Hi Laura, it's nice talking to you! First, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself? Who are you, where are you from, where do you live now? Tell us a bit about your personal background!
Hi! Thanks, I'm looking forward to talking to you about this too!
So... when I finished my studies 12 years ago and someone asked me what my life would be like now, I could never have imagined a future like this. I'm originally from a small town in the south of France where I studied Management & Marketing and now I live in the capital city of Paris. I work as a barista in a specialty coffee shop. When I was younger, I was a pretty shy and timid person and I never imagined that I would one day work in the service industry and take pictures of strangers on the street!
What exactly do you do for a living? When and why did you start photography?
I switched from a career in marketing to working as a barista about four years ago to follow my passion for coffee. I have now worked in a few customer service and management positions in Parisian cafes. I always wanted to learn something that would allow me to be creative and express myself. I have always been fascinated by the beauty of simple things and had a habit of capturing small and fleeting moments of life with my smartphone. Last year, when the pandemic started, my workplace had to close for two months... So it was the perfect time to dedicate myself to new things. I took my boyfriend's camera and started walking the streets, observing the light and taking photos. My boyfriend also loves photography, which is why he encouraged me a lot and gave me a lot of tips! I have this need to step back and look at things from a certain distance, kind of like an escape from hectic life. I think that's also one of the reasons why I love photography so much. It has now become a tool for self-expression.
Your paintings are very soft and calm and filled with beautiful pastel colors, which is so beautiful to look at! How did you develop your style?
Thank you for the kind words! I would say that in the beginning I needed a "framework" to start with photography. I automatically gravitated towards pastel colors and a minimalist style because I like these things when I look at pictures and because my last trip to Florida inspired me to do so. Then... maybe it felt like a challenge for me because Paris is often very gray, the walls are beige, the streets are narrow and filled with things, people and more things! I tried to reimagine my exotic city. Also, I just love the aesthetic of the soft pastel tones because they remind me of the sweetness I look for in everyday life. I feel like my style has evolved naturally and with practice, just as my imagination has evolved.
What inspires you and why?
I think my original inspiration came from the films of film producer and director Wes Anderson: the themes of his films and the distinctive visual images! I particularly like it when he takes on a theme where "innocence must face the reality of life" and it inspires me. I also particularly like the beautiful pastel colors and the compositions of symmetry and simplicity. I was also inspired by a trip to Miami because I was fascinated by the incredible natural pastel tones in the sky and the aesthetics of the city in general.
Nowadays, many small things in everyday life can inspire me. An emotion, a place, a certain scene on the street, a memory, a song, a movie, or images I see on Instagram or elsewhere. Also, music is a great source of inspiration and concentration for me, because it helps me stay focused during my creative phase. After more than a year of practice, I realized that I like to depict subjects and objects in their environment. I try to express simple atmospheres and a positive attitude towards life. Loneliness inspires me and I like to increase the feeling of "isolation". I do this, for example, by using frames to enlarge the space surrounding the small motifs. This integrates a scale and creates empty places. With pastel colors, I see a picture as an invitation to self-reflection and "daydreaming". I am inspired when I try to see a picture as a poem or a stage set.
Can you tell us a bit about your work process? Do you plan a lot beforehand or do you prefer to take photos spontaneously? Do you edit your photos a lot or do you prefer to leave them natural?
I don't have much control over the creative process. When I go out to take photos, I don't let anything influence me except the weather. I need the sun to make a picture the way I want it. The light shapes my composition and gives me the perspective. Otherwise, I usually take the photos spontaneously and I am inspired by many things while I'm taking the photos. The creative process then develops on its own while I'm taking the photos. Even if I look very carefully for lines, geometry, shapes and colors during a photo shoot, the progression is natural. Basically, all I need is the sun, some free time and I need to be alone (laughs).
Editing is as important to me as shooting. I need to create a certain look to express something with the image, and I like to put images together to create a series of images. Some of the images don't even have to have been taken on the same day, but together they remind me of a little story.
Many of your pictures show the sky in different colors. Does the sky have a special meaning for you?
