A list of the most recent interviews

Camera obscura, Sept. 2010

From photo-stories to short movies is a detailed article on my art and the way I've started to work with video. It's a good reference on my opinion on this subject.

Something we like, Sept. 2010

Another quick interview with short questions and answers

MakeMyCreative, July 2010

A short general interview on MakeMyCreative

Photo-interview (Russian + English), March 2010

Magic Realism of Jean-Sébastien Monzani is a good introduction to my work where I've started to discuss video as well as photo.

Interview for Nerds Society by , Feb. 2009

This inverview runs over two pages: page 1 and page 2

Interview with Alda Silva, Sept 2008

This interview is a good general introduction to my work, inspiration, etc.

Older interviews

Interview en français sur Page261.com, Mai 2009

Une interview qui couvre mes parcours et approches de la photo sur Page 261

Jean-Sébastien Monzani qui es-tu ?

Je suis un photographe et graphiste franco-suisse indépendant, vivant à Lausanne (en Suisse). Mon travail personnel tourne principalement autour des portraits photographiques, mais j’aime varier les supports et mes images mêlent souvent dessin et photographie. Je m’intéresse également depuis peu au support vidéo.

Élégance, simplicité, un sens fort de la composition et émotion sont les points-clefs de mon travail. Mes photos sont souvent présentées en séries racontant une petite histoire.

J'ai lu que tu étais autodidacte. Que cela signifie-t-il réellement ? Quelle est la place des livres, des magazines, ou des ateliers dans ton apprentissage et en combien de temps es-tu arrivé à devenir professionnel ?

J’ai une formation d’ingénieur et un doctorat en infographie de l’Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne. Ce cursus très technique n’a pas grand chose à voir avec la recherche artistique que j’ai développé par moi-même. En devenant passionné par la photo dès 2000, j’ai appris par moi-même l’utilisation des logiciels en même temps que les techniques photographiques. Dans un premier temps, je me suis appuyé sur des livres ou magazines photo puis une fois les bases acquises, j’ai tracé mon propre chemin.

En parallèle de ces projets « pour le plaisir », on a commencé à me mandater pour réaliser des sites web, affiches, CD, etc. et c’est ainsi que je suis devenu professionnel. J’ai d’abord travaillé à temps partiel comme graphiste pendant 3 ans (à mon compte) et je suis maintenant professionnel à plein temps depuis deux ans.

Souvent, on dirait que tes photos sortent tout droit d'un plateau de tournage d'un film. Quel genre de photographie fais-tu ? Comment arrives-tu à faire le lien entre cinéma, illustrations, ... et même le théâtre avec la photo?

Avant de commencer la photo, j’ai monté avec plusieurs équipes des projets théâtraux. Ceci m’a aidé ensuite à expliquer au modèle ce que je recherchais, puis à construire de petites histoires photographiques. Je travaille d’ailleurs souvent avec des comédiennes.

Ma photo est essentiellement narrative, et l’esthétique du cinéma m’influence beaucoup.

Tous les différents éléments et média auxquels je touche sont complémentaires : photo, illustrations ou dessin obéissent par exemple aux même règles de composition d’image ou de couleurs. L’aspect narratif est présent au théâtre ou dans les courts-métrages. Enfin, composer un peu de musique me permet de réaliser les accompagnements musicaux de certains de ces petits films.

Quels matériels utilises-tu dans ton travail ?

Principalement un Canon EOS 5D Mark II, des focales fixes 35mm f2, 50mm f1.4, 85mm f1.8... Comme je travaille en lumière naturelle, un réflecteur est très pratique.

Si tu devais te contenter d'un boitier et d'un objectif, que choisirais-tu ?

Mon boîtier actuel (Canon EOS 5D Mark II) et le 85mm f1.8

Photographies-tu plus en studio ou à l'extérieur (y compris dans un local, mais sans les équipements d'un studio) ?

Principalement en extérieur et dans pratiquement tous les cas, en éclairage naturel. Je retouche ensuite la luminosité numériquement si elle ne me convient pas exactement.

Quelle est la place de la retouche dans ton travail, et avec quels logiciels ?

