Zineb Koutten interview: Carving her own path in fashion photography

In our exclusive conversation, Zineb Koutten discusses her discovery and passion for photography, as well as how her cultural and religious roots drive her to explore the world of fashion. The simplicity of mundane things makes it possible to capture through her lens the beauty that often goes unnoticed.

Despite her young age, Zineb represents and gives voice to the new generation of professionals in the fashion world. With her distinctive style and desire to make a difference, she is blazing her own trail.

Shot by Oussama El Fal

Can you tell us about your background and experience in fashion photography? I started YouTube when I was 14 years old (2016) and kept sharing my life online, Many young Moroccans started watching me which led to the growth of my Instagram, which was the reason I met creatives in the industry of Fashion, photographers, models, stylists... I was really surprised by this world and how creative it is, I started trying to make fashion content on Instagram too, at first people were surprised since there was a big difference in what I was creating beforehand, but I kept on doing it, I admit, I wasn’t fully myself when starting in Fashion, I was definitely influenced by my surroundings, and didn’t feel myself, but now after 4 years in the industry, I feel good about my content and personal projects, it definitely takes time to find oneself in something you try for the first time. Because of my acquaintanceships with friends in the fashion industry, we would go out and take photos of each other’s creative concepts, and that’s how I first got experience in fashion photography, I’ve always loved taking photos when I was younger, it made me feel really good to take a photo of something your eye found interesting and freeze it in time to look at it whenever you like. Professionally speaking, I first started with creating reels for a luxury shoe brand in Casablanca, They approached me because they loved the content I was creating for myself at home during quarantine, so I started to create 4 videos a month for them. And because of this short-term experience, I approached a starting fashion brand looking for an intern, I saw the announcement on an IG story and I went and did the interview and got accepted, I worked with them only for two months, I did reels, website, pr, packing and social media management. I really loved the videos I was creating for the brand and decided to start sharing them on my new photography account @shiningfrominside, I bought my camera a few months after, and I decided to focus on photography rather than videography because I only managed to afford a prime lens ( 50mm 1.8 ) and for video, I needed to invest in a better one, so I stuck to the photo even though I actually prefered video more, and now, I feel that I got so attached to photography, it’s one of the many ways of how I express myself.

How do you approach the creative process when working on a fashion shoot? How does the process develop in your mind and manifest itself in the photoshoots? When I just started, I used to contact models or my friends, prepare an outfit, scout a location and go shoot, but now this has changed, I try my best not to shoot randomly, I like to get inspired from my daily life and work on something that has meaning, even if it was tiny because I feel that it has more value to me and that I’ve left a piece of me in this world and how I see things.

It's clear that Morocco's culture deeply influences your work. Can you share a memorable experience from one of your photoshoots that truly encapsulated this fusion? I was shooting in Benguerir a small city close to Marrakech for client work, and I asked the permission of a man who cooks Moroccan Tajines to take some photos of him, he said yes and his friend joined too, but when we finished, he asked if I can send it to them, not by WhatsApp, but by the traditional mail! He said he would hang it as a souvenir in his shop, I was so surprised since it was the first time someone asked for photos to be sent to their address, and that made me cherish my photography and appreciate this simple life we’re missing nowadays.

Shot by Zineb Koutten/ @shiningfrominside

Can you describe a challenging situation you've encountered during a fashion shoot and how you handle it? One of the challenging situations was while doing a street photo walk in the Medina of Casablanca, I took a photo of a woman sitting in a chair selling cigarettes, wearing clothes that spoke my interest, I took 3 photos quickly and walked away, but she noticed me, got up and followed me, she started yelling at me to delete the picture or she will take my camera, another man she knows joined and started yelling and saying he would break my camera if I don’t delete them, so I did. It was challenging for me cause I’ve never been yelled at like that for taking photos of people, and I really wanted to cry. But while shooting fashion, I only have to deal with people kicking us away from a spot, or saying not to take photos of them when they’re thinking that they’re in the background.

How would you describe the distinctive elements of Moroccan fashion photography compared to the global scene? I believe we have one of the best scenes in the world, I cherish the creatives we have in Morocco, our culture and traditions have been such an inspiration to us which made our art original and unique, and I love that! I feel that it’s a bit hard to have a unique touch if you don’t incorporate what inspires you each day, and Moroccan creatives do so, except for the ones that screenshot a photo and do the same thing and only change, a small detail, we have many of those as well, everywhere.

How do you stay updated on current fashion trends and photography techniques? I don’t like following fashion trends at all and have never been a fan of wearing something trendy, even in my work. But I try to keep myself educated in terms of photography and always try new techniques by watching YouTube tutorials and learning from friends in the same industry.

How do you effectively communicate and collaborate with a team during a fashion shoot? I honestly rarely work with a big team for my own projects, unlike for client work, where I work with a producer, stylist, makeup artist and my personal assistant, The process starts with a moodboard that gets shared with the whole team, location scouting, organizing which look to shoot in which location. The most important thing is to make clear each person’s tasks to stay organized during the shoot.

What is your favourite project you've worked on, and why? My favorite project is one that I shot in 2021 in Paris which I’m currently working on exhibiting in my city Casablanca. It's called Paris Through Their Lens, and it highlights 20 Muslim Hijabi women shot in 20 districts of Paris and their lives in such an international city, where we hear all the time about their struggles living there. It’s my first photo project I ever worked on in my first trip abroad alone, just a few weeks after buying my camera, and I also relate to these women since I wear the Hijab as well.

What do you think the future of fashion photography will be like, and how do see yourself contributing to it? I think perfectionism will get replaced by realism more than how it is now, we will see more of the popular streets than modern classy ones, reality, in a creative way. I will try my best to incorporate my values and principles into my art and leave my mark in the world which hopefully can inspire others to do the same, or even better.