Fashion photographs serve as timeless markers of a specific period's sartorial pulse. Amid the constant ebb and flow of trends, image-makers encapsulate the very spirit of an era with each click of the shutter.
For our May 2024 cover with Alden Richards, the Preview team collaborated with a talented photographer who excels in doing just that. Meet Karl King Aguña, a Filipino fashion lensman based in London. At just 24 years old, Karl boasts an impressive portfolio, including countless brand campaigns and magazine editorials, as evidenced by his visually captivating Instagram feed.
His approach goes beyond mere aesthetics. Instead, Karl is driven by a sense of depth and thoughtfulness, an ethos that aims to tell worlds of stories through each frame.
Karl is an authentic yet transformative artist, and his expressive portraits of Alden highlight his unparalleled way of animating his subjects.
In this Preview Exclusive, Karl walks us through his artistic style, his journey as a fashion photographer, as well as some insights into the industry’s landscape. Read on.
Preview Exclusive: Karl King Aguña Talks About His Journey as a Filipino Fashion Photographer in London
Hi, Karl!
"Hi! First of all, thank you for inviting me to do this interview. I had so much fun working with the Preview team for the May cover shoot."
Can you tell us how you started your career as a fashion photographer?
"Ever since I was a kid, when I was still in elementary—and that was still in Manila. I have always loved taking photos of people around me. Not until I had moved to London was I exposed to fashion. Growing up in London, there are newsstands everywhere [with] fashion and culture magazines. I have always taken the time to read through and look at the photos whenever I can. The more I read [fashion magazines], the more I [find myself coming back]."
"When I finally bought a proper camera during my first year of University, I first started doing portraits again as I did when I was a kid. I only realized I was doing fashion when I decided I would style the models that I invited for test shoots. From then on, I started doing more fashion photography."
How would you describe your photography style?
"I would say my photography style is capturing photos that tell a story and capture raw emotion from my subjects. This is probably because one of my early influences is Glen Luchford, [and] one of the first vintage magazines I picked up when I was a kid was his cover for The Face with Kate Moss."
"[In addition,] his campaign in the '90s with Prada with Amber Valletta—specifically that photo of her on a boat in a river in Rome—really solidified for me what image-making is and how the mixture of portraiture and fashion can encapsulate a whole feeling that I can’t explain, and that’s something I aim for people to feel when they look at my photos."
Could you tell us about the time you moved to London? How did you land jobs and build a network there?
"I moved to London when I was 12, just shortly after graduating from elementary in Manila. I continued photography, but I was taking photos of nature and landscape only, as it was a big cultural change and it took time for me to adapt and to blend in with people. I didn’t take portraits until I bought my first camera."
"When I was starting out, I started taking photos of friends and using those photos in my portfolio to show the modeling agencies. When I got the modeling agencies’ trust to allow me to test shoot some of their models, I decided I would style the models as I really wanted to get into fashion photography and use these photos to get fashion jobs."
"Social media is a huge part of building a network in London as a freelancer, so I used Instagram as a portfolio. I would get jobs from IG and [I] eventually [started] working with a lot of people [who get to] connect you to many more [potential clients]."
How would you differentiate the creative landscape in Manila compared to London?
"It’s really different. I would just say though that being here in Manila now [gives me] the same excitement I felt [when I was] starting out in the fashion industry in London."
What is the best thing about shooting fashion? Could you share with us some of your favorite moments?
"For me, it’s always the opportunity to create an imagery that tells a story by the use of fashion and styling."
"Also creating with different people every shoot is so much fun and I learn so much from all the people I meet."
What are some of the challenges that come with being a fashion photographer?
"There are many challenges as a fashion photographer but really the hardest thing was to learn to trust my vision, the things I want to see, and knowing that my photography is really about how I see the world."
Do you have a favorite subject to shoot? If so, why did you choose this person/subject?
"Filipinos! I realized this when I first did a shoot with Siobhan! I met Siobhan Moylan in London, I was messaging models in the Philippines as I was coming home for summer that year, surprisingly Siobhan was in London [during] the time I messaged her, so we did our test shoot in London. The photos I’m sharing for this interview is from our first test shoot in London. Siobhan is also the first Filipino model I did a shoot with, and became really close with since then. From then on I started doing tests more with Filipinos like Suraj when he was in Paris. Siobhan and her now husband Christian, whom I’ve also met in London, were also the ones who really pushed me to try Manila."
What message do you wish to convey through your work?
"My goal by the end of my stay in Manila, through my personal work, is to end up with a body of work I can turn into a zine, book, or exhibition conveying our culture through fashion and photography."
To you, what does it mean that more and more Filipinos are making waves in the global fashion scene?
"I’m excited and proud, as this was something I really wished was apparent when I was starting out. Starting out I felt lost in the industry, not knowing where I was supposed to go or what places I could go to as a Filipino photographer. It was also really hard as I thought I was by myself, hence, the reason I started doing other things such as styling, and videography. That’s also a reason why I enjoy coming back to Manila even more now as I really do enjoy creating with Filipinos."
Any advice to aspiring photographers who want to pursue the same path as yours?
"I would say to just create what you want to see and interpret as you see things."
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