Leica Camera and Rankin host private viewing of works in ‘S Mag: The Rankin Issue’
10 December 2012
Leica Camera, the international manufacturer of photographic and optical products, and Rankin, the British fashion photographer, hosted a private viewing of images from the Leica ‘S Mag: The Rankin Issue’ at the Annroy Gallery in London, an exclusive invitation-only event which was attended by over 400 guests.
Using only the Leica S-System camera, Rankin, whose career has spanned over two decades, collaborated with nine individual hair stylists, to create a series of striking images and a collection of diverse fashion stories which are communicated across the latest 200-page edition of S Magazine. The project not only represents the fulfilment of a long-standing ambition of Rankin and allowed each of the subjects to direct their own shoot, but also marks the first time that the publication of Leica Fotografie International, which is designed to showcase the inspiration and creative talents of photographers, has been focused solely on one individual.
Rankin said: “I’d always thought it would be interesting to do a hair book – where you take hairdressers and you give them the opportunity to do anything they want.” He added: “It was a chance to collaborate with the people I really admire, but also people I knew had hidden talents that maybe hadn’t come out yet.”
In recognition of his achievements, David Bell, Managing Director of Leica Camera UK, presented Rankin with the very first new Leica S-System (numbered 0001) before the evening’s guests. The model which was recently unveiled at Photokina in Germany, offers users increased image quality and sensor sensitivity, predictive autofocus, in addition to higher speed and enhanced handling. As well as the camera body, three new lenses have been added to the S-System portfolio, significantly expanding the capabilities of the system: the Leica Super-Elmar-S 24 mm f/3.5 ASPH. super-wide, the Leica Vario-Elmar-S 30-90 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. and the Leica TS-APO-Elmar-S 120 mm f/5.6 ASPH. tilt/shift lens.
