16.11.09
French Portrait, Beauty and Fashion Photographer Michel Momy Interviewed
“I like to photograph celebrities as it shows there is very little difference between them and other humans” Michel Momy
THE FACTS
Born: Cannes, 26 November 1947
Education: Parsons School,NYC ’81-‘82
First commission: Façade, i-D, English Vogue
Clients: L’Oréal,Marie Claire, i-D etc
Based: Planet Earth
Heroes: Ghandi, John Lennon, Picasso, Joe Strummer
Highlight:“Perhaps that is why I have had to stay contemporary.”
Cameras: Hasselblad and Leica
Professional Photographer:You’ve enjoyed an incredible, long, successful and distinguished career working as a fashion and portrait photographer. How did it begin?
Michel Momy: Distinguished?! I’m not sure about that, but thank you anyway. In terms of how I got here, it’s a combination of work, luck, being in the right place at the right time and perseverance. And a bit more work.
Having worked with you as an art director, I know that you have a strong sense of your role within a photo shoot.
What do you see that role being?
My role on a photo shoot is to choose a good team and the right model, to look after everyone and to make sure everyone is ok. I think of it as being a conductor and it’s up to me to make sure we don’t hit a bum note!
Do you think that your attitude to photography is particularly French in approach?
I don’t think that my approach is particularly French. In fact, in France, people find my take on things quite British!
It’s more than likely a combination of the two – but it’s also probably my French punk side…
I feel French photographers often bring a spiritual and intellectual understanding to a shoot,whatever the subject matter. Is this something you do?
I wouldn’t say that I bring a spiritual and intellectual side to a shoot; to my mind, I think what I bring to a shoot is a way of seeing things and a love of other people.
Despite the fact that you have been working as a photographer for such a long time, you still get commissioned by
titles such as i-D magazine and your work still feels very contemporary. How do you stay so fresh?
It’s true that I have been working for a long time. I suppose I must be contemporary by nature. I think the reason I continue to work is, because I make it a priority to be honest with myself and with others. Then of course, there is the fact that I love what I do and even now I question everything that I do.
Has the change from film to digital altered the way you work?
I actually still do the majority of my work with traditional film. I have a couple of food clients, who insist on digital images, so I use digital for them; it has to be said that digital today is really interesting and good quality. I do profess to a particular fondness for film though, especially black & white. It’s that feeling of discovery in the darkroom.
You’ve photographed some strong characters from Sam Peckinpah to Cate Blanchett.How do you approach
photographing celebrities?
With strong personalities like Mr Sam and Cate, it was actually relatively easy; I just had to push them in the right direction. I think of my approach to be like that of a cat; I get a feel for my subjects, respect them, watch them, put them at ease so that they let go. It just remains for me then to do my job as the photographer. The hardest though are the celebrities who aren’t very sure of themselves. It takes a lot of my energy to push them into giving genuine
reactions, to break the surface. I like to photograph celebrities as it shows there is very little difference between them and other humans. When I choose models, I tend to go for a strong personality.
I always feel that there is a punk spirit running through your work.Whenever we worked together you would always insist that we stop at 1pm for a proper lunch with wine. Is this still the case?
I think you definitely saw my punk spirit, Grant! To me, it means seeing things as they are, directly and with a hint of
rebellion, but with honesty too. And yes, lunch is still important; it is all part of making things run smoothly and gives
everyone a chance to say what they think and to take stock of what’s going on – all in convivial surroundings. Wine brings people together, does it not?
Where next for Michel Momy?
In terms of my future, I hope it’s looking rather nice. We’ll have to wait and see – c’est la vie!
And any advice for fellow photographers trying to get commissioned?
Advice? I would say start with work rather than commissions, and then I think my advice would be to be yourself. I think that, over time, my camera has become to me like a paintbrush to a painter, or a chisel and hammer to a sculptor. Ultimately though, it all comes down to hard work. After all these years, my best advice would be to work and then work some more, and to keep searching the depths of your imagination.
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