Thomas Kublin (1920-1966) was a Hungarian photographer who knew from the tender age of thirteen that he wanted to become a photographer. At fifteen Kublin enrolled in the Budapest School of Photography, and became one of the best students. After graduating, Tom Kublin started as a documentary photographer, but switched to fashion photography after meeting the influential designer Jacques Fath. The latter had asked Kublin if he could photograph his fashion show in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This was definitely the ‘decisive moment’ for the young photographer, as this experience changed the course of his career dramatically. Kublin loved beauty in all its facets, and in the glamorous world of fashion there is beauty in abundance.
Kublin’s career in the fashion world took off and his talent got noticed. Elizabeth Taylor for example, begged him to become her official photographer. Kublin kindly declined, however photographed her in 1959 for Harper’s Bazaar. What sets Kublin apart from his contemporaries is his understanding of fashion and how fabrics behaved. To achieve the best results, he was constantly searching for the right angles to bring out the features of the garment. As a result fashion designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and Chanel, amongst others, chose Tom Kublin to photograph their designs. However, it was with the legendary Cristóbal Balenciaga that Tom Kublin developed a close working relationship that lasted years. Hubert the Givenchy once asked Balenciaga who he considered to be his favorite photographer, and Balenciaga answered: Tom Kublin.
Tom Kublin was a perfectionist and like a true artist made sketches before a shoot with the placement of lights, model (s) etc. Kublin used a large format (10” x 8”) single sheet film camera that would give high resolution and depth of field which meant the models had to be very still otherwise the shot would be out of focus. Tom Kublin was very peculiar with his use of light. Whenever he used artificial light, Kublin covered the light source(s) with a piece of black cloth to highlight the dramatic effect. Taking pictures was a long process and hushed tones prevailed in the studio. Tom took the time to make things work and knew how to achieve the look he wanted. Tom Kublin formers assistant, the Italian fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri, remembers how demanding Tom Kublin could be.Barbieri recalls that if one of the assistants made a crease in the background, they had to replace it on their own costs. However, Barbieri fondly remembers his time with Tom Kublin and said he learned everything that is to know about fashion photography during his apprenticeship at Studio Kublin.
Later in his career Tom Kublin also started to work with the moving image, and not without success. In Vogue, November 2010, Mr. Hamish Bowles, editor- at-large of Vogue America, and curator of the exhibition Balenciaga: Spanish Master, explained how during the exclusive opening of this exhibition at the Queen Sophía Spanish Institute, New York, guests like Deeda Blair and Ralph Rucci sat transfixed by the Tom Kublin film footage ofBalenciaga’s fashion shows. This comment by Hamish Bowles clearly states that the work of Tom Kublin is timeless. Tom Kublin’s career came to an abrupt end when he died unexpectedly at the age of forty two.
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