Conversation with gettyimagesfanclub
In this conversation you will get insight of the process and thoughts behind the curation of @gettyimagesfanclub instagram page. The ups and downs in the fashion industry, what corona took but what the world gave back. Possibilities! A visual historian or an obsession with celebrities and what has been. Please meet @gettyimagesfanclub.
Attendees
Divijah Rajendra, Nanna Svane, gettyimagesfanclub
Nanna Svane: Hello. Hi.
gettyimagesfanclub: How are you doing?
Nanna Svane: Hey, how are you?
gettyimagesfanclub: Good. Thank you.
Divijah Rajendra: Hey.
gettyimagesfanclub: How are you?
Nanna Svane: We're good, pleasure to meet you.
gettyimagesfanclub: Yeah pleasure to meet you also. Sorry, I'm just escaping out of my house. Hold on.
Nanna Svane: No problem at all. Are you in Australia?
gettyimagesfanclub: Yes. Yeah. Whereabouts you guys based. Are you in the UK or Denmark?
Nanna Svane: I'm in the UK and it says us2u on my meeting name. But I'm Nanna and I'm partly based in London.
gettyimagesfanclub: nice. How's London?
Nanna Svane: The weather? Absolutely terrible. It was raining and raining and apparently it should be the worst summer since 1912. So I'm quite disappointed.
gettyimagesfanclub: wow.
Nanna Svane: So no surprises, just wet and cold. Actually.
Divijah Rajendra: Yeah, it's the same here in Copenhagen.
Nanna Svane: Where in Australia are you based?
gettyimagesfanclub: It's always sunny over here. A place called The Gold Coast so it's Yeah. It's called Paradise Point.
Divijah Rajendra: Wow.
Nanna Svane: I don't know it. Okay, that definitely sounds better than our locations.
gettyimagesfanclub: Yeah, so it's really nice
Divijah Rajendra: Are you breaking up a bit? It's a bit of a bad connection right now.
gettyimagesfanclub: Hold on. Maybe I'll move somewhere.. Can you hear me better now or?
Divijah Rajendra: No.
Nanna Svane: Actually not.
gettyimagesfanclub: Okay, hold on.
Nanna Svane: It's good! Don't move. Haha..
gettyimagesfanclub: I'll just stay here. I was gonna walk around but I'll just stay in one place. yeah, don't move. Yeah, thank you so much for rescheduling. I'm sorry. It was just so much hectic things going on and more hectic things are going on. So truly there's probably never really a good time to do anything.
Divijah Rajendra: Thank you for taking the time.
Nanna Svane: We know you are Saul and you're from the @gettyimagesfanclub followed by, now 61.6 K people on Instagram, last time I wrote this question it was 58.1. So it's quite a difference. Lately you've been having a boom there.
Nanna Svane: But who is the person behind this account?
gettyimagesfanclub: I want to be anonymous. Sort of thing.. So I don't really like to be in the Spotlight. ButI'm happy to tell you guys how I started the account!
Nanna Svane: Yes!
gettyimagesfanclub: I was just working in an office job in the city and then right at the end of covid I got made redundant after covid. And I just had a whole bunch of extra time on my hands and I always used to just look at Getty Images for fun because there were so many images that were just nowhere else on the internet and I just found it very interesting to just go back through the history of things and just look at images from the past and so I always thought I should document them on an Instagram account or something like that. And when I had lost my job, I obviously had an abundance of free time and obviously when you lose a job or something you can feel a bit negative and…
Nanna Svane: yeah.
gettyimagesfanclub: like God, so it was literally just to sort of amuse myself that I just started posting images. It wasn't until M. Ottenberg from Interview Magazine. He just followed my account and I think for maybe a month or something like that or a few weeks and I only had maybe 300 followers or something and then he just said that he loved my account and he said I'd love for you to curate something for Interview Magazine for our Instagram.
Nanna Svane: Okay, crazy. Just like that.
gettyimagesfanclub: And I had a call with them and that was super cool. And obviously I was like wow that's amazing and…
Nanna Svane: wowow..
Divijah Rajendra: That is so funny!?
Nanna Svane: Lol.
gettyimagesfanclub: and yeah, many different promotion and fun projects has happened from there.
Divijah Rajendra: Yeah, I was going to ask about the technical aspect. I gues its okay because the. You're technically just using whatever you can find online on Getty Images. You can find the images and use it right? Or Is there a fear or a consequence that the account could be shut down?
gettyimagesfanclub: I mean there is that fear. I'm not really that precious over it. I mean, I think a lot of people who have asked, I'm just thinking shut it down and they'll be crazy too because I’m promoting. the archives and… I am curating stuff for them for free. I don't know. I asked somebody from Getty Images.
