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

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!

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

Inspiration plays a key part in every artist’s work, what inspires you to create the most?

I’m mainly inspired by movies, paintings, and other photographers. Some books can also inspire me, I’m thinking for instance of Haruki Murakami’s novels.

Does your technical background (I know about your work in designing models to control virtual autonomous humans) relates in any way with your artistic work?

Not really. I have two separated works: I’m both teaching Computer Science in the University and working as a freelance graphic designer. My PhD in Computer Graphics rooted in my interest in art and graphics in general but it was more part of the lab’s research than my own personal interests.

I know you are also writing and performing plays on the theatre stage, please tell me a few words about theatre as a different way of expression than photography.

Theatre is about emotions, and pretending you’re someone else. What I like when watching a play is both emotions and the way theatre and its conventions can be used to create visual elements that have no equivalents elsewhere. It’s not about building a visual universe and a story like in movies, but more using different ways of expressions.

Please tell me two name of artists that influenced you the most in your work over the years.

I love the enigmatic work of Gregory Crewdson and I would really like to have such a lot of equipment as he does. I really enjoy some paintings of Edward Hopper, they have a nice tension, dramatic sense and wonderful colors.

What will be your future plans?

I am going to stop teaching at the university and hope to work fulltime as a freelance graphic designer.

Any final words for us?

Thank you for your time, I hope that you will enjoy visiting my gallery: pictures speak for themselves

Interview Andrei Popovici Vlad, Oct. 2007

I understand that you have had a passion for visual arts from a very young age (designing graphics on an Atari). What attracted you to the medium of photography especially?

When I bought a SLR camera in 1998, I had no real subject or artistic ideas. I just felt too limited by regular compact cameras that I could borrow and thought it would be a nice idea to have mine. But it took two years before I did my first portraits and really enjoyed to share ideas and interact with a person while creating an image.
I have also 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 used the B&W darkroom for one year and learned a lot there, but everything just became exciting when I bought my first film-scanner. And some years later, digital cameras.

Every photographer remembers his very first camera. What is your story?

When I bought my first SLR (Canon 500), I was so glad it came with a 28-200mm lens. It took me some years of occasional shooting to understand how crappy it was... I sold the lens back and bought a 50mm f1.8... Everything started then! Even now, I really enjoy taking a film camera and a 50mm.

Your main works today are in the form of photo series, or stories. When did you start arranging your photographs and ideas this way and what kind of photos were you shooting before that?

I've almost always done photo-series: when you're working with a model, you have a lot of time to experiment together and you end up with lots of pictures. As time passed, I've started to make some sketches and drawings prior to the session and it naturally evolved into photo-stories in 2003 with "Waiting for tenderness"

I have probably been influenced by theatre, since I was writing and directing theatre plays at that time.


Have you done any commercial or commissioned work so far? If yes, what was the subject and what did you think about it? Do you prefer the freedom of shooting for your own enjoyment?

I usually only take commercial photo projects if I have enough freedom, and I generally shoot pictures for myself. My recent commercial works included creating illustration images for a website that I was designing to help students finding jobs. It was a very funny session with lots of models. For three other clients, I have been commissioned to create luxury images for posters and brochures. Something that I like very much too, even though you need to take the client's need into account.


Is there a deeper, less accessible meaning behind the beautiful images you create? Are you trying to transmit something through your photographs and if yes, what is it?

I often try to create emotion, whether it can be through sad, intriguing or happy images. My whole work isn't target towards one direction, but some themes often emerge. Solitude is one of them, or lack of communication.

Interview pour arrimagephoto (2006)

