Skip to main content

Natalie Payne

Profession
Lecturer, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography
College
London College of Fashion
Person Type
Staff
Natalie Payne

Biography

Interview

About Natalie

Natalie Payne is a South African born photographer with extensive experience in both fashion and advertising image making, an established art practice and many years teaching experience in higher education.

Natalie has joined LCF as one of the College's new academic posts from the Academic Development Fund, set up in response to student feedback.

Welcome to LCF! Please tell us about your professional experience and background – where were you before you came here?

Before I came to LCF I was living in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I was involved in various aspects of photography, initially working as an advertising and fashion photographer and, for the last eight years, focusing on photography teaching and learning. During this period, I completed a Masters in photography at l’École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie (ENSP), Arles, France, and a Masters in Fine Art at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, both awarded with distinction. My photography has been exhibited in a number of solo and group shows, as well as published in magazines and books, in South Africa and France.

Your role is part of the Academic Development Fund, could you tell us a bit about that?

I decided to apply for a job as a lecturer at UAL when I discovered that university is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and where seeking to appoint new lecturers from a diverse range of backgrounds.

How are you finding LCF so far?

I am finding LCF an inspiring and creative place to work at, not only because of the UAL ethos but also the open-minded staff and students from all over the world.

What inspires and excites you about your area of practice?

Fashion photography, and photography in general, is experiencing a fundamental shift. Boundaries between genres are fluid and the rise of social media has opened up a space for a far more diverse form of representation. This is an exciting time for photography.

What can students expect from your course?

Students can expect a visually inspiring journey through various forms of image making.

What do you think are some of the future ways in which students will learn in the future, or some of the future roles that might exist in the fashion industry?

The fashion industry is undergoing a period of self-reflexivity, which will lead to new roles that highlight sustainability and diversity.

What advice would you give to students wanting to study your course?

Come with an open mind, a desire to work hard, and the awareness of your power as an image maker, and the responsibility that it carries.

How do you feel about LCF’s planned move to the Olympic Park in 2022?

New chapters are always rich with possibilities.

Links

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography

London College of Fashion

Contact

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7514 7400

Address

105 Carpenter's Road
London

E20 2AR