Through the Lens of Eva Losada

Little Eva, who spent her days watching Dior fashion shows on her tv, wouldn’t believe you if you told her she would become to only photographer with full access to Kim Jones’s first Dior show. Spanish photographer and creative director Eva Losada climbed the ladder of success, growing and learning with each step. But she’s not stopping anytime soon. Let’s explore through her lens and dive into her upcoming projects, her growth journey as an artist and more.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get started in photography and creative media? 

Eva Losada: I am Spanish, since I was a kid I was always creative and different in the way I dressed and expressed myself. Not that long ago I was showed a photo from my childhood with a camera hanging from my neck, that I was never aware of.  My father was photographer amateur so I was always surrounded by cameras. I studied Engineering and Food Sciences and Technologies, which surprises most people. I think this actually helps me nowadays, with my organizational skills. Fashion was always my passion since I remember, I have a clear image in my mind of myself watching Dior shows by Galliano on the TV. I was fascinated by the creativity and theatricality of the shows and when I was a teenager I wanted to study fashion design and I still have my sketches from that time. I moved to London in 2011 and attended some courses in different fashion universities for fun. It was in 2014 when I went to the first fashion week to see the atmosphere (without invitations of course). As I always dressed different, that day I was photographed by the street style photographers at the time and appeared in all the major publications the day after. I did not know much about it but I brought my camera the day after and started taking photos of people. I am quite shy and even more back then. So I was shooting always when I was not seen, I think this helped me to create my own style. Soon after, a magazine from UK reached out interested on my images and it was then when everything started, people were starting asking who I was and telling me they liked my photos, so I started seeing opportunities. I reached out to Highsnobiety, when I was still very small and new in the scene, not expecting an answer but surprisingly Edward, the creative director at that time replied to me within few hours. He always believed in me since the very beginning and this is how everything really started. Then I left my work as “Food Safety and Quality Auditor”, the job that was paying for my travels and equipment. I have done so much with them, from street style, to backstage, editorial for print and online, commercials, interviews, books… I contributed to the magazine for 8 years. I have been told several times that we together got a big influence on the elevation of streetwear to high fashion, which is very rewarding. I was not interested in regular street style figures and I think that was the success. I stopped doing street style in 2018 to focus on broader parts of my photography career. From there I have been evolving, expanding on the creative process as I believe creativity as a fluid open vast ocean where is so much to explore. During covid I had the time to reflect and upgrade my skills and gravitate more towards high-fashion in a dark and creative way always. My whole career has been very organic and never planned so much, I believe my purpose in life was to be part of the fashion industry.

How would you describe your creative accumulation? 

Eva Losada: I have been always quite creative and very curious, I used to paint and draw a lot when I was a kid as well as taking photos (even when I do not remember that much). I wanted to dress in certain way, always quite different to other kids and my mom allowed me to happen. I think that freedom was very important. Cinema is also a strong influence, I love French and Asian underground movies, I like slow, strong dialogue or no dialogue at all but strong photography, the aesthetic of the movie is very important to me. I appreciate a good colouring, styling, music and specially photography. Since I am working in fashion I have tried different creative fields. I have been in front of the camera, did a little styling, creative direction (I love to create as a whole, I do not see only the photo, I see the hair, make-up, styling directions I would like for every shoot) and I have also done my first design collaboration with Reflect eyewear and planning to do more.

A big part of fashion photography is to make your subject feel good and confident- how do you achieve this in your work? 

Eva Losada: It really depends on the person that you work with, sometimes the connection is bigger than others and energy just flows naturally. I always try to have a little chat while they are getting ready, show the moodboards, play music.. It is always a bit more difficult when this energy is not there naturally, but we are humans, connection is not always the same, but if everyone involved is excited about the project it is very easy. I think what’s really important is the casting, choosing the model that will fit the role or the concept, if you give them a role that is a completely different direction to what they normally do it will become more awkward. But if they feel comfortable with the project you will also feel that and everything will just flow.

What is a key factor you consider while working backstage to keep the visuals organic?

Eva Losada: In backstage you have to play to what you have. I love shooting through objects and create this feeling of “observer”. It is not very easy, most of the time the space is very limited, there is not good lighting so you have to get creative and very quick.

What are your photoshoot day essentials? What’s in your camera bag?

Eva Losada: It really depends on the type of work; if it’s studio, outdoors.. It is very important to plan the equipment you are going to need in advance to not forget anything and to do a check-list with every single piece (I think this comes from my engineer part of my brain). Something I always do before a shoot, instead of something I carry but more like a ritual, is to take at least half day off to meditate, practice yoga, be in silence and put all the ideas together. Yoga and meditation are a big part of my life and what gives me the balance my body and mind needs, especially working in this industry that can be challenging sometimes. Ah! And always bring a second camera, in case of any failure on the day, you always have to be prepared.

What are some of your personal rules and principles while you’re working?

Eva Losada: Respect and professionalism as well as commitment. And the rule of only saying yes to projects that excite me.