Quand avez-vous commencé la photographie ?
Je commence à m'intéresser à la photographie en 1998, comme simple loisir. Il faudra attendre le début 2001 pour que j'entame sérieusement mes premières séries de portraits, qui constituent une part importante de mon travail.
Quel est votre parcours photographique ?
Pas d'école de photo car je suis plutôt autodidacte, et c'est donc en me lançant des défis que j'avance ! En même temps, ma formation (doctorat en infographie) a certainement été un atout dans ma progression.
Quel matériel utilisiez vous à vos débuts ? Et maintenant ?
J'ai commencé sur l'EOS 50E de Canon et j'utilise maintenant l'EOS 5D. Au delà du boîtier, les objectifs sont pour moi très importants : 85mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 35mm f2... une configuration plutôt classique en focales fixes. Une de mes particularités est de travailler quasi exclusivement en lumière naturelle.
Travaillez vous toujours avec le même film photo ?
Je suis depuis un peu plus d'un an en 100% numérique. Pour le film, j'aimais bien la finesse du Superia 100 et en N&B, la qualité de la TMAX 400.
Pourquoi faites-vous de la photographie ?
En travaillant sur des séries de portraits, j'aime donner corps à de petites histoires, sans être trop démonstratif non plus... Chaque visiteur en fera sa propre interprétation. Le fait que je fasse beaucoup de théâtre n'est probablement pas étranger à mon intérêt !
Qu'est ce qui vous inspire ?
Le cinéma, principalement. Le travail d'autres photographes, la publicité, le théâtre... J'aime combiner la perfection technique avec le petit "plus" qu'apporte un mini-scénario, ou une ambiance. Je me sens donc très proche d'un photographe comme Peter Lindberg, p.ex.
Quels autres sujets photographiques vous intéressent ?
En plus du portrait, j'aime donner libre cours à mon imagination dans des photomontages. Certains paysages m'intéressent également, mais c'est un sujet plus difficile pour moi.
Vous est-il arrivé de faire des photographies que vous avez regretté ?
Non. Il m'arrive parfois d'être déçu par des photos, bien sûr... Dans l'autre cas, je ne m'endors de toute façon par sur mes lauriers car je suis très perfectionniste. La meilleure photo est souvent celle à venir...
Si vous aviez à ne choisir qu'un boîtier, un objectif, et une pellicule, vers lesquels votre choix se porterait ?
Sans hésiter mon actuel EOS 5D et le 85mm f1.8. C'est un objectif assez peu polyvalent mais son rendu en portrait est sans pareil !
Aimez vous le travail des autres photographes ?
J'apprécie particulièrement les photos de Peter Lindberg, Jeanloup Sieff, Patrick Demarchelier et Gregory Crewdson. Certaines photos de Desiree Dolron et de David Bradford également.
Est-ce qu'il y a une photographie d'un photographe que vous auriez aimé faire ?
Sarah Moon peut-être ? Avec la tentation de copier son style ;)
Quel est le travail d'un photographe que vous aimeriez faire connaître ?
Gregory Crewdson n'est pas très connu et c'est bien dommage car ses mises en scène ultra-précises sont très spectaculaires !
La photographie parfaite existe-elle ?
Probablement pas car nos critères des valeurs sont tous différents. Pour ma part, c'est une photo qui combinerait une rigueur de composition avec un aspect esthétique prononcé, et une part de sincérité.
Et si la photographie n'existait pas ?
... il nous resterait la peinture, le dessin, le théâtre, la musique. ... si la photographie n'existait pas, il me faudrait trouver d'autres moyens de m'exprimer !

Interview with dcview, Oct. 2002

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. Here is the English version...

As we know, you now live in France. Would you let us know some stories happening in your photography?

I was actually borned in France, but I moved to Switzerland 9 years ago. As these two countries share the same language, it wasn't a big effort to move there. I really like Switzerland, people are less stressed than in France and in Lausanne (the city I'm living in), there are plenty of artistic events. This is very important to me as I equally share my spare time between theatre and photography.

Due to your fairly unique photography style, people seem to identify your work without much effort. How do you attribute this accomplishment to your unique photographic style ? Is it attributed to your charm of using light , intension on photographic composition, or unique skills or concept on darkroom post production ?

First, I don't think that so many people are able to identify uniquely my work. In the feedback I'm receiving, people usually like the "softness" of my images, and the way I'm creating images into which models are not "posing" too much. I'm really paying attention to adding this "natural" feeling into my work. This is a combination of various elements:

- My pictures are shot under natural light. I'm occasionnaly using reflectors, but usually, the sunlight is the best source to me!

- Sessions are carefully prepared with the model: we discuss poses, makeup, accessories... But while the session is going on, we're chating a lot and models usually don't know what and when I'm shooting. This element gives the "natural" feeling of the scene.

