Editor's note: This story was amended on 9th October. Certain quotes from the interview were removed.
Renell Medrano might have taken your favourite photograph, you just haven’t seen it yet. Once you discover her images – of beautifully lit, beautiful people – you’ll want them on every wall of your home. You’ll wish you were in them.
Her work is a social documentary of what it means to be young and to have style. And as you’ll quickly see from the sporadic self-portraits on her Instagram, at 25 and from the Bronx, she’s the perfect poster girl for her aesthetic.
Ahead are photos from Renell’s thesis when she was a student at the prestigious Parsons School of Design. Depicting a group of friends in the Bronx over a two-year period, the project, ‘Untitled Youth’, won her the New York Times Blog Award.
Since then, Renell has photographed the likes of Bella Hadid, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and A$AP Ferg. When we speak over the phone, she’s just wrapped a video for GQ featuring Cara Delevingne and is working on curating her first solo show, coming soon.
Ready to see your favourite photograph?
Tell us about this 'Untitled Youth' series, who are the girls?
This series is my thesis. I just documented these four best friends who live in the Bronx. I took my time with this project. There wasn’t really much setting up, or hair or makeup, it was just something raw. I felt that by shooting these girls, I was living through them, because when I was younger, I never really got the chance to go out and have that friendship with girls because my parents were really strict, so the project is very personal to me.
When did your interest in image and photography begin?
I started shooting when I was young; my dad got me a point and shoot when I was about 15 and ever since then, I’ve been shooting my friends and family. It wasn’t ever a thing… it was just for fun… but then I ended up going to Parsons to study photography. I graduated three years ago.
What was Parsons like?
Very challenging actually. I didn’t think I was going to finish the four-year course, but I did. What I learned was how to look at things instead of just shooting them, I learned how to look at my subjects and see exactly what I wanted to shoot. Then I did my thesis and I was awarded the New York Times Blog Award – I didn’t expect that because I really didn’t like the location of my images at the exhibition and I was like ‘No one’s gonna see them!’ but I ended up winning the award. That was cool.
You grew up in New York, what did you learn about photography and image growing up there?
Yeah, I was raised in the Bronx. It’s where I got the rawness of my images. Growing up in that community, I saw beauty in everything.
You’ve photographed the likes of Bella Hadid, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, and you shoot loads of non-famous girls too – what do normal girls give you in front of the camera that famous girls don’t?
I don’t compare. There’s not really a difference for me. I don’t shoot anyone just because of who they are. I try to see beauty in everything and with those girls, I just see the same stuff I see in everyone else. I try to shoot them naturally.
How long did you photograph the girls for? How old were they when you started?
I photographed them for two years, they were around 17 when I started.
Are you still in touch?
Yeah, they’re all grown up! One of them is doing this ‘Save Uptown ’ project, she’s spreading awareness about saving the Bronx.
What did the girls think of the photos?
They loved them. They wanted me to continue shooting them, which I may do… later on.
I read that Diane Arbus is one of your favourite photographers, what is it about her work that you love?
She wasn’t afraid to shoot who she wanted. She wasn’t afraid to be judged on who her subjects were. That’s exactly how I feel. Every image [of Diane Arbus’] told a story, and that’s exactly how I see my work; even if it’s just one solid photo, it tells a story.
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