Photography advice

HAVE FUN!

Couple of years ago I was visiting a friend working for a famous photography agency in Paris. After a moment talking he suggested something interesting:

“Seb, Would be interesting to see you working a totally different approach than your black and white photographs”

I thought the proposal was interesting, even challenging. Thinking about it I figured out that I hate taking phone pictures and I suck at it.

So what else would I like ? Ha yes I like analog photography.

But I had no other camera than a plastic Holga sleeping on our bookshelves at home back in the days. It was the time of the year that I would travel quite a bit, so I decided that for all the moves that I wouldn’t be working on assignment or personal project I would photograph with that toy camera.

The camera as I photographed it (with my phone) this morning of April 1st, 2020. I think I will use it again during this quarantine time.

So my advice is: TRY NEW THINGS

To be honest I would never have shot a picture with a Holga camera before. I was always making photographs with my DSLR and occasionally with a Rolleiflex. But a plastic Holga… Never. What could happen ? that I would loose some photographs, couples of film roll, maybe fail them all ? Any photographer knows this Sh**

The point was to photograph randomly, when I felt it and to never force myself

There we go

PARIS

I was going to Paris to attend the opening of my exhibition and staying at a friend apartment that was in Pigalle district. I loved the streets, the history of it. The mix of a dirty street ta night and the romance of Paris. It’s ultra cliché, but it was like that. So on my way back to the apartment I walked out in the area and started to photograph. That image stayed.

Beijing

Here is a double exposed photograph made in Beijing. The first one is the Forbidden City with The Gate of Divine Might that I shot while being in transfer in China (I had couple of hours to kill so I went so see that) and the second is the portrait of man smoking inside the smoking room of the airport. That man was looking like he was out of a movie so I kindly asked If I could make a portrait. This image represent exactly the feeling I had while being in Beijing for couple of hours.

Siem Reap

Portrait of a waiter in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The Holga is a plastic camera, so light can leak here and there. That is what happened here. I like these spontaneous failures of the camera.

So here again, after dinner I walked at night in a street crowded by tourist in clubs, I decided to peak in one of them and I saw that tattoo on the arm of the dude. He opened his hand toward the camera and I triggered before leaving.

I always had these image in my drawers and wanted to talk about them. Because they show the fun of traveling, experimenting new things, being curious, and good memories of moments spent abroad.

Even if stuck at home during this quarantine don’t forget to TRY NEW THINGS.

It makes you feel alive, and triggers curiosity.

I hope you enjoyed this post, if you wish to support my work and career

you can buy a print or a book on the shop; or just share this post!

Feel free to contact me if you have any suggestion

All my best,

Sébastien Van Malleghem