We asked a handful of our favourite photographers to look back at 2019 and remember it through the photographs they took. From i-D contributions to personal pictures of friends, family and strangers on the street, this is Markn: My Year in Photos.
Londoner Markn first started photography at school aged 16. Studying at the University of the Arts, he went to assist fashion photographers Steven Klein in New York City and Sølve Sundsbø in London, before becoming Nick Knight’s first assistant. These days he works on a number of different jobs. “I go between personal documentary fashion projects and fashion projects,” he says. “I love both!” Contributing to Document Journal, Primary Paper and i-D, his favourite story is always his next one. “I sort of get bored with my previous work or wish it was better. I think my main challenge is to try and keep progressing and seeing the world better. ”
January
I started the year printing images of pink salt lakes in my darkroom for an art collector. It’s amazing when personal projects fund other personal projects.
February
An image I love from my personal work “Lovers Series” which is an on going series documenting lovers. Get in touch if you’re interested.
March
My debut story for i-D Spring issue shot in Fuerteventura with i-D’s Bojana Kozarevic. So much fun working with the lovely i-D team and observing the weirdness of package holidayers at the resort where we stayed.
April
Travelled to Iceland for a job and also spent some time archiving images. Shooting film means a lot of boxes full of negatives. This is an image I like from my archives of Jamie in a rock pool.
May
I’ve been documenting the most amazing triplets, Billie, Ashlee and Frankie with my friend and stylist Emma Simmonds. We’d been pushing to get paid jobs for them and finally managed to get a commercial job. I love when personal project lead to paid jobs and we can repay people in this way. The triplets now have an agent and are up for several campaigns. Super proud of them, their mum Pam and older sister Beth and grateful for the trust they put in us.
June
I love collaborating with other creatives and was super lucky to help the artist Eddie Peake. I particularly love seeing how artists approach a project. Here is a BTS image from his solo exhibition at the White Cube gallery that featured a film I helped him on.
July
Bojana and I travelled to Istanbul to shoot our fashion story for i-D’s Summer issue. We met so many amazing individuals that are all pushing to change perceptions of beauty within Turkish society. This perhaps was one of the most inspiring shoots I have ever been on. Rarely do you meet so many incredible individuals in such a short space of time. Here is an image of Krutzog, Su, Melek, Irem and Oyku, all whom volunteered to be photographed. Also an image of Nora.
You only really realise how courageous they are when you find out diversity really isn’t celebrated in the fashion industry in Istanbul and most people’s ideas of a model is someone slim, white and blonde. Mind you, perhaps society in general still has narrow minded ideals of beauty. I hope I can challenge this as much as possible within my work.
August
I travelled to Ghana to work on a story for Document Journal with stylist Rasharn Agyemang. We’d been planning this story since April so it was incredible to make the project finally happen. Rasharn had not been back to Ghana since his mother passed away when he was three years old and the journey was an emotional and moving one.
September
Shot a Molly Goddard story for i-D’s Winter issue with Bojana. Although I prefer being on location shooting, it definitely felt amazing to be in the safe space of a studio for a change.
October
I shot portraits of artist Wu Tsang and collaborators Boychild, Josh Johnson and Sophia Al Maria for Interview Germany in London.
November
I travelled to beautiful black beaches to shoot my first Vogue story with my friend and stylist Louise Ford. To be released in the new year. A BTS pic of the epic landscape.
December
I’m working researching 6-7 personal project for the new year. Also prepping a shoot in Senegal for Luncheon Magazine to be released in the new year. I don’t have an image for December yet so here is a pic of Alex and Jamie running from one of my personal projects. I hope I am as lucky as I have been this year and get to travel more next year.
Credits
All images courtesy Markn