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Interview of Fabien Queloz

Could you introduce yourself a little, talk a bit about your background?

Fabien Queloz, 40, father, husband, passionate, impulsive and sensitive. Based in Switzerland, but I'm frequently traveling. It's too small here, shy and Switzerland does not appreciate unexpected events. Throughout my life, I devoted myself to activities related to Nature and Arts and made of them my professions: gardener, traveler, musician, dad, theater manager, and photographer. I haven’t any classical scholar path regarding photography, except extracurricular activities received when I was a teen and taking part regularly to workshops today. A kind of classical path for the analogue generation guy, who later discovered digital photography in his mid’ thirties. Then back to film...
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When, how and why did you begin photography?

The decision was sudden and sharp. I sometimes charge myself in life with kind of "passionate missions" that may surprise those around me. That was the case with feminine photography and nude art. The Ukrainian origin of my wife led me to a large amount of travels and meetings in the East, and the availability of many gorgeous models gave me the kick-off.
Everything has been made ​​possible with the support of my wife Anya, translator, assistant, manager, model, stylist, makeup artist (by profession today) and so on ... A year of intense works and numerous shootings; I was still working full-time in the theater at that time and had to develop/process images during evenings and at night. I suddenly left this beautiful theater main manager job, early 2012. An absolute decision, a devotion to honor women’s world and express myself. A quest for art led by sensuality and femininity.

What do you like in this means of expression?

I love composing. Said In the broadest sense. I like to create a work and share what my eyes do admire, to transmit what is sensuously beautiful to my heart. I’m mostly realistic and simple in my work and photography allows me to create images being this way too. I love photos without too many tricks or post-processing (or a total absence since my return to film) because it is a means of expression of the reality present in and around me. A way to express my gratitude and admiration of the woman body and its secrets. When that’s not a simply frank frontal nude, without barriers or taboos. Photography allows me the direct transcription. When I’m composing and framing my pictures, I’m looking at the light sliding on the subject and I’m trying to place this light on the visages and body curves; it's a special moment that makes me happy. I can feel the honest security that this creation and beauty (which only exist once “as is”) will never be lost. Then comes the wonderful feel of sharing with others. I believe that too many of us lost the true notion of what photography actually is and its miracle. This is due to technological steps. Being "old fashioned" or not doesn’t matters to me; I’m as ephemeral as the techniques I will have worked with during my short life. But photography brings me alive.

Which are the themes you like to photograph?

The Woman in particular, people in general. As for Nature, it is my guide but I prefer to contemplate it and live it. Therefore an ideal alliance is a nude Woman in Nature. This theme touches me. It seems an inseparable pair to me. I have a versatile personal view on the Woman, expressed in different ways; expressive in portraits, artistic in nudes more classical, and sometimes - too rarely - in a soft, mischievous eroticism. The sensuality and eroticism are sometimes and too often misunderstood. Being actually introverted.
We hide ourselves. We all have our own approaches, phantasms and life experiences. I love to express this through my photography. I am extremely grateful to all models that have allowed me to do it and had confidence in me, offering me this wonderful gift.

What are you trying to share through your photography?

This sort of shares are rather intimates.. As an artist, we seek ourselves as much as we try to highlight our work. Without referring to my work but rather to the subjects and the moments, I am always conscious of Beauty "Don’t you find that beautiful too? "
I like to bring pleasure and to share. Here's my view, without pretension or any demand. I irritate, I surprise, I annoy or I make you happy; my photography is just a big open door on my little world. Do enter or not, as desired. It’s your choice.

What is your conception of sensuality?

