Fashion and portrait photographer Danny Lowe

Date
10 April 2017

Fashion and portrait photographer Danny Lowe first came to our attention earlier this year by way of iD magazine who published Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land, an off-beat fashion story which travelled to Israel to peer inside the world of Tel Aviv-based menswear designer Eliran Nargassi.

London-based, North Yorkshire-born photographer Danny tells us that the series came about as a collaboration between himself, designer Eliran Nargassi and model Mor Alcalay. “The location Nabi Musa, which translates as Prophet Moses, is a 13th Century mosque in the Judean desert in the West Bank. Eliran and I met in Israel when I was visiting my family. Nabi Musa provided the perfect backdrop for Eliran’s clothes, which often deal with religion.” As the title suggests, Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land is about more than just clothes. Eliran’s sexuality (the designer is openly gay despite growing up in a strict Jewish household) is explored through lingering shots of Mor which whisper of underlying eroticism. In the background, religion hovers in white domed mosques.

That same sense of something beyond the purely aesthetic persists whether Danny is making documentary portraits or fashion stories. A Stranger Home might be at first glance a fashion story, but there’s something about those two boys set against the British coastline that adds a level of complexity to the images which is not easily untangled.

“I work mostly with ambient lighting,” Danny offers when I ask about the process behind his work. “Making the individual comfortable is key for me. In my documentary photography particularly, most people I shoot aren’t used to being in front of the camera, so I like to make them feel at ease by just talking about things they like and enjoy for example. Some of the best shots I have got are mid conversation when they are at their most relaxed. My upcoming exhibition at Saatchi with the charity World Wide Tribe – which will feature portraits of 11 refugees from the Cali jungle – really puts this process into practice. I love capturing people’s personalities, and getting to know them in a short amount of time.”

Danny’s work is being exhibited at Our/London in Hackney, London until the 28 April 2017.

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: Sex, Religion and BDSM in the Holy Land

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Danny Lowe: A Stranger Home

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Danny Lowe: A Stranger Home

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Danny Lowe: A Stranger Home

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Danny Lowe: A Stranger Home

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Danny Lowe: A Stranger Home

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Danny Lowe: Arthur

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Danny Lowe: Arthur

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Danny Lowe: Arthur

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About the Author

Bryony Stone

Bryony joined It's Nice That as Deputy Editor in August 2016, following roles at Mother, Secret Cinema, LAW, Rollacoaster and Wonderland. She later became Acting Editor at It's Nice That, before leaving in late 2018.

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