Redazione
13 dic 2017
Meet the photographer duo of our wonderful shoot, Pascal and Arno from PAAR
photography! They are channeling ‘couple goals’ from all aspects. Business partners,
lovers, best friends… What else would you want? Working as models before they
started their photography careers, Pascal and Arno is just the best photographers you
can get. Understanding the model due to their previous experience, giving directions
and shooting along the way, PAAR just wins fashion-photography.
Pascal as an Art Director and Arno as a Business Director, the pair is the combination
of our dreams, which is no surprise as they take dreams and bring it to reality with
their photography. For our shoot PAAR took Dalida’s story to their photography.
Believing the idea of story-telling through pictures, discover the modern story of
Dalida through Pascal and Arno…
LATEST: How did you start photography?
PAAR: It all came together while we were living abroad, working as models. We
bought a Canon-camera, a Sunbounce and shot the models we were living together
with in the model-houses to build up a book. For styling we just went to fashion-
outlets like Mango & Zara to buy the "extreme"; items nobody liked to wear, but
looked fantastic on pictures.
LATEST: Why did you decide to work together?
PAAR: It just felt naturally. Pascal has a great eye for details, composition and is a
very good art-director, while I (Arno) more like to bring the team together, casting
the model, finding locations and keeping contact with clients. Besides being lovers &
best-friends, we are good colleagues.
LATEST: How would you describe photography? Do you consider it as a form of art?
PAAR: Photography can be art. Each project needs a different approach. If its a
commercial job, it's of course photography but not art. Working on a non-
commissioned project, and having the freedom of creating can create a form of art.
We do not see our work as a higher form of art, but of course we let other people
decide if they tike to put our work on the wall.
LATEST: How do you find a theme and a photography subject? Does it come
naturally or do you plan ahead?
PAAR: We travel a lot, watch lots of movies, always listen to music and read many
historical articles. This way we find inspiration for our shoots. I (Arno) like to refer
to inspiring and authentic people in our shoots, like we did with the Daphne
Guinnesss & Dalida story.
LATEST: Who inspires your work, who do you look upto?
PAAR: We do not have one specific photographer who inspires us. But there are
many talented photographers who we admire for their great moment capturing and
others for their massive productions. You need to build a great team around yourself.
LATEST: For our shoot, the theme is revolved around Dalida, what inspired you?
PAAR: First of all she's an icon, selling 170 million albums world-wide, she was one
of France’s best selling artist ever. Also she played in 12 movies. Somehow
she seems to be forgotten by the "new generation". Also her tragic life story appeals to
the imagination; surviving 3 lovers and in the end committing suicide…
LATEST: Do you think photography can send messages to the observer? If, so what
were you trying to say with this theme?
PAAR: Yes of course photography can send a message like the disturbing pictures at
World Press Photo or the famous Vogue fashion-story by Steven Meisel "Water & Oil"
about the pollution in 2010. Our Dalida-story is "just" a tribute to her and the idea of
‘disco is fun’. So we tried to create that vibe and atmosphere.
LATEST: During your shoots, do you tell what the models should do or do you capture
moments naturally?
PAAR: It works both ways. Most of the time we direct the models because we have
the picture already in our head. Still we appreciate the model’s own input and we
love communicating with the rest of the team to get the perfect image. Most of the
time the inbetween shots works for us the best, you direct, the model anticipates on
that, and then there's this moment. Boom .... or click! Hahaha.
LATEST: Many believe that getting photographed without noticed gives the best
images… Do you believe that?
PAAR: Not for our kind of photography. But shooing documentary, we can imagine
it gives great and unexpected results. Although we also like the "in-between" shots
while shooting our own stories.
LATEST: If you could arrange a shoot with anyone in the past or now, who would that
be?
PAAR: Wouldn’t it be amazing to shoot a fashion-story with all the big '90s super
models? That would have been so cool.
by Alya Barutoglu