Creator Chronicles: Photographer Natalie Kogan

Natalie Kogan is a fashion photographer whose work has graced the pages of Glamour, Vogue, and GQ, among many others. You can find her shooting magazine covers, cycling across Central Park, or chatting with Glimmer about her creative process.

From a young age, Natalie has been drawn to art that acts as a portal between what is and what could be. She considers herself a conduit, “You are like a transmitter between a magic world and this one. You can move back and forth between the two worlds.” Imagination fuels Natalie’s work, be it for a personal project or when she’s hired by a brand. 

Engaging briefs with innovation, she possesses the skill to draw inspiration from the initial vision, providing valuable suggestions to enhance the project. When hired to craft imagery for department store windows during the holiday season, Natalie pulled inspiration from popular fairy tales. She revamped recognizable moments from classic stories into high-fashion scenes, creating a sense of modern-day enchantment for any passerby.

Valuing thorough preparation, Natalie often scouts locations in advance to familiarize herself with the setting. This structured approach allows her to captain the creative process efficiently while remaining open to spontaneous moments. Take, for instance, the time Natalie was meant to photograph an uncooperative parakeet for a high-fashion shoot. Rather than force a moment, Natalie decided to take a chance on a bird from the street just outside the studio that caught her eye. Her spontaneity paid off and the unknown bird unexpectedly became the shoot’s star. She underscores the value of capturing inspiration from her surroundings and keeping visual stimuli readily available to fuel her creativity.

A master of capturing the moment, Natalie called sunlight her favorite piece of equipment, “He has his own character and you have to deal with that character. It’s impossible to recreate.” Natalie sees her work through scenes and characters, which puts story at the center of her vision. Empathy is a superpower of Natalie's, evident immediately upon meeting her. She’s a close observer, discerning what lies beneath the surface and welcoming authentic, bold expression. Be it celebrities, models, or a team member, Natalie believes that taking care of people is the key to bringing out their best.

Her greatest achievements come in the moments when the reality she creates on set matches the image she’s dreamed up in her head. Natalie anticipates a productive year ahead filled with creativity and we can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.