Photoshop me permet de retoucher d’une part la luminosité de manière locale, d’autre part la colorimétrie générale qui va donner une ambiance aux photos.

Peux-tu nous décrire les préparatifs d'un shoot ? (choix des modèles, préparatifs avec les modèles, préparatifs matériels, etc.)

Je commence par dessiner quelques croquis et créer une histoire, puis je choisis le modèle qui correspondra le mieux à ce projet. Nous regardons ensemble sa tenue puis faisons la séance qui dure en général trois heures. J’opère ensuite une sélection de photos avec le modèle, puis j’en travaille une qui va donner le réglage général de couleur et d’ambiance de la série. Il ne reste plus ensuite qu’à faire de même sur la totalité des images retenues.

Tu photographies souvent une personne à la fois ... presque jamais de garçon ou d'hommes, sauf en silhouette. Je me trompe peut-être. Très souvent aussi les modèles sont derrière une glace, ou ont de grosses casques sur les oreilles. Qu'est ce que tu essayes de faire comprendre à ceux qui regardent ces photos ?

La plupart de mes photos traitent de la solitude et des problèmes de communication de notre société. Je crois qu’il y a souvent beaucoup d’incompréhension dans ce que l’on essaie de se dire les uns les autres. La glace, le casque sont autant de moyens de montrer l’isolement de la personne, derrière un monde que l’on devine dans le reflet de la vitre ou dont elle n’écoute même plus les bruits. La thématique du souvenir et de la nostalgie est également très présente dans mes clichés, et c’est aussi ce que symbolise le casque.

Que conseillerais-tu à un apprenti photographe ?

De réfléchir à un concept avant de faire une photo : se forcer à dessiner ses images permet d’avoir une idée précise de ce que l’on souhaite. Elle aide le modèle et le photographe tout à la fois.

Interview with Bulb Magazine, May 2008

1.You are very creative in fields like graphic design as well as illustrations and photography. Which one of these forms of expression did you take up first and which one last?

When I was a little kid, I wanted to become a comic book illustrator, but I wasn't drawing much so I quickly forgot about it. I've started to enjoy photography in 1998, and my first photo-series appeared in 2000. As time passed by, I became interested in scanning my films on the computer (it was the easiest way to do colour photography) and this leaded me to experiment more and more with Photoshop. At a point, I simply thought that it would be interesting to try illustrations too - this is however rather recent (a little more than one year)

2. How important is for you photography as a form of expression and how did you begin taking pictures?

Photography is now for me one of the ways that I can use to create an image that I have in my mind. Illustration, drawing, painting, 3D rendering are other methods that I will use too, sometimes mixing them. For some time, I thought that theatre would be my main way of expressing ideas, and I started taking portraits of friends who were acting with me. This naturally evolved in photo-series and photo-stories.

3. Characteristic for your photography are the serials which almost want to tell us stories. It's what makes the difference between the professional and the amateur approach to photography. How do you prepare your stories? Do you first make sketches and decide of how many photos will the story be made of? Can you describe the process?

In order to make a session run smoothly, it is safer to plan it as much as possible. I start by looking around me for inspiration, reading books, looking at pictures in the street, magazines, books, movies, or in the internet. I also draw a basic storyboard that helps me explain what I'm looking for to the model. I often set up the number of photos at that time but this will evolve during the session, depending on my interaction with the model. We sometimes go beyond the storyboard too: the sketches are just a way to express the mood that I'm looking for.

4. You've also made a photo comic book. Is that just another way to present your serials or are you also a fan of comics?

I love comics, but I think that French-speaking Europeans have a more diverse comics culture than what you see in other countries. It's not limited to superheroes or fun books for children: it can basically talk of anything, just like movies. And some illustrators are amazingly talented too.

5. You're great at matching illustrations and photography. These combinations are always highly tasteful. Do you use these elements, I suppose vectors, when you feel that something is missing in the picture or do you already think how to arrange the composition before taking the picture thinking already where to put some illustrations later on?

Added elements aren't limited to vectors: hand-drawings, 3D can be part of this process too. Everything is planned ahead: I direct the model, telling her what "should" be there. I think it must feel the same than acting in front of a green screen. The most important aspect for me is that the blending of elements works smoothly. It's not something easy to explain: light, background, shadows, style... all of these will play a role.

