I ART everyone ' s the same . Model , actor or person - who has never had their picture taken ?
One of the funniest moments on a shoot was when I was shooting a fake 80s looking paparazzi photo with Lohan and when we were doing it we realized the real paparazzi were filming us . It was very meta and surreal but now I love using hands , butts , tongues and mouths of actors and letting people guess who might be in the photo .
: Did you ever dream of meeting a famous person ?
© Tyler Shields
The Mystery Of The Mouth
HelloMonaco : In the past you have been seriously involved in sports . How did you get into photography ?
Tyler Shields : The only thing I knew of photography when I was young was skate photography . So my journey into this world I am in now was by complete accident . But when I look back everything that happened was driving me to where I am now .
: Tell us about your first shoot .
TS : I had a girlfriend who cheated on me so in a dramatic fashion I threw her things on the front lawn and borrowed my roommate ' s camera ( he was an amazing skate photographer ) and my first image was born of an empty closet with 2 pairs of shoes and a hanger .
: Do you plan your models ’ poses , and choreograph the stage in advance or do you give your models complete freedom ?
TS : 80 % is super planned and the rest I let them play . I work with the same people a lot so they bring ideas and know what I like .
: You shoot naked bodies . For some models that can be stressful . How do you relax them and ensure a comfort zone for creativity ?
TS : I only like to shoot people who want to be naked — not if it ' s not something they have done or don ’ t really want to do again . This is why I use the same people a lot . I love having confident people who have the bigger picture of what we are doing in mind .
I see images everywhere I go and with everyone I meet .
: Lindsay Lohan has been a model in many of your photo shoots . It ’ s not a secret that she has a stroppy character , how did you find your approach ? I know that you have become good friends with her .
TS : She was one of my biggest supporters when I was starting . She has that reputation because she was in an era when you had to be tough as nails to be her . People can ’ t get away with the shit they used to pull on actresses anymore which is good Lohan was a collaborator friend . At the height of her fame she was so fearless and we made in my opinion some of the wildest images of her ever taken . She is electric on camera .
: Is working with celebrities different from working with professional models ?
TS : I have shot a lot of amazing actors and had even more around or on set but to me
TS : No , I wanted to meet talented people . Famous people don ’ t require talent but talented people can often become famous . I wanted to surround myself with the best people in the world
: Do you have your own concept of the fashion world ?
TS : Interesting , I suppose mine would be all film and more classic which is probably why I don ' t have a fashion magazine .
: Tell us about your collaboration with galleries in Monaco .
TS : This is very exciting . It ' s a very broad collection . Some images were made a decade ago ; some were made a month ago but the team at the gallery and Tina Green have made a beautiful selection which I can ' t wait to see displayed . Every image in the show was shot on film which is getting more rare day by day for newer photographers .
: A few years ago you made your debut as a movie director and presented your first feature film . Tell us about this experience .
TS : Yes , I love making films . It is my childhood dream and I am working on some more projects now . Although I will say it was not that different from making some of my larger scale photographs .
: Was there a moment in your life that completely changed it ?
TS : I died when I was 12 . I was in a Coma for a week and when I woke up I had this mentality that I had to do everything I wanted to do as it can all go away any moment .
: This year is marked by lockdown , how can you not lose your positivity ? What is your secret ?
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