Pressy Nathan – From Fashion Model to Fashion Photographer

Pressy Nathan: Click! A Love Affair with the Camera

The camera has had a long love affair with the gorgeous fashion model Pressy Nathan, catching her every nuance, every glance, every smile. And now, the tables have turned – Pressy is having a love affair with the camera, having turned fashion photographer!

That’s the exciting thing about being a woman in the arts today – you can change your role, your passion and find a whole new career – be it in front  – or behind the camera!

Supermodel on the Runway

Nathan, who was born in Chennai, spent her growing up years in Bangalore. In fact, as a teen, she was crowned Miss Bangalore and after that it was the Yellow Brick Road to the City of Dreams, Bombay, where she became a much sought-after runway model.

“I worked for some of the best in the fashion industry – Rohit Bal, Sabyasachi, Manish Malhotra, Manish Arora, Vikram Phadnis, Tarun Tahiliani, and Malini Ramani, to name a few,” she says. “Modeling meant traveling to some of the most amazing paces like China, Africa, Paris, Fiji and New Zealand. I also worked for De beers, YSL and Valentino – it was quite an incredible journey.”

Alice in Wonderland, With Camera

Yet, like Alice in Wonderland, her journey kept getting more surreal, and marriage took her to Malaysia, Hong Kong, London and eventually New York. Her many encounters with creative people got her deeply involved in studying and collecting contemporary art, and she also decided to explore photography at the International Center of Photography.  And now she has a whole new career as fashion, lifestyle, portrait and food photographer in Manhattan – and is having the time of her life.

“Living in all these different places and worlds represent such different elements for me but are a major part of what I do creatively,” she says.”The cross-cultural roots have influenced my eye tremendously. Photography to me is about self-discovery and seeing the beauty in animate and inanimate objects.  I’ve become a believer in Wabi-Sabi , seeing the beauty in the imperfections and in everything that is transient.”

Life through the Camera Lens

Having practically been weaned on fashion, it was natural that she specialize in fashion photography. She says, ” Photography in my definition is also painting with light and seeing the magic of play between light and shadow. When I enter a studio I’m so much at home – it’s not intimidating because I know what it is – fashion models can switch it on and switch it off. I make my subjects comfortable and try and bring out their real spirit in the photographs.”

Though she has shot  some of the most beautiful Indian women, she has done so in her own unique style, which is raw, organic and natural to a large extent.  In this age of social media and selfies, of any excuse to post images on Facebook, she finds there’s a lot of demand for personal portraiture and celebration images – engagements and weddings, even elopement photography! Another trend she’s noticed is boudoir photography, a hot new category where women like to present these images to husbands, boy-friends and significant others.

Nathan also loves doing food images and is currently working on a cookbook. She also loves working with kids – both subjects with a lot of appeal and emotion for the viewer! Family portraits are the best marker of a life together and these natural, intimate pictures capture the fleeting moments.

So as Pressy Nathan proves, life can take you in front of the camera – or behind it  – but it’s your life and you’re the one calling the shots!