Karl Lagerfeld always wears his shades, even when he’s behind the camera.

Karl Lagerfeld never had plans to venture into photography. But as an up-and-coming fashion designer in the ’50s and ’60s, the German clothier found himself with no other choice.

“I never thought I could be a photographer until I was literally pushed into it one day, when I urgently needed some photos for a press kit,” Lagerfeld recently told Chanel.com.

The fashion mogul, who had a series of his never-before-seen photographs on exhibit at the Salon de la Photo at Paris Expo last week, says that practicing photography helps him excel at his more notable professions.

“In fashion as in photography, only perfection will do,” he explained. “Photography is part of my life, I can’t imagine life without its vision. I look at fashion and the world through the eye of the camera. This gives my basic work a critical detachment that helps me more than I could ever have imagined.”

The 78 year-old runway mogul, who has snapped photos of stars like Julianne Moore and Claudia Schiffer, also revealed his best advice to young fashion photographers: always be mindful of WHO you are taking pictures of.

“I really take the time to choose my models,” he revealed. “I don’t think one should ever be a model-guzzler. One must give the model a spirit. “