- Postproduction: I'm not manipulating my images, but I'm really concerned by finding the right contrast and intensity for every picture. This careful attention associated with proper selection of shooting environments (I try to keep them as clean and simple as possibles) adds the final touch. Photographers should really pay attention to the final image: I've seen numerous examples of pictures that could have been greatly improved by just changing their exposure or adjusting their tone curve, for instance.

The interaction or mutual response between photographer and model, would you advise any skill or technique to apply? Is it necessary for photographer to interpret the final image goal he/she tries to achieve? Or just simply lead the motion or gesture of model?

Discussing with the model prior to the session is very important. This doesn't mean that you have to plan every pose or every expression: but once you've defined the atmosphere and ideas that you'd like to convey, it's way easier to play with these "rules" and change them on the fly. Furthermore, models are more confident if they know what the session will look like before starting it (this is important as my models are not profesionnals).

It seems there exists consistent style & tone of your work. What do you think the influence style do to photographic work?

Every photographer is influenced by others' works. I'm not pretending to take new images that were never seen before. It just comes out that you discover after a certain time that your interpretation of images becomes coherent, even if the original image that inspired you was different.

There are quite many amateur photographers doing human photography work at DCview.com Would you kindly give some advices for those who like to spend more time on this area ?

My advices would only apply to "posed" images (and not journalism, for instance).

- prepare the session, and have something in mind: an atmosphere that you'd like to convey, a story... Be precise on the accessories and place that you'd like to use.

- discuss with the model. Make her/him confident by explaining your goals. It's way easier than starting a session from scratch.

- take care of the lightning: this is the most important part. Keep it soft (shoot under shaded areas for instance) to flatter the model's face.

- keep chating with the model during the session, explain what you're doing.

It appears that many photographers pay quite some concerns to value of their photography or what their photographic work tries to express. In your opinion, is there any method or skill to upgrade the value of photographic work in art sense ?

I don't think so. Acceptation of your work and opinion of others' is unpredictable. Listen to others' opinions but keep your originality.

Thank you very much for spending time to accept our interview. Please give some words to photography lovers for Dcview.com members.

Thanks for reading this interview! Don't be fooled by people only concerned by cameras and technical aspects: most of my images could have been shot with an old manual SLR and a cheap 50mm lens! Technique is not everything, and you don't need expensive equipment to make great images. But pay attention to your image, look at the light, make a good composition. And that's it!

Another thing: Photoshop is not magic: if your image is bad, there are very little chances that you could improve it digitaly. It's better to shoot another one. Photography is also luck. If 10% of your production is interesting, it will already be a great amount!

Don't forget to look at others' work: ads, movies... there are plenty of images everywhere. Creativity comes from inspiration, and inspiration is leaded by what you perceive everyday.

Interview with iphotoforum.com

The interview below is a copy of what Nate MC wrote about me.

Jean-Sébastien Monzani has been an influence on my photography ever since I saw his work online at www.simplemoment.com. His portraiture is quite amazing and has a storybook/cinematic feeling to it. Plus he is an all around nice guy.

IPF: Where did you grow up and where are you living now?

JSM: I was Born in Aix-les-Bains, France in 1975. I've moved at 18 to Lausanne, Switzerland (for my studies) and I'm still living and working there. I love Switzerland

IPF: do you think that your geographic location and culture had any effect on the look of your photos?

JSM: I don't think so, but I've got to admit that the clean style of Swiss designers must had an influence on my own work. Similarly, I'm looking a lot at ads, posters on the streets. So, I can also say that my environment influences me at some point.

IPF: Did you attend a school to get any formal training and education for photography, or is it self-taught?

JSM: It is self-taught. As a Computer Scientist, my PhD was related to graphics but on the very technical side - nothing related to any artistic activity. Besides that, this background surely helped me to understand the digital tools.

IPF: how do you prepare for a shoot? How do you get the model onboard and convey your idea, and then do it. What kind of lighting do you use. Basically, how do you go from conception to final product?

JSM: I can split my work into four phases: I start by looking around me for inspiration, reading books, looking at pictures in the street, magazines, or in the internet. Once I get the idea, it's time to locate a place that could provide the required atmosphere and lighting. I'm always using available lighting during the session (no extra source). Sometimes, someone assists me and bounces the light with a reflector, but basically, what you see is what you get. I'm not cheating that much. Some tests shots of the place prior to the session help a lot.

