Photos by Didier Derien
Born 1969, married, two daughters, Transparent childhood, Left university after the first year to become a gardener, Had always taking pictures since 10-12 years old, Went into medium format about 3 years ago, Now starting to play with large format and enjoying it !
1) When did you start to think about photography?
I started taking photos at about 12 years old when my parents bought me a Canon AE1-P after some shitty cameras I’ve had, but thinking about photography in general and about my photography is pretty new. I would say it started when I started practicing medium format about 3 years ago. I also started to get interested in the work of contemporary photographers and learn very much from it.
2) What does it mean photography for you?
I often see the world in photographs and often regret that my eyes can’t take pictures in some situations
So photography is part of my everyday life and I would like to have much more time to give to it… it’s the only way I’ve found to express myself…
3) Witch kind of photography do you like more?
I mostly like portraiture and landscape photography, but the subject is not that important..
The most important thing is the way you approach and work your subject to get to what you want to show or tell.
4) When you take a portrait, what is important for you?
Taking a portrait is dealing with humanity, I try to show this feeling in its different aspects depending on my models…It could be love, anger, indifference, sadness, etc… it has to be vibrant and provoke some reaction.
5) Do you think it’s important to follow a school to learn how to shoot?
I’ve never been to a photo school, so it’s difficult to answer. You certainly have to learn some basics to reach what you want but a school is not the only way to learn nowadays.
6) What’s the photo you want to take and you never did?
the next to come.
7) What’s your photo-mission?
ahah! I’m not a Messiah… I’ve no photo-mission, I just slowly learn to see things and try to show things as I see them… All my images are self portraits…
