Life Through a Lens

Having worked with the likes of Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne, Grace Hodgson is one of the UK’s top up-and-coming Fashion Photographers...

Sipping on my skinny white mocha frappuccino (call me a white girl, please I haven’t heard it enough), I peacefully sat and gazed out of the tall glass window which most big coffee chains don’t go amiss. When she arrived and came to sit opposite me, Grace Hodgson couldn’t wait to let loose on how she is escaping the beaten career track and forging her own path in the ever-growing photography industry.

Having taken Art as an early subject at GCSE, Grace was drawn towards the photography element and so continued it as a hobby throughout the summer, pursuing her passion as a late GCSE option and eventually as an A-level alongside psychology. Contrastingly to her twin, Grace enjoys exploring her more creative side than the ‘academic’ one, and so she focused on completing both her own and her twin’s photography, whilst her twin wrote both their essays. “It worked out great for us both as it meant I could put more energy into what I love”, she detailed passionately.

Transitioning from university to freelance work is quite possibly the hardest part of making it in any creative industry, and Grace found this out the hard way. “I was adamant I wanted to continue shooting and assisting as a freelancer so finding a freelance base job as a studio assistant really helped”, she advised, “you can choose when you work and also still be in that industry learning and watching other professional shoots which I learnt a lot from, and a great way to make contacts.” Sending out countless emails asking to assist photographers she aspires to is a main part of the graft. Although this is a tough, ruthless and lengthy process; Grace believes it’s worth it. “Assisting definitely gave me the confidence to shoot my own professional work for clients even if I only get one reply out of twenty emails.” Having assisted since the age of 18 (although at smaller studio and location jobs), she was keen to gain as much experience as possible – an essential when it comes to distributing your CV and portfolio to employers/clients. The first major assisting job Grace managed to land was at the age of 19 supporting James Cochrane for British Vogue backstage at London and Paris fashion weeks. “It was incredibly intimidating being surrounded by so many successful people who have so much knowledge of the industry” she disclosed, and she only utilised this fact to her advantage. “It really motivated me more than anything and has led to other jobs from all the networking that naturally happens”, she explained, “alongside getting to now shoot some of the shows myself.” Grace was also given the opportunity to shoot a fashion job herself which, naturally, was a significant milestone in her career. Elegant Magazine featured Grace’s work for the first time in print which boosted her confidence massively and got her one step closer to achieving her dream. She explained this to me with her eyes full of pride so I sensed this had been one of the highlights of her career so far. She preached, “once you start to have confidence in your own work and love what you do it really changes your whole perspective” and she has a point.

Grace has worked with a number of highprofile models and clients, including the likes of Gigi Hadid, Hailey Baldwin (now Bieber) and Cara Delevingne. Meeting Gigi for the first time was a big deal for her (as it would be for all of us) however the girls started chatting away and Gigi turned out to be very down to earth; Grace loved hearing about her upcoming projects and work. She added, “Now when I see her, I don’t get as star struck and she is always lovely which makes me so appreciative of being in the position I’m in.” Being so young in such an industry can feel like a whirlwind, but it is always important to acknowledge what a privilege it can be to be able to do so, and Grace continues to do just that. As well as realising how ruthless and fast paced the fashion industry is, Grace tells me how easy it is to be replaced, “witnessing and working on some of the biggest advertisement campaigns to be produced, whether it be studio assisting or just being a runner on set, everyone is constantly running around and you really need to take initiative”, she warned me with a lowkey serious tone, “you can’t ever wait for someone to tell you what to do, I learnt that pretty quickly.” She explained the latter with a roll of the eyes and a cheeky smile. In spite of this element of the industry, Grace loves what she does and describes to me how different most days are for her.

Although some days can be so draining and doing up to 70+ hours a week can really push me to my limit, it makes me realise how much I do want to break the boundaries and become successful in the industry.

Jobs can range from assisting in studios or on location, working with different clients including high-profile ones from time to time or taking a freelance job that comes her way, and she feels she learns something new with every job completed. “Although some days can be so draining and doing up to 70+ hours a week can really push you to your limit” Grace adds meaningfully, “it makes me realise how much I do want to break the boundary and become successful in the industry.” Motivation and dedication are two imperative traits required for a successful freelance career in any industry, let alone fashion photography. With the use of social media on the rise, Grace finds most of her jobs through the most popular social platform Instagram, as it acts as a personal blog/portfolio that is easy to find by everyone. “I feel that the industry today is so fast paced that social media is the most accessible way to keep up with it.”

In addition to fashion, Grace has assisted on many advertisement campaigns and lifestyle shoots which are “less stressful” and “very refreshing.” Despite this, her strengths lie in fashion and editorial work due to her artistic flair. “I am also highly captivated by the fashion industry and I feel that drives me massively in terms of inspiration and vision” she justified. Being able to work with a myriad of stylists and MUAs is also a rewarding privilege not many get to experience. Grace beamed, “I actually received a very exciting email today confirming an editorial I shot is being accepted for their magazine”, I couldn’t help but smile with her at this point. “It is one of my best shoots yet so I am extremely proud and excited to share it!” Alongside this, she has a few previous assisting projects coming to print over the next couple of months and is planning to take the leap and move to London nearer the end of the year. An exciting concept, it is not the only leap she is planning to take. Grace is also hoping to travel to Australia for a few months over the summer to shoot some additional projects to add to her portfolio, and through the hustle and bustle around us in the coffee shop she radiates confidence, inspiration and passion towards what she does.

Words and Design: Jess Maidwell

Images: Grace Hodgson