6. Do orthodox photographers ever criticize you for that? There are worshippers of analogue photography who still can't swallow the existence of digital photography, you've taken a few steps forward combining photographs and illustrations.

Some people sometimes tell me I don't quite do photography and I do agree on that when I mix techniques and elements. But technique is not a substitute for talent. I think that most technical conversations, either pro- or against digital are just pointless and help people avoiding subjects such as "Why is your image NOT interesting?". It's way much easier to discuss megapixels and lenses than trying to come up with an original concept. My personal point is that I use whatever helps me to create what I have in mind. That's all. I've done black and white traditional darkroom, I've scanned films, I've used a digital camera. So what? Would I'd be here now if I hadn't challenged myself to go beyond what I already knew and try other things? Artists need to experiment, and try things. I've got few respects for people who always create the same image for years (unless they have found a really interesting style). Mona Lisa is painted on wood: do you think this really matters? Similarly, I don't care about your camera. I care about your image.

7. Recently among your numerous works I ran into a picture showing your equipment. If I'm not mistaken you don't owe any zoom lens and one editor was rather surprised that you don't have any Canon's L lens. I think that's a big slap in the face to all the speakers in behalf of expensive equipment and the high quality it will produce. However, your works possess exceptional visual quality. Is it about the post processing?

Yes and no. It's about preparing your work and thinking when shooting what kind of postprocessing you'll need to do in order to create your image. Now regarding your question on equipment, I own quite a good camera (Canon EOS 5D) which creates smooth images even at high-ISO. That's something important to me. As for lenses, quick tests will show you that non-pro prime lenses easily match pro zoom lenses. They are lighter and have a larger aperture. What else could I ask for? On the other hand, non-pro zooms aren't that good, that's why I don't use them (and they have a small aperture too). To close discussion on this: yes, there are some pro fix-focal lenses too. Bulky, heavy, pricey and not much improvement in performance - I don't see much advantage in switching to these.

8. Many authors jealously keep their creation process secret. You on the other hand sometimes write a tutorial next to a work of yours thinking about those who don't have a good knowledge. Is that maybe the easiest way to get rid of those who are constantly annoying you with questions how you did this and how you did that? :)

I'd rather say it's the opposite: you get more questions when you start writing tutorials than when you don't. I have been a teacher in the university for years and I love to explain things. That's why I do so. But what interests me is to describe techniques, so that people can adapt them to their needs, rather than doing a walkthrough on a particular piece.

9. I've read somewhere that your works have been used too often without your permission. Can you tell us about that and have you ever noticed that your work influenced any other photographer in any way?

It's not an influence, it's people just taking my photos and pretending they're theirs. A pro photographer in New York stole my portraits portfolio. Some people used my pics as backgrounds for stage performances. Some put profiles with my works. Some sold them as background for phones with their own watermark.

I could go on and on but you get the idea: it's quite easy to steal but it's something I can't quite avoid unfortunately. Of course, I almost always manage to make them removed from these stupid sites. Of course, these stealings hurt me too.

10. Talking about influences, are there any authors who inspired you or left a particular influence on your work? Is there any author maybe whose photos and interview you would like to read in Bulb magazine?

There are photographers that I love but it will be difficult to get an interview with them :) If so, I would *love* to read it!

Gregory Crewdson makes amazing installations for instance. Julia Fullerton-Batten recently got a price for a recent work which was quite deserved too. I could go on and on and cite Loretta Lux, the Xteriors series from Desiree Dolron, fashion work of Peter Lindbergh or Tim Walker, or the small landscapes of Didier Massard as opposed to the large images of Andreas Gursky

I've got a huge respect for these photographers. I'm not sure you can say they have an influence on me but there are definitively creative and wonderful artists.

Interview with LightFast, March 2008

This is a copy of the interview I gave to Lightfast photography.

Jean-Sébastien is a photographer that I had seen around a lot in the deviantART community but had never taken the time to go and check out his work. When I started this feature up four or five months ago he was a name that I had quickly considered as someone that I needed to go and see.

