We sat down with Kelly Gellard; photographer, retoucher, business owner. We speak about influences, history with theatre, and her familial heritage.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY GELLARD
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Kelly Gellard, I'm the founder and CEO of Kelly Gellard photography:
A photography and retouching service. We’re also starting to go into production, helping people see a project from start to finish! We specialise in photography - fashion, beauty, portrait, sportswear and events.
Where are you from?
I was born in Switzerland, in Geneva and was raised there until I was 9. I'm half English half Italian and push this into my work - I know how to bring in those elements at times and show off the different styles.
When was the moment that you realised you could do this?
The first time I picked up a camera was at a family Christmas. I found I was really into it, trying to focus on mood, composition and lighting when doing portraits of my family.
I studied GCSE and A-level photography and spoke to my tutors who led me towards shooting people, I later went on to study fashion photography in London.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY GELLARD
How do you find that art helps you in other aspects of your life?
I take a lot of influence from different art, some of the kinds of things that influence my personal work the most are dance and music. Initially how I got into photography was directing theatre and pausing scenes then taking pictures of the scenes, I found that shooting these scenes was what I really loved doing. I am interested in bodily aesthetics and fitness as well as posing, shape and form.
What inspires you?
Narrative and colour is really important in fashion and sportswear, driving interest rather than just having a “pretty shot” opening the minds of the audience. I look a lot at the work of Desiree Mattsson and love how he uses geometric shapes and lines within his images to create narrative.
What motivates you and what is your end goal?
My aim is to have an agency and studio of my own and take my production further, be a people person and bring amazing projects to life in a creative and calm manner. It's a real feeling for me to be behind camera on an 8 hour set, it really resonates with me, so my goal is to have that feeling be ever-lasting.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY GELLARD
Where did your style come from and how did it change over time?
My style has changed dramatically over time. So I started out in the dance and theatre scene more. Injury is something which is out of your control in dance, I saw photography as an equal passion where I could create art with more control. Shooting headshots and portraiture as well as bts for productions, plays and dramas and also shooting people in costume led to my exploration of fashion. I've always loved sportswear and have taken personal interest in the styling aspect. I also love high fashion because they are clothes I wouldn’t normally wear and are a sort of fantasy, so I can play with how I present the clothes.
What would your dream project be?
My dream project would be to create a campaign for JD to be posted on billboards and in the underground. My other dream project would be to shoot high end fashion with brands like Nadine Merabi, Aadnevik or House of CB.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY GELLARD
What moves have you made to propel yourself through your career?
What I've done to push myself forward would be saying yes to things but also knowing your worth, prioritising things with good exposure or what will look great on your portfolio.
Learning and researching your field, understanding equipment and names to know, brands and listening to what you've been taught. What you put in is what you get out when being a freelancer.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY GELLARD
To watch our video interview with Kelly: click here.
To see more of Kellys' work, and enquire about booking: click here.