Next step is the discussion with the model, prior to the session. This doesn't mean that you have to plan every pose or every expression: but once you've defined the atmosphere and ideas that you'd like to convey, it's way easier to play with these "rules" and change them on the fly. Furthermore, models are more confident if they know what the session will look like before starting it (this is important as my models are not professionals). The selection of clothes is also made at that time.

The session itself lasts around 2 to 3 hours, resulting in approximately 150 pictures, from which usually 5 to 10 will be selected. As I said previously, I'm sometimes asking for external help (lighting with the reflector or makeup). We keep talking while working, the goal is also to have fun!

Finally, I transfer the pictures to the computer (or scan them) and this is when I'm adjusting the colors.

IPF: How much has digital come into play with your photography? Is it a heavy influence to use the digital darkroom?

JSM: It really provided the flexibility of traditional B&W darkroom in a way more flexible manner (and in color too). Color adjustments are the most important part. Local adjustments of color, lightness and contrast are namely the most interesting features.

IPF: How much do you think digital will affect photographers as a whole in 5 years?

JSM: I hope that we will get digital cameras that can provide as much information as film. I personally like digital cameras for their really clean pics, but the size of the sensor, the dynamic of the image (the number of shades that the camera can record) are major bottlenecks right now. When they'll evolve, I'll switch to digital without any regret.

IPF: What photographers, cinematographers, and artists have been an influence on you?

JSM: Photographers: I like Patrick Demarchelier, Jeanloup Sieff, Peter Lindberg and Jean-François Jonvelle (and many others). I generally like movies from Asia, but also cel-animation like Miyazaki's work. On the painting side, I love René Magritte and Vermeer.

IPF: Do you let other's opinions sway your work, say you have a photo and someone says to do something else next time, do you do it, or do you just take it into consideration but not let it change your style?

JSM: I like to get feedback, especially on some specific points of a picture. But if someone suggests a completely different pose, I usually won't take this into account, unless it does make sense for me But I've gotta say that I've learned a lot from others' critiques!

IPF: Allot of your work is model / people based photography. Is this purely by choice, do you find people more interesting than other subjects?

JSM: What's absolutely nice with models (and I remind you that my models are not pros - just people that I had met) is that the subject of the picture is immediately available. If you're looking for journalistic or abstract pictures, it is way more difficult to find out a subject. I would say that I'm sticking to this themes is because I'm too lazy to look for something more complex More seriously, I love how people interact with me: there's such a huge range of expressions available! - tracking the right ones is an exciting challenge to me.

IPF: Since you do shoot with models so often, how do you avoid getting into a rut in regards to posing them?

JSM: Haha! Well even for sexy pictures, my main concern is to make a nice photo, as I'm not working for, say, Playboy. Regardless of the pose, I'm focusing during the session on the final image, not on the fact that I'm fronting a very seductive person. That's how I'm getting the models' trust too!

Once the pictures are shot, we select the final ones with the model. And if she wants me not to publish one, I will of course respect that. I'm not mixing photography and flirting and I think that this is where I get my credibility

IPF: Do you feel that a models personality and ability to work with a photographer truly is important to a successful shoot, or is the photographer the one that should be blamed for poor posing and facial expressions?

JSM: Having an expressive model arguably helps. However, if the photographer fails to explain what he/she wants or doesn't guide the model during the session then, for sure, the pictures won't be interesting. Poor sexy posing for instance are often the photographer's fault and reflect his/her lack of inspiration.

IPF: How are you outputting your prints?

JSM: On-line prints at http://pro.colormailer.com - it's great!

IPF: Do you feel that film will always have a place for photographers, especially black and whites for their tonal values and slide films for their color saturation?

JSM: I'm using negative color films and B&W (but B&W processing is more and more difficult) and they can really record way more tones that digital photography. Most of my pictures simply couldn't have been digitally shot.

IPF: Where are you hoping to take your current career?

JSM: Oh well, I really don't now. I'm just trying to have fun and don't stick to a specific style. I've recently worked a lot on photomontages for instance.

IPF: Any last words, comments, rants, or maybe a death threat?

JSM: Well thanks for the interview. I hope that my English explanations weren't too messy Take care!

IPF: Thanks for your time, I hope everyone gets a chance to see your work at www.simplemoment.com