When I viewed his immensely populated gallery, I was stunned by the incredible variety of punchy portraits he has lurking in the dark corners of his gallery. It's understandable why he has so many photos in there. Aside from the fact that he has a passion for what he does, every photo is so good that he can't bring himself to take any of them out. As he mentions in the interview, one of the principal things he does with his photography is tell a story. To tell a photo-story, you need emotion where you don't have words and Jean-Sébastien does this magnificently.

So Jean-Sébastien Monzani tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a 32 years old Swiss and French freelance photographer and graphic designer. I have been living in Lausanne, Switzerland since 1993. I have been interested in photography since 1998, but my real first photo-series began in 2000. Most of my work is based on series and stories, as we will discuss later on.

I am completely self-taught: I’ve got a PhD in Computer Graphics but this was really from a very technical point of view. As I noticed that it lacked the artistic values I was looking for, I started doing photos on my own. Things developed and people started to ask me to do some jobs and that’s how I became a freelance graphic designer. I’ve learned photography by joining forums and discussion groups on the internet.

What got you interested in taking up photography?

I have been attracted by images for a long time. When I was a kid, my father (who is an amateur painter) brought me to some museums and exhibitions… maybe this is related as I often bought painting books.

I bought a camera in 1998 and started doing some random shots. I then asked some friends who were doing theatre with me to pose and that’s how I really got interested in portraiture. When I had the idea of creating small stories, this all went into a new direction that I’m still exploring today.

I usually start up by drawing a storyboard which is the basis for the photo-session. The model will often propose poses or interpretations during the session… all of these create the final storyline.

Since taking up photography, have you changed what you photography or how you look at things? Why is that?

Yes, that’s definitively the case. I have become very interested in composition, geometry and colour and this (unfortunately for my friends) shows in everyday life. Why unfortunately? Because I’ll quite easily pick up what’s wrong in a composition – of course, one can argue there’s no right or wrong, just personal taste. But yes, indeed, it became something important to me. Whether you’ll show me a movie, a photo, a logotype, a poster – I’ll probably have an opinion on that. I sometimes wish it wasn’t the case, though!

I’m not the kind of person who snaps shots in the streets so you will rarely see me pop a camera out of my bag. And if I do, it will probably be to shoot textures, blurry images… these are all materials that are very important for later post-processing and for graphic and photographic design in general.

What inspires you to photograph the way you do? What made your style?

Working with a model is a wonderful source of inspiration, especially when we try to create a story together. They love to act and pretend they are someone else. Most of them are not pro and just started modelling when I asked them to pose. I like this simplicity and complexity: people say it shows on the pics and I think I can believe them.

I am very inspired by movies, books, paintings… maybe less by photographs, at least, recently. I often try to challenge myself to create something new and different from my previous works: it is very very very important to me.

My goal is to create an emotion, whether it can be through sad, intriguing or happy images. My whole work isn’t into a single direction, but some themes often emerge. Solitude is one of them, or lack of communication. I think that this emotional part is what makes my style. At least, for the moment…

From a technical point of view, my images are characterised by a careful sense of composition, the almost exclusive use of available lighting and strong colours. There is always a mood and an atmosphere – and people will relate to them: they will get the feeling of an old city at night, for instance… mysteries around the corner of the street…

I like to cite Antoine de St-Exupéry: “Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing more to add, but nothing more to remove”. This sums up pretty well my approach to composition and photography in general.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

That’s quite a difficult question to answer. I think that this image of the Atlantyopia photostory came out pretty nice: I’ve used a flash hidden in the wall to light the model. The red lines and floating fishes give an intriguing mood and from my point of view, make the viewer want to learn more.

How far do you see yourself taking your profession?

Well, I will of course continue to work on personal photo projects and keep graphic design as my main professional activity. I sometimes take photos for clients too. Most of the photo projects you’ll see on my website are personal, non-professional work. To me, you’re a pro when you get paid for what you’re doing and my policy is quite simple: I won’t take anything if it doesn’t interest me.

I would also love to have more budget for my personal projects but this is going to be difficult, I’m afraid.

What do you seek to achieve with your photography?

I want to strike an emotion, to create an image in front of which, you just want to stare and think it’s beautiful. I don’t deliver a message, I just want to share art with others and make them feel an emotion.

