WORDS OF WISDOM IN MONACO
HelloMonaco : Mariano , your passion for photography began in New Zealand . Tell us what inspired you so much .
Mariano Vivanco : I grew up in New Zealand from the age of 12 and my love for photography began around the age of 16 . My friend was doing a photography course , he lent me his camera and I loved it immediately . By then I loved fashion very much , as well as movies , actors and pop culture . All these interests rolled together and when I discovered photography it all became one passion .
: Why did you decide to move to London ? What opportunities does this place offer for a photographer ?
MV : I decided to move to London because I had done as much as I could in New Zealand . I was 24 years old and it was always my dream to share my work on an international level . That couldn ’ t happen in New Zealand so I had to choose between London and New York . London won as it felt like home .
: You were born in Peru . It is such a bright , colourful unique place . Do you integrate your culture into your work ?
MV : I love Peru and yes perhaps I integrate the culture of Peru into my work subconsciously . The colour and the texture is something I always carry with me .
: Do you have some photographers who inspire you ?
MV : Many photographers inspire me from every generation and many genres . I always say the big three are my favourites ; Helmut Newton , Irving Penn and Richard Avedon .
: Tell us please about your first fashion shoot ? About your first meeting with a world-famous celebrity ? How did you feel about it ?
MV : My first fashion shoot was when I first started an interest in photography . It was with a girlfriend of mine called Kate and we just did some photos in the backyard and they were very fun . I can ’ t remember the first celebrity I met but the first I photographed was Dita Von Teese . It was very cool to photograph someone that was famous because it added another layer to the picture . I felt pretty excited by it .
: You have worked with a huge number of world stars . We all know that famous people sometimes have their own vision , concept and strong character . It ’ s a big job . How do you hit on your approach ?
MV : Usually when working with big stars the idea is discussed prior and as long as everyone is kind and respectful , and they look good , they are happy .
: What kind of characters are attracting your attention ? What type of beauty ?
MV : Confident characters usually attract my attention . I think everybody is beautiful . Everyone has a beauty to share and I like to see that in everybody I meet .
: Your work looks very natural . But we all know that the best improvisation is wellplanned improvisation . Do you pre-plan the model ’ s poses and the choreography or do you give the model complete freedom ?
MV : I usually let models interpret their version of the photoshoot and don ’ t tell them how to pose . We usually have a mood board and it is great if a model can come with their own interpretation so everything we do is a collaboration .
© G & M Design
I think everybody is beautiful . Everyone has a beauty to share and I like to see that in everybody I meet .
© G & M Design
© G & M Design
Hello Monaco Spring 2021 / 45 www . hellomonaco . com