Behind the Image: Capturing the Glamour of Fashion with Felix Rachor

Berlin-based Felix Rachor loves the mix of photography and marketing. With a combination of art direction, photography, post-production, makeup, and styling, Felix has made a name for himself in the world of high fashion.

Vivid colors, innovative settings, and an impressive array of contrasts in his shots give his art an edge you don’t always see in this medium. We recently spoke with Felix about how he got started in his career as a fashion photographer, his creative focus, and where he wants to take his work next.

Adobe Stock: Tell us about your career as a fashion photographer — how did you get started and what projects do you like most?

Felix Rachor: I always wanted to be a beauty and fashion photographer. Ten years ago I had a meeting with a photography manager. She asked me, “Where in your portfolio do I find fashion or beauty shots?” This was the start of a new way of thinking and I began to understand those genres. I did my best to work for fashion and beauty clients and now I have really great opportunities in fashion and beauty. I am also a makeup artist, so I shoot a lot of beauty and I love it.

AS: What themes or creative directions do you explore through your work?

FR: I love a lot the flowery, colorful, and shiny stuff. As you see in my photos I am very focused on textures and perfect skin.

AS: Tell us about the image you selected — what did it take to make it happen?

FR: The photo seems to be very easy, but it was actually very dangerous. First, I had really expensive fashion — a Valentina Braun dress — on the set and a big Bengal fire burning in the background. Second, the large pink cloud suddenly blew directly to the city nearby and we were afraid we would be in trouble. Because of weather, we had to work quickly and the shoot was only about 10 minutes. It’s taken with a Sony A7R2 and Photofoto light equipment. The model, Tia Nguyen, was great and we got the shot!

AS: What experience do you want viewers to have when they see the image?

FR: My photos are B2B photos — my audience is other businesses. So my intention is not really to make the people feel emotional about what they see, but rather to excite them. I love big dresses, extravagant themes, and spectacular shoots. And this was one those.

AS: What equipment did you use?

FR: Generally, I shoot with Phase One, Canon, or Sony — all of them for different purposes. Profoto, Manfrotto, and Sunbounce are my light equipment partners and I have a bunch of lenses too. What I don’t have, I rent. But often I love to shoot with one light, or outdoors just with available light.

AS: Based on your experience, what advice would you have for other photographers who are trying to take their own work to the next level?

FR: It’s all about dreams. I give master classes and mindset classes in Germany. I love to push my colleagues. One of the most important things is to have big dreams and then always think one step back — what is happening one step before the dream? If you do that until you reach where you are now, you find the way to make the dreams come true. I’ve already reached some big dreams and now I am on my way to achieving the next big dream!

AS: What projects are you focusing on or most excited about in your own work right now?

FR: My next step is to photograph Hollywood stars. The glamorous world of Hollywood has always been exciting to me. The first international stars I photographed, like Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, were great. I had a wonderful time with them and it’s always inspiring to realize the big dreams.

To see more of Felix’s photos, check out his Adobe Stock portfolio.