Yanick Dery

Yanick Dery is a world renowned Canadian fashion photographer that I came across after looking at the recent couture line of wedding gown designer Justina McCaffery. Derry shot the photos of her latest collection, “Majestic.”
The black and white images have a theatrical and almost melodramatic feel to them. They looked like shots from a tragic old movie. This style is common within regular couture fashion photography, but it was the first time I have seen it applied so well to the photography of wedding couture. Usually bridal ware photography lacks emotion and can look twee, however, I get the feeling Dery approaches each task with an acute sense of vision. He knows what he wishes to achieve from each shot. The shots are aesthetically pleasing and work not just at face value, but at a deeper level too. The grand setting and high monochrome contrast help to set the mood and create a wistful expressive feel. The irony of the sombre and tragic temper used to advertise something associated with the “happiest day of your life,” for me makes these photos so engaging. Although the photos are over dramatised unrealistic representations of contemporary weddings, they posses a deeper realism that is less obvious at first. For some, a wedding can be an extremely stressful and dramatic ordeal. Whilst other photographers appear to shy away from this, Dery humours it. He creates an intriguing juxtaposition, the dramatic over embellishment that only couture fashion can deliver, with a hint of hidden honesty and wit.



Looking at examples of his other work, you can see this theme continue. I have always appreciated the work of artists whose work has a slightly fictional fancied twist upon it, or work that generally implies some basic storyline instead of just shooting on a plain or uninteresting backdrop, especially in fashion photography. I feel it really helps the clothes to come to life. It makes the work feel more personal and allows photographers to create their own distinct style, whilst making their work more fulfilling to look at.