COUNTDOWN

When I discovered these photos at the lab, the last image immediately made me think again about the reasons why I take photographs. I thought that my own life -and yours- was like that negative, partly burnt already. Except that we can't open the roll and check it, to see what's left of the whole image. I don't see how I could be moved by beauty everyday without being obsessed by death; maybe some people can do it, not me. Funny it happened on a photo of the ocean, the place I hang on to when I need to forget about disappearance.

LEO

Not so long ago someone noticed that in most of my portraits people do not look directly into the camera. Maybe it's because I feel that the body also has something to say; forced eye contact might make the body language less powerful. It is also sort of violent for me to ask "look here, look at me". I am already stealing something to someone, and I am never very comfortable asking for more. And it's easier for me to tell a story with a photograph if one can imagine that I -as a photographer- am not in the picture. And that is what I end up asking -"pretend I am not there"... not easy, but sometimes I do happen to disappear. Thank you Leo!

SUMMER YOUTH

This year I spent the whole summer in France -except for a short trip to Spain. I really needed a break after so much traveling in the last couple of years. It's been more than 6 months now since I came back from San Francisco; and funny enough, I still see the moments I share with the friends I missed as unique and precious. At first I thought that feeling would not last, but everything still seems as easy as playing in the sun; I am protected.

SUMMER BREEZE

I have a group of friends that I only see by the ocean, and the way we relate is simple, nice and refreshing as a summer breeze. Maybe it's because we see each other when the days are longer, or maybe it's because we share the same playground -the sea.

NILS

I met Nils over the summer at the beach. I immediately decided that I should photograph him, but it took me a while to feel like I had enough time for it, and to ask him. He is 16. Obviously with someone like him, one keeps hesitating (mostly unconsciously, but in the end it shows) between photographing the statuesque body, or the charismatic kid. Of course I found the contrast between the apparent strength and the teenage fragility to be fascinating. I happened to have only B&W film left when we shot, so these images do not properly show Niels insane, beautiful red hair... next time! Thanks Nils for being such a cool, easy model!