Nigel Barker – America’s Next Top Model

By starrymag | January 7, 2014

Nigel Barker, Photographer

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on UPN

Q) Why should fans tune into this season’s show?

 

A) I think they’d be nuts not to! The popularity of this show is based on the fact that you have real people who are out there, with potential of being a model and that doesn’t change season to season. What the fascinating thing about the show is that there are real young girls and everybody has a new story to tell. Every season there are new stories, new people, and I think the stakes go up a little bit because the show has to prove itself time and time again. With a lot of clever production and learning new tricks I think we’ve managed to that every time. We’ve got a really exciting cast (personally I think one of the most beautiful casts to date, which for a model show is saying a lot) and we really went to some exciting places so there is a lot in store for viewers.

 

Q) How did you get involved in the program originally?

 

A) I am a photographer and I was asked to shoot one of the episodes by Jay Manuel, who I have worked with in the past on a professional level in the photography industry (which I thought that was fine and great). Then they interviewed me, at the time when the show was very early on and they hadn’t really gotten all the cast members and things. They were interviewing photographers at the time, sort of giving them photo interviews, to sort of see how we would be on camera and how good our photography was. One thing led to another and before I’d even done the first episode they asked me to be a permanent feature on the show. I was sort of very thrilled and said yes. I really had no idea at that time that the show would be so successful so it’s really been a nice treat for me.

 

Q) What do you look for in a perspective contestant?

 

A) One of the things about modeling is that it seems so often to be an intangible business. The thing I look for is something that people find it hard to describe and people always seem to describe it as “that special something.” What we’re doing at America’s Next Top Model is trying to discover a girl that is going to appeal to the masses, that is going to be a success story and people are going to be able to relate to and advertisers and clients are going to want to book to sell their products and hopefully give them a proper career. We’re not looking for someone that is going to be a six-month wonder. We’re looking for a really well rounded individual, someone that has got drive, someone that has personality and someone that has some sort of look that is unique and also has mass appeal. It’s sort of this thing that we often mention on the show, which is being commercially viable and at the same time having the sort of editorial look.

 

Q) How did you originally get involved in the photography field?

 

A) It started with me being fascinated with taking pictures and I had my own little dark room at age twelve or thirteen at school. I was a model myself and one of the reasons why I have a lot of respect for America’s Next Top Model is because in 1988 or 1989, I was on a TV show myself called “The Clothes Show,” which was an English talent show, one of the first ones. I actually got into modeling through a show that was very similar to America’s Next Top Model. From the fact that I managed to get success and go on to a career in photography through that route, it displays that a show like America’s Next Top Model can choose winners and can actually give people a career because that’s how I career was founded. My life has gone full circle; I’ve gone from being a contestant to being a judge on the show.

 

Q) What has been the highlight of your long lasting career?

 

A) When you have been in it as long as I have, I think the highlight of my career was back in 1994 when I was traveling to Milan for a job and my agent introduced me to this fabulously gorgeous young lady that ended up to be my wife. She was a model back then and is now a makeup artist and works with me all the time. That’s the highlight of my career.

 

Q) You have worked with so many amazing individuals. Who would you most like to work with in the future and why?

 

A) The funny thing is, I have shot a lot of people from rock stars to rap artists to top models to authors and writers to every day people. What interests me about my business is that every day is new and every day I meet new people. The exciting thing is that everyone does have their own story to tell. Sometimes, although I think like, “Wow, wouldn’t it be incredible to shoot the President” or something, and no doubt I’ve been in situations where I’ve gotten to shoot very influential individuals, sometimes the most interesting time is when I shoot the most average person or someone from the normal part of life because you really learn a lot from them. I walk away thinking I looked into the part of the world of someone else’s life that I really had no idea about. I think what is so interesting about my industry is that you really get to meet and mingle with all sorts of life. The joy of this business is meeting anybody from royalty to any person.

 

Q) How do you feel about Sports Illustrated creating a similar show?

 

A) History is all about imitation. I think Janice is the first person to say that there is no original thought out there and we all know that. It is very hard to have an original thought. The fact that Tyra was genius enough to come up with the idea in the first place and have an original thought and really get it out there as a great new show for America was a wonderful idea. You always have to do a new season like we’re doing now, bigger and better than the last one. You can’t be scared off by other people copying you because it is always going to happen. The fact of the matter is, we’re the original one here in the states and Tyra has really unique ingredients to make the show work very well. I think that the Sports Illustrated show is very different show because the girls are all actual models. Our show is all about how anyone can be turned into models. Their show is all about skin and boobs and our’s is about all kinds of girls from skinny girls to plus sized girls and tall girls to short girls. I think our show is really a different kind of show. We’re really talking about giving someone a career.

 

Q) Do you have a favorite moment from filming any of the previous seasons?

 

A) I have lots of favorites, but I think one of the funnier times which is a part of the show that I don’t think has really aired. I know it hasn’t really aired, except in see throughs, but I think it was in season 2 where we had all the girls dance for us. We had this DJ that did this music of four different tracks (from rock to punk to reggae to hip hop to trance) and these girls had to dance. The reason why we did this is because a lot of these things aren’t so crazy. Quite often at casting we’ll have some music and I’ll make the girls dance because if I’m doing a certain kind of shoot for a certain kind of product they need movement and they’ll be music there to see how the girl is going to react.  So, this was a test we did for the girls and it was hilarious! These young girls, some of them couldn’t dance at all and others that could dance really went for it! What was funny is that you really got to see someone’s personality come out. There were four girls dancing solo in a very lit studio room with the judges and not to mention the entire crew. It really took some guts for these girls to get up there and dance. Some of them were forward enough to get on the judging table and perform right to our faces. Some of us were thinking, “Oh my goodness! What are you doing? Are you crazy?” I think we all enjoyed ourselves very much and it really put a smile on my face.

 

Q) What advice do you have for future contestants who wish to try out?

 

A) Never give up! Don’t think because someone tells you that you have something means that you have it. Don’t think because someone says you don’t have something means that you don’t have it. Sometimes people stop me in the street or they show me their daughter and ask if they could be a model. Absolutely! I’m on a show telling everyone what to do and how to do it. There is something else out there, which is that you have determination and you have the desire and the will to do something and you really go for it than you sometimes can change people and they will come around to things. Even when Kate Moss came around, people turned her down because she is 5’6 and they’d say to her that her eyes are far apart and she had small boobs. She proved them wrong. She went for it and succeeded. I think people have to persevere and try hard. Learn your stuff so when you come you are well prepared. It’s important to have the knowledge and the look!

 

Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of your career and of the show?

 

A) I have to say thank you so much! We’ve been so lucky! I’ve enjoyed the show so much. It’s given me such an opportunity, I’m from England and I’ve come to the United States and it’s really been a great opportunity for me to sort of be reintroduced to the general public. Quite frankly, they’ve accepted me very nicely and the show, as well. The show has been so successful due to the fans making it so popular. I was at a fashion show that Nole Marin, the stylist of the show, was putting on and I was there with Jay Manuel and it was amazing to go around meeting people, together the three of us. It was amazing to hear people talking to us about the show and the new season coming on. All I have to say is that we have new seasons coming up and they are going to get bigger and better and more exciting. I think that the success of the show is with the audience and thank you!