Meet the Photographer Behind the SI Swimsuit Issue Launch Polaroids

The celebration of the annual SI Swimsuit Issue is always an incredible time, and the 2026 magazine was no different. After this year’s galleries hit the internet on Tuesday, May 12, many of the 34 models featured in the 2026 publication gathered in New York City to celebrate all weekend long.

And ahead of our red carpet and VIP party at the Hard Rock Hotel New York on Thursday, May 14, brand talent gathered to mingle and enjoy a champagne toast. Our models also had the opportunity to have their portrait snapped by photographer Andrew Tess, a New York City-based visual artist who works with one particular medium: Polaroids.

In addition to witnessing Tess at work during the cocktail hour, we had the opportunity to catch up with him after he photographed this year’s talented group of women. The experience, Tess says, was an incredible one, which allowed him to photograph an amazing group of women while capturing what makes them individually so unique through his lens.

“[They are] all so strong and powerful,” he says of this year’s SI Swimsuit model roster, including the likes of Alix Earle, Christen Goff, Brooks Nader and Olandria. “I loved seeing everybody’s different energy in front of the camera and finding a unique dynamic with each person throughout the night.”

The photographer, who initially gravitated toward Polaroids as a teen, was inspired by everything from the works of Herb Ritts and David LaChapelle to Madonna’s “Blonde Ambition Tour,” circa 1990. Tess says those works “created a visual framework” for his creativity, which gave way to his career in Polaroid film.

“I love the stillness that comes with capturing Polaroids,” he explains. “The film itself is delicate and increasingly hard to come by, so there’s something really intentional about the process.

“I also love that there’s less control. With Polaroid, it’s often one or two frames and that’s it. Whereas with digital photography there can be an endless amount of images. I think less is more, especially in a culture where there’s constantly more to consume visually.”

Tess, who has photographed celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Emily Ratajkowski, Julia Fox and the late Catherine O’Hara, says that capturing that stillness—despite his photographs often being taken in fast-paced environments like award shows, red carpets and after-parties—allows him to connect with his subjects in a way that’s often overlooked these days.

“That’s also why I like having people sign their portraits,” he adds. “It feels very human to me—two people standing there together, holding the image as it develops, then handing them the Sharpie to leave their mark on it.”

While many of us snap a quick selfie with our phone camera while out for the night, Tess creates an intimate dynamic with his subjects, and in doing so, he is leaving his mark on the world through his photography. He loves connecting with fellow queer artists, musicians, sports stars and actors in particular through his work.

“It’s always really meaningful to meet people whose work or visibility has impacted me personally or made other queer people feel seen,” Tess says. “Representation is so important to me, and I feel really grateful that my work has allowed me to connect with so many inspiring people.”

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