The photographer we had the pleasure to interview for SHOT this time, seems to be not afraid to try, challenge himself in different moods and pictures, so that every editorial is a different editorial, every story tells us something different. And in fact it’s really hard to be dissatisfied by the results, from our part.
When somebody loves his work he’s naturally dragged to experiment every facet of it. For sure, not everything you’ll discover would maybe satisfy you, but you tried and that’s enough. The photographer we had the pleasure to interview for SHOT this time, seems to be not afraid to try, challenge himself in different moods and pictures, so that every editorial is a different editorial, every story tells us something different. And in fact it’s really hard to be dissatisfied by the results, from our part.
David Benoliel, French photographer based in Miami, what brought you out from Europe? Which is the place you feel at home?
While I was influenced early by the art, architecture and culture that existed in Paris where I grew up, I wanted to try something new, and in fact, I discovered my true passion here in Miami, fashion and beauty photography!
I am now established in Miami for more than 6 years where I own a large photography studio that allows me to be very creative, however, I am working a lot in Paris and Europe in general and my heart is probably still there!
Could you describe us the moment in which you thought “photography will be my way?” It has been pretty automatic or you had to make a decision?
"It actually was the easiest decision I had ever had to make! From the exact moment I entered 3 years ago the photography studio of my arts school and saw the collaboration of light and beauty reflecting on the model that day, I knew right away and instantly dropped everything I was doing to follow what became my true passion for photography."
As I could notice you have a really wide portfolio, rich of different editorials and moods. How ideas come out, in your case? Do you think that ,in fashion photography, much of the moods has been already experimented?
It’s not an easy thing for a photographer to find his own style and it took me a while to really understand what I wanted to achieve and express through my images. I spend a lot of time on brainstorming, looking for inspirations everyday and everywhere, a strong concept is for me as important as the rest in my images. I am lucky to be surrounded by a great team of artists and together we try to make each photo shoot unique.
Is there a photographer who inspire or inspired your present and past works?
When I started fashion photography, Greg Kadel was my inspiration, today I’m obsessed with Steven Meisel and his way of putting together real stories and editorials thru his images.
I think every photographer, as author of his pictures, love much of the works he does, but could you tell me one that you particularly love? Maybe for the atmosphere in which it has been shooted or for the feelings it carries.
It is true that I am attached to almost each one of my images because of all the work that was behind and the passion all my team put into each one of them. But I have a special interest for the image I called “smokey eye”, we were lucky enough to have the smoke naturally placed on the right eye without any retouching and the perfect symmetry of the image is really interesting.
Is there something you really can’t stand about this field , that is to say fashion system?
My team and myself are really dedicate and passionate about our work, we all put a lot of time and effort and I think we just don’t have time for drama which I hear is very common in the industry!
And what about the future: next particularly exciting project coming out?
I am really excited to jump slowly in the motion world and I cannot wait to put together my first videos fashion editorials! Working very hard on it…
