The world as we know it is discarding its archaic hard shell and trying to form a new universal language for communication that encompasses all races, tribes, sexual orientations, star signs, skin hues, and the new kinds of humans that are coming out to exist in today’s society. What this means is that all spheres of life in the arts of film, photography, writing, modelling, creative directing, movement coordinating, set design and production are coming together to form a large circle of mutuals who have pivoted back and forth into sister and cousin forms of artistic representation and expression as opposed to the past when people preferred to be specialized, returning with new information and using the information sourced through word of mouth from friends and allies, to upgrade and elevate diverse forms of art.
It is for all these exact reasons that fashion photographers feel these days that their craft should not only be about the style of the clothes, but it should also be about the model’s personalities and the stories they carry with them, the make-up artist, hair designer and a whole team of production specialists who add their special touch to the final image. Like members of a music band. It is why casting directors judge better characters that lean towards androgyny, uncommon womanhood, soulfulness, passion and other multidimensional traits in the people selected to represent brands these days, and it is also why photojournalism as an art form will always be a relevant field of study because it represents humanity, it is something to hold on to. Only in that artistic space of a properly documented image can everything be referenced at the same time: The trees, the man, women and children at the back going about their daily lives, the model, the model’s clothes, the architecture of the area, signposts, the ground on which everyone is standing on, the sky, the wind, and other microscopic elements of the surrounding that makes viewers key into the message being passed across, or just simply passing it as a very good image.
To catch our breath, let us say that in this exclusive conversation with Lea Simon for our Journal Project, we tried to examine the brevity of life in fashion photography, the careless moments, its fleeting joys, unavoidable pains noticed and doses of reality needed for an image to be considered a good one.
Briefly tell us about how you began your photography journey, did it find you or you found it, and, in that same breath, tell us, what is the one question about Fashion photography or the process of filming it, that you wish everyone asked you more often about?
Hey RJP, thank you for reaching out!
I come from drawing. I’ve been trained in fashion during my studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. It’s the necessity of showcasing the clothes that got me started in making images. I say images because I would take a photo with my phone and experiment with editing. I need and value this time to process an image and make it my own. I came to photography, in the sense of digging into the practice of it, very recently like 2 years ago. Understanding lighting, colour, framing, and printing process. I’m now more in touch with what the technicality it has to offer.
In the series of images that you shared with us, which is your favourite and what is the story behind it?
The white tree is for sure my favourite. We were in Dakar shooting some footage for the Chanel show and my fashion film. It was my first time in Senegal. I’ve been mesmerised by the spiritual, grounding atmosphere there. To me, Dakar city air is a soft rose colour. It just calms you. I took this photograph after we wrapped our shoot. We were on a terrain where people train and play football. We put on music to celebrate and ate some pastels at the back of the red car. The sky colour was changing every time I was looking at it, so I started to shoot it and ended up also using my flash. I love how that tree looks ashy, it feels surreal. There was that last man that was still training.
As a lens artist who has pivoted creatively from still to moving images, can you tell us some of the difficulties you face in being a director? Is being a photographer the same as being a director, do they involve similar steps and procedures?
From my practice, the common point is that there are always 3 steps :
Preproduction (searching, feeding, exploring), production (shooting the images, being on the field) and post-production (processing the image so it resonates with you, through colour grading, editing, and playing with it.)
Photographing for me has become something more individual, it has a quicker process of execution. I have much more control over photography. I search, I shoot, and I edit the material. You can also have a team depending on the project, but at the end of the day, you are still very close to your images. So, the biggest difficulty in starting to direct was to explain and convey accurately what I had in mind to a team. You need to trust them but also provide them with as much information as possible to fill up the gap of misinterpretation. But then I understood that being surrounded by specialists and listening to their ideas can also elevate me and my film. Especially since I’m still « young » in that practice. So it’s really about finding the balance between holding on to your idea and opening your vision to other people’s input. In every shoot there is always this tension for me, trusting/holding tight. It’s intense aha
Who are some of the directors and photographers that you draw inspiration from?
Aesthetically I love director’s Jonathan Glazer work. In terms of storytelling undeniably too but he can swallow you into his world in so many ways. He’s excellent in that. I also deeply love Chris Marker’s work. He’s an activist, and I love his observation of history and people. It’s as if he managed to take a huge step back to understand better the challenge through our modern history. His work has a lot to do with movement and mutation in politics. Regarding photography, my first approach was through Peter Lindberg’s work. I was like 18. I loved how it was so much about women between women. There was a real connection, a gaze between them. You can tell he was often photographing them when they paid less attention. When they couldn’t care less. There is something so beautiful in wanting to capture that, especially in fashion photography. It made the model (re) become a person and so become more important than the clothes themselves.
Mission statements aren’t far-fetched with most creators so we are wondering if that applies to you too, in the sense of: Is there a motif you are trying to create or a message about your personality that you are trying to send with your creative work?
That’s a thought question. I know my work is always about people and the prism I see them with. I think there is a form of escapism too in my work. I need to build a world or a storytelling about my subject, other or more deep than just what is given. There is always this need to iconize them somehow.
Is Equipment important in photography and film-making, discuss why?
To me, it depends on who you need to do the work for. If it’s for commercial, most of the time, you need a certain quality in the result. Especially if it ends up being printed for example. So in this case you might want to rent better equipment. But If it’s for your work, it’s much more about the energy/attention you give to what you make and the resonance it has with you. Much more than having the best camera. Same in film-making, you’d rather have a very tasteful team figuring out with you with a low budget than the opposite situation (people you don’t trust with amazing cameras) I don’t have a technical background. What worked for me was more my ideas and the time I dedicated to them.
In your own opinion, what are some of the qualities that make up a “good film” or a “good photograph”
I’m about to say things that are contradictory aha
I. Sticking to first ideas. All the substances are there. You can dilute it but if it’s here it means something.
II. The room for accidents, for things to happen. It’s not an easy thing for me who loves preparation but I’ve made so many exciting still or moving images when I shoot without any attention. The surprise factor I think brings a good input creatively.
And
III. If necessary, allow it to take time. Stepping back. Either in film or photography, If I could I would shoot and forget the images for months before coming back on it. Rediscovering my footage helps me so much to see all the possibilities and the potential they have.