How do you improve your photography skills?

Eva Losada: In my case I did not study photography so everything is self-taught and practice. Make mistakes and learn from them, sometimes the mistakes look even better than the initial idea, I personally love photos that are a “mistake”. And meet with people with the knowledge you do not have, work with lighting technicians, post-production teams.

When observing your surroundings and shooting, what stands out to your eye?

Eva Losada: Whatever is different. I do not find beauty where most of the people find it. I like people/buildings/landscapes… with their own character. I like people that do not care about what other people think of them.

What was a breakthrough point in your career? 

Eva Losada: I can think of two, the first one was definitely to start working with Highsnobiety. There was so much enthusiasm from both sides, the team was young and very open to try new things and same from my side. I was always suggesting people to work with brands, it was a beautiful on-going conversation between Edward and me. The second one was the British Fashion Awards; I got the “New Wave: Creatives Award” twice, in 2018 and 2019. 

”My whole career has been very organic and never planned so much, I believe my purpose in life was to be part of the fashion industry.”

– Eva Losada

Like you said, you were nominated for British Fashion Awards’ New Wave: Creatives award, twice. Apart from this, what was one exciting point in your career, that you still can’t get over?

Eva Losada: The first time I got the Awards was very funny. BFC reached out to me to shoot the arrivals of the nominated to the awards. I said no because I had recently stopped doing streetstyle and wanted to be focused on other jobs. The day after or few days later I got an email that I was nominated to the Awards! You can imagine I had to read the email several times before start jumping on my bed and crying! A very important person in the British fashion that I admire a lot told me then she voted for me because is almost impossible to jump from shooting street style to work on editorial and commercials in the industry. This has been encrypted in my mind since then. Another moment in my career that always pop up in my mind is not a big shoot or something really rewarding career wise, it was more like a personal realisation moment. It was the first Kim Jones show for Dior, I was covering it for Highsnobiety and I was the only photographer granted full access, we were doing a massive coverage on it. And after shooting I watched the show, it was my first Dior show and it came to mind all the childhood memories when I was fascinated watching the Dior shows on the TV and wishing so hard to one day be there. It was a truly realisation moment, I was there, the place I dreamed so much to be when I was super young, I was part of it and I was also the only person with that type of access.

One photographer who inspired you during your career?

Eva Losada: Nick Knight, he always pushed the boundaries of fashion photography, he continues doing it. I really connected to his idea of beauty, the darkness, the estrange poses, the light and colours, the styling, make-up and the general mood of his work. He even inspired me more when I met him personally, he is very kind, him and his family. Another point to highlight is his generosity and openness with his creative process through SHOWstudio. I have been lucky enough to shoot there several times and also collaborated in different ways with the platform, commenting shows for example. There is a beautiful energy at the studio.

What is next for you? 

Eva Losada: I am expanding my creative vision; I have some projects coming in front and behind the camera and expanding to video direction too. I can say much more but there are some exciting projects coming this month and next one. This year I also released two sunglasses designed in collaboration with Reflect Eyewear and would like to keep doing more collaborations. Designing for me is very playful, I really enjoy it. 

How do you think creative industries have evolved in the past couple years?

I think the meaning of creative person has shifted the last years, now is more multidisciplinary than before, maybe is a result of the fast environment we are in. This is maybe the good part of it but it also has the downside. I think artists need time, time to reflect, to spend alone, to enhance creativity, to make mistakes and learn from them. Now is just really too fast and is so much pressure of always have to deliver new work, which is causing a lot of mental problems. A positive shift in the industry in the last couple of years have been the representation, not only in front of the camera, but also behind, the teams are now a lot more diverse.

How to you conceptualize your ideas when working with a brand for a creative project?

Eva Losada: Meditating. In a state of high consciousness is when big ideas pop-up from the deeper you. As David Lynch would say: “Catching the big fish”. Then I write down what pops-up and start working on developing the idea, looking for references, finding the right team for it and everything that follows.

“I love shooting through objects and create this feeling of “observer”. It is not very easy, most of the time the space is very limited, there is not good lighting so you have to get creative and very quick.”

-Eva Losada

What is your dream collab? 

Eva Losada: I would love to work with my favourite brand, Margiela. I even have the 4 stitches tattooed on my back! I am close to the brand, they invite me to the shows, dress me for different occasions and I even modelled for MM6 few years ago. 1qI would love to extend the collaboration with them, create some magic with John, that is my biggest dream. I love his creation process, all by hand. It is truly beautiful. I could listen to him for hours.

If you had a time machine and you could go back to any time and give them a camera, where would you go with that camera? 

Eva Losada: I would choose two different times in history, one would be Egypt. I am very fascinated by the untold story of the pyramids and the society existing at that time, I truly believe is not what they have told us. The second one would be a recent one, the 80’s in Spain. There was a strong punk movement called “la movida madrileña” that I would have loved to live. It was a moment of explosion of art, fashion, music and most importantly freedom after so many years of dictatorship.