"Shoot with your heart and your eyes. The rest will follow. Photography is a commitment, so be ready to live it." Olivier De Rycke
"Light my fire"Art Model Elisabetta
Dear Olivier, we want to know how did your passion begin ?
It happens in two times, with a great gap in between. I like to tell the story...
I started to interest myself in the subject as a teen, but I did not takle the subject right at that time. I was really wondering how photographers could realize such great and nice pictures I could see on posters, magazines. I was using my cameras without technical knowledge and without really looking. So I gave up when my camera was stolen. I did not touch a camera for 10 years !
"My power"
Art Model Marie
Art Model Marie
To understand photography, it came much later when I started to make it a hobby. I was fond of computer and was running a computer shop that took a lot of my time. I really needed to escape from this. At my father death I inherited his camera, a Canon A1. I had a client who was a photographer so I asked what to think about this camera, I had no idea. He kindly said it was a good camera to learn and advised me to go to a photoclub for that purpose which I did. And here it started all over again !
I have then really undergone the learning process of technics and understanding what was an image to realise that it appealed to me. Shooting nudes was another story !
"Spleen"
Art Model Carmen
Today I mostly shoot nudes for my job. Never having approached nudes photography before, this could seem far from obvious.
A few tries at the photoclub made me understand the difficulty of this kind of shooting, so I stayed on practicing only portraits.
It is when I have been offered to attempt a one week photographer gathering in Mallorca on the subject that it appeared to be a revelation and a great opportunity to make my hobby a real job !
I just did it and it went fine. I came back with 6 000 pictures that I show to my friend, editor of internet content who offered me this trip. When he saw that he just proposed me to join his team !
"Gone"Art Model Maria
"Harvest of desire"Art Model Olga
"See you"
Art Model Amandine
I love the story ! Finally, where did you really learn your art ?
In fact, by my own and in a photoclub as said above. First I am reading a lot : magazines, books on subjects as technique or about images, colors etc. Second the photoclub, I attended for 3 years was a good start to practice photography, especially portraits. But I must say, that the most important to learn is to have a look around you.
You must teach yourself to watch with another eye than anybody else.
That was what I did not understand at first when I started photography when I was a teen.
This learning process was eased by the fact that I am Fond of art also, especially modern art. I have been surrounded with it when I was a kid thanks to my family. This has been strenghtened when the director of fondation Veranneman in Belgium became a friend of mine. I was then attempting most of the previews by the time, and I was just fond of artists like Botero, Magritte, Delvaux, Mathieu, Zao Whou Ki... and so many I cannot tell ! I even started to collect on my own.
It was the foundations of my understanding about images, but this has been strenghten when I interested myself in photographs. I am really curious about everything, I keep looking and looking even now !
"Nonsense"Art Model Maria
"A second gone"
Art Model Liana
Art Model Liana
How long could you be far from your camera ?
To tell the truth, my brain is working on ideas all the time and it happens that I need some rest from time to time. Indeed, I am looking for new ways of photographying so the shooting for shooting has a little bit desappeared.
However I consider important to practice quite often. So after one or two weeks without going on production I really feel the need to go for it and plunge into the creation process again. The thrill of it is a real drug.
But ok, I admit I always have a camera on me !
I have the same feeling with the words. Who are your favorite photographers ?
A lot, there are so many talented people out there that I am just surprised. I everyday fall in love about a picture I have found. For some photographers it can be their entire work which makes me thrilled... A few well know photographers I enjoy : Jean-Loup Sief, Hamilton, Bettina Rheims, Helmut Newton, Andreas H. Bitesnich and some others like Désirée Dolron, Christian Coigny... I regret I cannot tell about everyone !
"Take a big breath"
Art Model Eve
How long dit it take to find your own style ? Could you define it ?
That's the big question : that's 2 years and a half that I am doing nudes and it is not yet well defined.
I touch to everything, try many ambiances, but it seems that in all my pictures a few characteristics appears like the look of the model, the pose (fashion like what I prefer) and the composition that are of great importance to me.
I also try not only to show the body but the mood, the model's inner personnality. It gave the title of my coming book : "My body My Soul" !
So, there is a message you want to express through your work ?
Certainly !
Beauty, espression and respect... I really try to catch the best of the model when I am working on my photo series. Never forget the model is a woman and deserve the greatest respect.
It seems ambiguous or contradictory to show nudes for that purpose. But if considering nudes as the state of art and as the upmost natural of our human condition I will go on work of this infinite subject of predilection.
"Closer"
Art Model Tereza
Art Model Tereza
You're so right ! Do you plan every details of a shooting ?
I am of improvisation ! First because I have no choice and second I really prefer.
First reason : I discover the location and the models at the same time as I travel to meet them. There is no way to meet the model before and to visit locations. But this way, first ideas are most of the time the real fresh ones.
Second : I prefer ! Because, this way you do not try to copy or do what has been done. The part of improvisation will always bring something new.
Your duty is to create an atmosphere, then I consider the shooting as a performance between two actors on the stage, playing, advancing till the point that the model gives a sight or gesture full of emotion : so then we did it !
You seem to use mainly a studio ?
In fact no ! I prefer daylight and often work in difficult light conditions. I really push my camera and lens to its limits. I do not have so much lightings equipment so It is hard for me to create ambiances which I would like. So in order to work in those ambiances I use the daylight and what is offered to me.
"Old room"Art Model Michelle
"Uncertain circonstance"
Art Model Lucy
Some words about your marvellous models ?
I have to pay tribute as they have not such an easy task. Have you ever tried to pose ? Believe it is not easy at all. Some do it with great ease as if they were born to be in front of the camera. They do it with natural and grace. For the other, it is the job of the photographer to make them feel at ease and let their pose become as natural as possible.
They are like actors without text to tell ! I really think it is necessary to have a good knowledge of ourselves to pose well, and certainly to feel good in its body and mind. Dealing with nudity, it is then even more obvious the have this high spirit.
And how do you feel at the end of a shooting ?
Exhausted ! I give all I have. And I move a lot in fact. This I need, it helps to find angles, point of view originals... It happens that I pose better than the model ! It makes the joy of my fiancée who is sometime doing the backstage pictures.
The shooting is really like a photo report ! It moves, it lives, I try to catch the special moments... The aim is to compose and picture those little details that will create the ambiance, always behaving discreetly so the model feels at ease.
"Come in my dream"
Art Model Dasa
Art Model Dasa
Have you some challenges you're dreaming about ?
I am really interested in the fashion photography. I approach my area of nudes a little bit as fashion photography and I must say I am fascinated by it. So maybe one day I will be able to work in this area, who knows !
But first my dream is to create my own photo studio. As at the moment I rent locations and travel quite a lot to realize my pictures. I now feel the need to work more in studio and especially to make it easier for models and so to catch opportunities when they travel nearby ! So Paris or Latvia are two possibilities I am studying.
It is not planned yet, unfortunatly. By the way if someone is interested by my work for an exhibition they can contact me. I feel ready for it !
"My Fantasy"Art Model Klarys
You have published a book ? Is there one to come ?Yes, a book is about to arrive in two weeks time. The title is "My Body, My Soul" and it is released by a french editor "les éditions Ragage". I am really excited to have my first book realized, and I consider it is a real chance for me that an editor accepted to publish my work.
A message to send ?
Shoot with your heart and your eyes. The rest will follow. Photography is a commitment, so be ready to live it.
Thanks a lot Olivier ! What a nice interview... I really appreciate your support. Come back soon !
1 comment:
Great photos!
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