I started using the sky as a minimalist background because it was difficult to find empty places in a big city like Paris. I like to play with focal lengths and perspectives to create such flat backgrounds. It reminds me of a stage set. Playing with colors helps me better understand the complementarity of colors, which work great with minimalist photography. Finally, colors also help me express my emotions. Warm and sweet colors are great for a good holiday memory, pale pastels are for softness, retro tones for nostalgia, or an inspiring, bold red.
How and why did you start using Instagram as a platform to share your photography?
At first I just used the app for fun without posting much, until I felt that it was important for me to share my photography experiments on Instagram to connect with other photographers and communities and also to find inspiration. Then I found value in it, for example because we motivated each other to keep going and shared the energy. So… I think that helped me develop my own style and stay motivated!
Do you have a favorite photo you shared? Can you tell us the story behind it?
Heyy... tough question! Maybe the picture of the traditional carousel at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris. The first time I went there to take a photo, the carousel was all darkened in the shadows... I was a bit disappointed because I just came too late in the day! I came back a few days later and I was so happy to have discovered a new scene! The sun lit up the whole facade and revealed the beautiful colors of the carousel. To my surprise, the carousel was also dismantled! This meant that I had the opportunity to photograph only the upper half (the roof) of the carousel and so the picture became even more minimalist and original. I like to look at the picture because I find it cheerful and a bit vintage... it makes me think of a festive memory.
What do you think about your Instagram community? Do you talk to them a lot? Have you met anyone through it?
I'm very grateful for the community that follows me and supports my photography on Instagram! I haven't met any of the people in real life yet, but I've had some enriching conversations and have been able to connect with some online galleries as well. Sometimes I receive encouraging messages or requests for editing tips (which I'm very honored about!) and I always try to respond carefully when I find the time. I've also discovered a great community around minimalism. The people there are very engaged and positive. Like a cool team!
Can you name some of your favorite Instagrammers who inspire you?
I love following the journey of Monia & Michał @fantasticmrvan .
The couple decided to leave everything behind and live a nomadic life in a van. They take beautiful pictures and have a great eye for finding something beautiful in everything! I always wonder what it would be like to just leave our everyday lives and go somewhere unknown. To travel the world, explore new cultures and have new experiences. I think they both bring out my dreamy and adventurous side again.
I am also fascinated by the images of Gabriel Guerrero Caroca @shriveling . I find his compositions to be poetic, calming and mysterious in a magical way. His images perhaps speak to my lonely side and the reason why I like the darkness in his universe so much could be the same reason why I listen to metal music when I take photos in pastel tones (laughs).
Do you like sending and receiving postcards?
When I was a kid I loved collecting postcards. I had so many hanging on my wall! Nowadays I just keep a few to remember good memories. I don't actually send postcards regularly anymore, which is a bit sad because I find them beautiful and meaningful! I appreciate it so much when I receive a nice handwritten postcard from friends or family, it always makes my day!
Did you know about Pickmotion before our cooperation? If so, how did you discover us?
In fact, I discovered Pickmotion a few months ago when I used the hashtag for the “Paris City Art” poster project thanks to the kind suggestion of another French photographer I met on Instagram (Hi @ghersiphotography )! That was my first photo collaboration! I'm really excited to discover more from the lovely Pickmotion community!
What is the first thing you want to do once the pandemic is over?
I'm just looking forward to planning a little holiday trip near the south coast and seeing a film at the cinema!
Do you want to share a little anecdote or story at the end? You can tell us whatever comes to mind!
Something completely unrelated to photography. I love animals and I had a cat with me in Paris. One summer I planned a month-long trip abroad, so I left the cat in the care of my parents in the South of France. When I came back I spent a week with my parents and when it came time to go back to my then-small-and-dark-and-creepy-studio in Paris, after packing my suitcase I couldn't find the cat! We spent more than an hour looking for him until I finally had to leave to catch my train. As soon as I was on the train I got a message from my parents: "Your cat just turned up his nasty nose, he just doesn't want to go back to Paris". He did (exactly!) the same thing when I came back two months later and we never found his hiding place! Now I live in a nice apartment, but he's living his best cat life under the southern sun!
APM-0296, APM-0297, APM-0299, APM-0300, APM-0298
Don't you find @french__laura 's pictures just as enchanting as we do? You can discover five of her photographs as PICKMOTION Art Posters at your local retailer or simply shop here in our online shop and support her!