In order to honestly answer to this question, I'll have to do it from my own masculine position. I'll let you the care to express it from your point of view, Ladies. The male bodies don’t at all inspire me in the same way.
The Senses are our tools for communication and survival. Since all ages Femininity has risen senses with such a power that Men were afraid of it. Hence, this non-ending male obsession to keep control.
Sensuality is a dialogue, calling for the awakening, a generous and sometimes secret share. It's a gift. Sometimes a charming gift. It can be mischievous, with or without thoughtful goal, playful or frankly seductive. But this is in which way the message is transmitted to the senses that makes its originality. Each woman offers differently, and each receives and interprets with its own way then.
Sensuality seems touching to me when creating this delicate "butterflies in stomach" sensations, when the expressed message is reflecting our expectations, our conception of Beauty and admiration and that the current flows between both beings. Sensuality happens at this precise moment. Any other attempt, should it even be well managed, that doesn’t contain these criteria’s may fail. What is or isn’t sensual is therefore a purely personal notion.
Sensuality is for me what I’m showing in my photography. Theoretically, it should touch me only. One will find common. But only in some photos and some aspects.

Which photographers are you fascinated/inspired by?

I appreciate dreamers and people blending the real with their true fears and phantasms. Real Authors. I like honest artists and classic maybe, too. I love as well the improbable or fabulous situations, as well those where you just might believe being at home. I have strong admirations for many East photographers. Strength in classical, coupled with a tremendous mastery of sometimes old or very simple technical means; leading to extraordinary results, with this truth and incisive coldness applied, even when working with the most torrid subjects.
I wish to use my joker, because there are really too many photographers whom I admire, all around the world and I discover new ones every day! I do not want to hurt my heart having unavoidably to leave aside many ones.

How do you prepare a session?

In two distinct ways: either I have in mind a precise project and then I'll get the model that corresponds to my «in mind” ideal, making this project possible. It can take months, as well to find accessories, places, natural or artificial light, even the choice of the period of the year.
Or, I have the desire to work with a particular model and will then try to understand her better and to deal with her and know in which direction we're going to travel to. I prepare a more "tailored" project to this woman.
In both cases you must always be ready to immediately adapt when facing a first time collaboration.

Which camera(s) do you use ?

Pentacon6, Pentax 67II, Mockba 5, Kiev 88CM MLU, Contax 645, Plaubel Makina 67, Fujica St 801, Polaroid Land 195, 5D MkII. I often use 3 cameras per session in order to vary formats, but especially related to the sought results and situations. 95% film for almost a year now.

Which technique(s) do you prefer?

Working with available light and medium format film. (I still didn’t try large format)

How and why did your photography changed?

I'm caught in a constant need for creation. Of course, the fact of working full time as a photographer limits me but I fight and will fight heart and soul to always keep the maximum free times for my personal creations. Encounters, inspirations, and just my tastes made ​​me change from a digital and rather cold nude to the analogue nude, dramatic and contrasted. It is a path to the strongest emotions that attracts me. I do not see myself being someone other than myself in my creations and I have always hated the dictates. Whether those of the society, people or fashion. I think this will be or my strength, or my difficulty in my professional future as a photographer. Because I just started.

What does the internet media bring to you?

Share and encounter, diffusion, communication for my projects, research, little work, a lot of dependence for maintaining these profiles and galleries ... It is both trap and wonder. Today, we think internet inevitable. I think it is, but especially when you live in the middle of the countryside like I do.

What do you expect from a website like Sensual Photography?

Online galleries presence and broadcast websites number is already stratospheric and growing. It is therefore necessary to target and limit to the most relevant! This is some of the reasons why Sensual Photography is interesting to me: an artistic line in accordance with my tastes, a great creativity within the website (see recent publications, articles, promotion of artists, love of art). I think I could not ask for much more because monitoring and investment of SP already are very large and unique. The only fear I could have would be a future with a too large number of represented artists that could limit the actions and monitoring of SP. When allowed to express any expectation, mine would be SP fighting to keep this qualitative and artistic line alive.

What are your plans?

Oula .... Lengthen my life to be able to achieve all my projects, to live in a world where money is no longer a necessity, Art feeding me.
Okay ... Let's be serious. Living in means of the artistic side of my photography becomes my project. I still do not yet fully get the answer concerning the means, but I perfectly know the content.
I am actively preparing my future exhibitions. I also organize 4-5 times a year small art nude workshops, preparing them with love and attention.

What would you add?

I would like to thank Anya, my wife. Because I would have dropped everything more than once without her, by vertigo.
And it is there and with her too, that stays my story and the one of my photography: being surrounded every day by her beauty and love, her sensuality and femininity.

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