I get a lot of positive feedback on my work and this has always been a great motivation. So, thanks to all people who keep commenting and supporting me!

Interview for Designer's Depot, Feb. 2008

Transcript from this interview

Please tell us a brief info about yourself.

I am a Swiss and French self-taught photographer born in 1975 who is specialized in graphic design and portrait photography. I was born in France and moved at 18 to Lausanne, Switzerland, where I live now.

Elegance, simplicity, a strong sense of composition and emotions are key elements in my work. My images are often constructed as photo-series - something between fashion photography and movie storyboards. I mainly shoot on-location, almost exclusively in Lausanne (Switzerland). I don’t shoot professional models but rather pick up regular persons that will carry the emotions I’m looking for.

This sentence of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry sums it up pretty well to me: Perfection in design is not achieved when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove.

When did you first decide to become a graphic artist / illustrator?

I’ve started to work for friends upon the years, but it became serious in 2006, when I’ve started my part-time freelance work - besides teaching Computer Science at the university. On October 2007, this became my main activity. Since I’m getting more and more clients, I’m pretty confident it will go well.

What camera do you use? What other tools do you use in creating your artworks?

I’ve used many cameras and for a long time, I have scanned and retouched my films. But when Canon’s EOS 5D came out, it suddenly appeared as the perfect camera for me. It’s still my main tool today and I quite love it. The camera is nothing without good lenses: I don’t use zooms, only fix-focal lenses (35mm f2, 50mm f1.4, 85mm f2.8 mainly). Photoshop plays an important part in my work, but I can sometimes use Illustrator, Cinema 4D, Swishmax and many other tools.

Who or what inspires you?

I’m inspired by many things that I see everyday, often by on-line portfolios of artists and blogs. I also watch a lot of movies, and often go to the theatre. This gives the mix of illustration and narrative series that you usually see in my work.

Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?

I’m completely self-taught, but I also own a PhD in Computer Graphics. While this has nothing to do with art and design, it gave me a better understanding of graphic tools and concepts. Actually, I’m both a technician (software engineer) and an artist.

How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

I simply try to look a lot around me and develop my own style and the same time. Some designs are cutting edge but too original for clients. Some others are purely decorative and lack clarity. When you work on commercial projects, you have to focus on the /functionality/ and then propose correct designs.

What are your current projects?

I always work on numerous projects: brochures for institutions, websites for small business, illustration for the luxury business, design of a CD for a singer... This diversity is something I love in my work. As well as the possibility to refuse jobs that I don’t like (mainly photo-sessions).

Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?

I’m mainly proud of my personal photo projects :) I quite like some posters I’ve done for clients and the upcoming CD design I was speaking earlier will be quite cool too.

Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?

I’ve already tried a lot of things but what I’d like to improve is simply drawing on paper. I’m not speaking of painting, shading... just drawing.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

During the day, I try to make pauses and surf of blogs such as http://ffffound.com/ for a refreshing change. I also devote time to personal projects, sometimes taking a day off. If possible, one personal project each month is a good thing: this involves finding ideas, planning them and of course shooting photos.

Finish this sentence. "If I weren't an artist/illustrator I would have been a...

Actor or plays director. I’ve spent some time on the stage and quite love it. Even if this life is too difficult for me :)

and finally, What advices/tips can you give to the novice designer/ illustrator?

I don’t know for other people but I’m constantly thinking of art and design: I don’t do this because I’m looking for ideas, I just happen to like it. Since I’m completely self-taught (never went to an art school), I can only make this job because I’m passionate about it. I love it.

You must be devoted and passionate about your art and your work. And your art must accommodate to commercial needs to! Think of it before starting up!

Older interviews list

Interview Andrei Popovici Vlad (Oct. 2007)

Interview for todays-artists.com (Feb. 2007)

Interview pour arrimagephoto (2006)

Interview with dcview, Oct. 2002

Interview with iphotoforum.com

On the 24th of October, 2002, I was interviewed by dcview.com.tw, a famous taïwanese website on photography (others photographers followed).

The interview script was in English, and then translated to taïwanese ;-) It's available here: part 1, part 2 and part 3.