Nanna Svane: you exactly did?! And…
gettyimagesfanclub: Are they okay with me using the images and he said yeah. As far as I know I haven't heard anything else from them. He said people follow your account from Getty images. And so I think they kind of just left me alone.
Nanna Svane: Would you call yourself a visual historian …
gettyimagesfanclub: I'm a visual historian… because yeah, it is kind of modern history.
Nanna Svane: What kind of stories are you trying to tell from the archive of Getty Images and through these Paparazzi shots?
gettyimagesfanclub: I mean there's so many of those sort of nostalgic accounts and no offense to them. They're great and people love them. But they just kind of post the same things over and over again and we’ve basically seen it for years now.
Divijah Rajendra: True
gettyimagesfanclub: the same old pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow or whoever in rotation. There's an infinite amount of content from that period of time but it's kind of not really that much new being added. So my goal is and it's not like a hard rule but I try to find stuff that hasn't been posted to death or an image that maybe isn't as common. I guess that's kind of my goal. Something like; I still haven't seen that outfit and there are heaps of those moments locked up in the archives of Getty Images,…
Divijah Rajendra: That kind of turns into the next question actually, whether you're obsessed with the celebrities or whether you're obsessed with the outfits?
gettyimagesfanclub: yeah, so I think that I mean it's kind of more so about the people I mean. I'm also drawn to some sort of unexpected. Something to knock you out of just zombie scrolling through Instagram.
Divijah Rajendra: right
gettyimagesfanclub: I personally love fashion and if every image could be an amazing outfit I would love that but sometimes I don't like the clothes that the people are wearing at all, but I like the weird mix of combinations of people. Unexpected groupings of people. And I go ‘That's so weird. I can't believe there is this photo of those two together’.
Nanna Svane: How do you curate, instant instinct or is it intention? Are you actively following the tendencies on Instagram and the trends of fashion?
gettyimagesfanclub: It's all instinct driven for sure and it's like I also kind of obviously did a lot of forgotten trends represented in those old images and if I see something like I mean, obviously this is the full-blown trend that everyone loves at the moment, so I'll just post it because I like it or I find it interesting.
Nanna Svane: That was why Divijah and I wanted to speak to you when we first reached out, you hit it spot on every time…What’s going on at that time, but you're showing us something that we haven't seen before.
gettyimagesfanclub: Thank you so much. Yeah, I definitely am intentionally trying to do that.
Divijah Rajendra: How do you curate time within the account? I'm really curious about that.
Nanna Svane: So, it's a vibe. It's not really about a rule sort of thing?
gettyimagesfanclub: Definitely definitely.
Nanna Svane: Sometimes it’s hard to tell why you like this. It's an instinct. It's a stomach feeling. It's like, This works. I can't tell you if it's because the ballerina’s placement is like this or…
Divijah Rajendra: Yeah, so true.
Nanna Svane: or because the wall is red and…
gettyimagesfanclub: what you're saying, that is so true. And I love when that happens.
Nanna Svane: but there is the overall feeling this gives me - and it will work.
gettyimagesfanclub: I love when you get that feeling.
Divijah Rajendra: I think for me it's hard to explain to people, this is instinct. You need to trust me.
Nanna Svane: completely.
gettyimagesfanclub: For sure!
Divijah Rajendra: The account is called gettyimagesfanclub What does a fan club mean to you?
gettyimagesfanclub: mmm. It's a feeling. I think it just means holding space to just celebrate something,… I think I called it welovegettyimages for a day and I was like that's kind of a little bit lame and…
Nanna Svane: I love that.
gettyimagesfanclub: And then I was like, there's all these fan clubs for all these celebrities and soccer players and… football players or whatever and I was like, I just call it gettyimagesfanclub.
Divijah Rajendra: I think fan club to me. I associated it with something nostalgic. A space you want to be a part of. Being so obsessed with something particular you have to join the club!
gettyimagesfanclub: Also why get the 'Images' have to let me alone, because it comes under the guidelines of a fan club. I'm not like trying to impersonate Getty Images. I'm like, this is a fan club, so…
Nanna Svane: But you are also doing your newsletter. Because I subscribe to your newsletter. What you're doing and I started following the newsletter some time ago. And those ones are also really interesting because it outfolds the Instagram post a bit more but that talks even more into I think it's so interesting to start the Instagram platform and now you're doing newsletters to support the Instagram account. You really made a whole universe a fan club in this era of Getty Images.
gettyimagesfanclub: Thank you.
