Mara Voss

In conversation

How did you start?

With my grandmother's camera and a sister who was patient enough to stand still. I studied painting first, and I still think like a painter: where the light comes from, and where it goes.

What makes a good fashion picture?

One idea, held all the way. The clothes, the face and the light should agree on something. When they do, you do not need much else.

“Light is my only stylist. Everything else is a guest.”

How do you work on set?

Small crew, slow start, fast finish. I like to spend the first hour talking and the last hour shooting. By then everybody knows what we are making.

What do you never do?

Retouch a face into someone else. Skin is skin. I will fix a stray thread on a collar, not a person.