Malcolm Blonddell, or just Mal, was born in the Bronx and stayed there till the age of 14 when Mal moved to Manhattan near the Village and that really was the beginning of a new life, including so much art and different people it opened his eyes and expanded his mind to new heights.
KALTBLUT: How did you start photographing? What drew you to this medium?
Mal: I’ve been professionally taking pictures for about 5 years now. When I was about 15 I worked as an illustrator for a local designer I met in Soho. After spending about a year working under him, I found a deep love for photography and that’s when I really started realizing I wanted to be a photographer. Being on set at such a young age I was really blown away by the art of it all.
KALTBLUT: Who are the people you photograph? What interests you in people you shoot?
Mal: I love taking pictures of people that never modelled before because it’s more of a challenge for me and it gives the person I’m taking pictures of a chance to see themselves in a new way, a way they never thought they’d see themselves, It’s exciting for both of us.
KALTBLUT: You often work in black and white? Why do you choose to do that?
Mal: I do use black and white often. I’ve been thinking about exclusively being a b&w photographer. There’s something about when you pull the colour from a photographer- it draws out the soul of the picture in a beautiful way and allows you to focus on the picture more.
KALTBLUT: What kind of projects are you most interested in?
Mal: I love high fashion photography with an inner city feel to it. Very avant-garde. I love street photography. I haven’t had a chance to shoot anything couture, but that’s my goal. I really enjoy pushing limits.
KALTBLUT: What’s your daily life like? Where do you get inspiration from?
Mal: I’m a pretty normal guy I love playing video games, hanging with friends, going to music festivals. I’m really passionate about music so I spend a lot of time singing and writing. I get inspiration from everything around me. I love anime so I always pull inspiration from the manga I read or shows I’m watching. I also live in the Bronx so I’m really inspired by urban areas. There is something very authentic about it. I also design clothes so I think I mostly get inspired by the things I design.
KALTBLUT: What are you working on at the moment?
Mal: I’m mainly working on building a website for my clothing line. Also, I have a new project I’m working on called “know your colours”. I don’t wanna let out too much info on that but it’s a series of short films that I’ve been working on for about 3 months now.
