Founded by Sebastian Santa Maria, a London-based fashion photographer, Solstice magazine launched aiming to showcase fashion talent from throughout the world helping them get their work noticed. Published both digitally and in print, the magazine features beautifully shot editorials and points of view on current matters within the fashion industry from emerging creatives. Read on as Sebastian explains how he is intrigued by seeking for talent outside the West and the US, how his photography background is dictating the content of his magazine, and what we should expect from Solstice in the future.
Colour Match © Shay Kedem
What got you into photography in the first place, and what was your first job as a fashion photographer?
I first got into photography when I was 16 years old. My friend had bought a Nikon D80 camera and would often bring it to school to take photos. He would let me play with it, and I came to fall in love with the process of taking photos.
My first job as a fashion photographer was taking photos of a friend of mine who wanted to be a model. We set up a lot of shoots to put together her portfolio. Now she is a top model working for one of the biggest agencies.
Image © Diana Kim
How do you balance photography and running a fashion magazine?
It’s been quite hard to be honest. I took the decision to make photography a second priority, with the magazine being the top, for the first few months of Solstice existence. This meant I could concentrate on getting the first couple of issues designed and test printed before they went on sale. It also gave me the time and freedom to design the website and make contacts within the industry.
Now the magazine comes out every couple of months, and that gives me plenty of time to sort out the design of the issue and getting my photography work done.
Image © Sinem Yazici
Does your background in photography influence the way you choose the features?
Hugely. The magazine reflects what I believe in and what I like. So, as I am a huge fan of elegant, classic fashion photography, I will only accept work that is well shot, beautifully executed and of incredible aesthetics. I’m not really a fan of work that is edgy, or could be characterized as a fad. So work that includes heavily tattooed/pierced models won’t be accepted, as it doesn’t fit my – therefore my magazine’s – style.
What are your thoughts on iPhoneography and Instagram? Do they seem to affect fashion photography in any way?
This is a big talking point for me, and I often find myself having conflicting views on it in different contexts. I like that photography has become a lot more accessible to the general public, but that now means that anyone can consider themselves a photographer, and you do get a lot more work that is below-standard because of that. Instagram is great because it helps a lot of fantastic photographers get noticed, but I’m not a fan of the selfie culture, and the narcissism that comes with it.
Is monetizing your magazine in your immediate plans?
No, not in the near future. It’s an extremely young magazine, and I want to see how far I can take it myself.
Image © Sebastian Santa Maria
Which is the number one thing an independent fashion publication should have to stand out from the rest?
Good content. Solstice focuses on having fantastic content, especially editorials. I wanted the magazine to represent fashion photography from around the world, not just from the West. So, with that in mind, I have reached out to many different countries for submissions. So far we have featured work from most of Europe, North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand, a few countries from Asia and South Africa. I’m trying very to get more people from Africa and Asia to submit, as their fashion isn’t very well known. This makes Solstice stand out from a lot of other magazines, as most of them just focus on Western cultures.
Image © Sebastian Santa Maria
Your magazine is based on submissions from young contributors worldwide. Why is it important for young creatives to reach out and support each other today?
Today’s young is tomorrow’s future, so with that in mind we should all encourage today’s talents to create and collaborate with each other to reach higher levels of brilliance. I feel that surrounding yourself with talented people will only help you get better.
What is your ultimate goal for Solstice?
I’d like to have a successful magazine that has a large worldwide readership. To be as big and prestigious as Vogueand Harper’s Bazaar would be perfect, but that is both very hard to achieve and likely a long way away.
You can buy the current issue of Solstice here.
Featured image © Sebastian Santa Maria
www.solsticemagazine.co.uk
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