le smoking MTL: An interview with Faical Hajji of FH STUDIO in Montreal.

Le Smoking MTL recently met up with fashion photographer and producer Faical Hajji at FH STUDIO in St-Henri. Faical has a degree in urban planning, has studied photography, received a graduate certificate in management and runs FH STUDIO. He's been published in NYLON magazine, SNAP magazine, InFashion and couleur d'ici (where he was invited as a guest, it will be broadcast next month) . He also shot for Trashed Creations, a jewelery line that uses recycled stones which led him to be invited by meteo media to create an eco-art add. He's done work for cirque du soleil and Kerastace. More recently, FH Studio shot ANOMAL Couture's Fall 2011 collection, which was showed during Montreal's most recent Fashion Week.

"I've always loved women,

women led me to fashion."

SMTL: You have a degree in urban planning, how does that affect your work???

FH: Yes I do, sometimes it affects my photos in a certain way that leads me to capture things on a more environmental scale. My advertising campaign work showcases that, like in the landfill shoot or the shoot with the news paper.

SMTL: When did you start taking photo's and what sparked your involvement in fashion photography?

FH: I started taking photo's when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I always loved women and women led me to fashion photography. It's all about the beauty and a certain sexiness. I'm always trying to make it look better then what it is in reality.

SMTL: We see that your Studio is quite new. Has that had an effect on the business?

FH: Well the studio helps but the business is more about the contracts. The studio is an environment you work in and of course with the new studio it steps it up a notch on a professional level. When you walk in you really get a feel for what kind of services FH Studio can offer.

SMTL: What is your ultimate goal for FH Studio?

FH: The studio is not just a photography studio, it is also an agency specializing in photography and video productions. My goal is to turn it into power house agency and have editors, stylists and different visual artists working for us full time, that's the ultimate aim. We also intend to go international and link with our sister company H Films in Morocco. H Films produces films and major add campaigns like the one we did 2 weeks ago for the new fragrance Elixir with Shakira for a Spanish add agency.

SMTL: Who would you love to shoot?

FH: Caudia Schiffer

SMTL: What do you think is next in fashion photography? The last couple of years we've seen a lot of snap shot style photography getting published.... what would you say is the next big thing?

FH: I've been working on a style I think could be big. It's a certain type of lighting/style from the 70's. Certain techniques used specifically during that era are really great.

SMTL: Any references off the top of your head?

FH: Stanley Kubrick

SMTL: Who are your biggest influences?

FH: Me, myself and I (laughs)