience. What’s your opinion?

AC: I am self taught but I don’t have anything against formal education. I think that the primary learning experience comes from practice. Everyone has their way of finding their own voice and methods.

SM: And for all the budding fashion photographers out there, any words of advice?

AC: Trust your instincts.

Many thanks to Alexandra for the interview. You can check out her portfolio here.