Divijah Rajendra: I'm just very kind of really happy to know you're not a part of Getty Images…
Nanna Svane: because Divijah and I spoke a lot about that before. Is he hired by Getty Images? And you have nothing to do with them. Is your job fully driven through this platform?
gettyimagesfanclub: Yeah, its my income its my livelihood.
Divijah Rajendra: Well, that’s amazing.
gettyimagesfanclub: but yeah, I had a research gig with Bottega,… which was amazing and I got a handbag! and I've done a couple things with Valentino as well and…
Nanna Svane: There we go!
gettyimagesfanclub: Gucci twice as well and I think recently I did a promotional thing for selfridges.
Which was great as well. But yeah, these different opportunities come through in the DM’s. I wouldn't say it's reliable, it's really good money, but it's not constant.
Divijah Rajendra: Last question: if we talk about the fact that gettyimagesfanclub showcases people. You don't know personally but inspire you, how do strangers Inspire your work?
Divijah Rajendra: yeah…
gettyimagesfanclub: but she was just, I think she was somewhere in Europe and she just was wearing this really cool hoodie with this old vintage kind of fur thing and…
Nanna Svane: You have to send us that picture after, okay?
gettyimagesfanclub: it was just such a contrast between, it was very unexpected, but it was just very on trend and she looked really I sent a message to the person who posted, that I don't know, just somebody I saw in the street and I think that it rolled up my curiosity.
Divijah Rajendra: Yeah!
gettyimagesfanclub: I was like, who is this person? Yeah, I have to find that picture. I know I took a screenshot because she looks amazing. But yeah I think that strangers can inspire me. Just that curiosity feeds your curiosity. I got these magazines from Fashion Memo which was this publication from I think it was Japan maybe and they just went around and took all these random pictures of people in the streets in the 90s and…
Nanna Svane: I love them.
gettyimagesfanclub: the 2000s and people at fashion shows and it's just so many people with the most incredible outfits. I'm gonna scan them and put them in my newsletter very soon.
Nanna Svane: I love that.
Divijah Rajendra: I want to show an image from your account that I was completely obsessed about which is this image from Kylie Minogue’s ex-boyfriend's funeral. There was so much vulnerability in these images and just quite an emotional post as well?
gettyimagesfanclub: An iconic gettyimages post!
Divijah Rajendra: Yeah, that was my favorite. From recent times.
gettyimagesfanclub: And it was definitely probably one of my most favorite things that I've found this year.
Divijah Rajendra: What about you Nanna? Do you have a favorite?
Nanna Svane: There's so many good ones, but I will say one you posted not long ago.
gettyimagesfanclub: Yeah?
Nanna Svane: Maybe it's also because I'm spending a lot of time in London, but you posted an image of Amy Winehouse. Walking down the street wearing these super cluttered ballerina shoes in light pink…
gettyimagesfanclub: wow. Yes.
Nanna Svane: she looked great and kind of trashy in the way that Amy Winehouse only can.. It's from 2010. I think this is so great, those ballerinas. I love them. I think they're so good. No? And her attitude is just like ‘Get the f*** out of my way’. And I really love that.
gettyimagesfanclub: Yes. with a little denim skirt
Nanna Svane: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today.
Divijah Rajendra: Bye. It was such a pleasure to get to know you.
gettyimagesfanclub: Yeah, my pleasure as well. Thank you so much for having me, for subscribing to the newsletter as well! I've got some good things coming up. I'm just buying heaps of magazines off eBay and So I want to find some good stuff for everyone.
Nanna Svane: Bye.
Divijah Rajendra: Cannot wait to see it!
gettyimagesfanclub: Yeah, have a lovely day. Bye guys.
Conversation ended after 01:02:01 👋
Some links gettyimagesfanclub wanted to share:
The Holy Bible!!!!!!
Best link on the internet?
www.gettyimages.com
Best album of all time?
Madonna’s ray of light.
Grammys or Oscars?
Oscars!!!!!
Next travel destination?
Paris!!!!! I’ve never been
Biggest gettyimages icon?
Chloë Sevigny or Naomi Campbell!!!!!!
Best advice on curation?
I’ve said this before but look with a bored eye. Almost not paying attention. Yes you miss things... but if something really grabs your attention then you know it’s something super interesting. Most people consume content online in a state of boredom, so if it stops you, likely it will stop others too.
Best instagram account?
@imyourauntiemamie