Max Vadukul and what the camera remembers

It was a crisp morning in Oxfordshire late last year when I got to listen to Max Vadukul at BoF Voices, the annual gathering of designers, creatives and cultural thinkers convened by The Business of Fashion. Vadukul’s presence felt particularly grounding. In an era defined by speed and spectacle, the British-Indian photographer spoke instead about patience, craft and the moral responsibility of looking closely.

Over a career spanning more than four decades, Vadukul has photographed some of the most defining figures and moments of our time, from Mother Teresa to Italian designer Gianni Versace, from singer Iggy Pop to chef Antony Bourdain. His fashion imagery, which has appeared in The New Yorker, Vogue France and Rolling Stone, helped shape a more muscular, psychologically charged visual language at a time when gloss often leaned towards prettiness. Something that’s evident at the exhibition A Thousand Words (till May 31 at The New Yorker) that he is part of, along with nine of his peers from the magazine.