Contrarily to photographers who compose with ambient natural light, I have the luxury to use light as much as I want to! Without light, photography wouldn’t exist. I like to shape certain atmospheres, bodies, faces, or facial expressions. With lighting, you can do everything!
What is your relationship with your photographic gear? Are you a “technophiliac”?
I truly like my equipment and I try to take care of it as much as I can. But new products are always attracting, and the latest technologies or the new functionalities are always tempting to try out.
When I see the most recent advances in softboxes or continuous lights, it can be frustrating to not be able to upgrade my equipment as much as I want to!
I’m always interested in new products, but I’m less interested in purchasing them. In the end, it’s also a budgetary constraint.
Don't be afraid, just try!
Flash photography can be quite scary for beginners, what would you say to them to make it easier?
To try! We only understand how lighting works by trying out various set ups; and we learn more from our failures than our successes. There’s a certain logic in lighting that you have to understand and master before completely delving into flash photography.
By first learning the main lighting techniques, you can start taking great images. Once you’re in the middle or at the end of a photo shoot, you can try out other techniques, that way you do not put your whole shooting in jeopardy.
Why do you think media is an important tool for photographers nowadays?
I tend to use social media in a meaningful way. I use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and YouTube for tutorials.
To see and be seen, that’s the whole point of social networks! I use it both to show my work to others, but also to learn from fellow photographers.