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A Rhythmic Gymnastics photoshoot inside EilenRoc

Maybe one of the most exciting projects I am working on right now... The development of this new series of images in exceptional and unique locations with performing artists has boosted my love of photography. On paper he does it does look similar to my "Inmotion" project, but here, we are going a bit further light, and we now use accessories. Fabrics, silks, smoke, and more will be on the menu and we will continue to push this further for more crazy and challenging visuals.


I met Gillian Leopold a few months back and we already had an incredible first session together earlier last summer. We got along so well that I knew I would propose her something more personal later this year. It happened faster than I thought, while Marlène and I were scouting for new locations, I immediately mentioned the name of Gillian when planning this session inside the Villa EilenRoc.


Finding locations like this one is not easy, and getting the authorizations can sometimes take several weeks. Thanks to Rachel Desbordes, one of the first people I met here on the French Riviera, I was presented to the right people and immediately asked for full access. Marlène and I quickly asked for a quick visit in order to prepare our shoot. The minute we stepped inside we knew we had to do something there.


For this project, we wanted to take our time so we divided the shoot in half. We roughly worked 3 straight hours in the morning and 2 and a half in the afternoon. A long session that can be really tough to handle even for a professional performer. Repeating moves and jumps to nail the shot, are inevitable especially when we add flying fabrics and uncontrolled elements in the mix. The goal is, of course, to get it all in-camera and to have the use of photoshop reduced to its minimum.



We mainly worked with 2 lights, 2 800ws Broncolor Siros L and 2 softboxes ( Beautybox 65 and 100 x 60 softbox) that were gridded when needed for maximum control. I also had the chance to work with the Canon EF 11-24 mm f/4L USM that I borrowed from Canon France for the occasion. I knew from the beginning I wanted to go "wide" on this one to include most of the environment in my shots. The Challenge was to play with the warping and slight distortion that these types of lenses give. I often use wide angles when shooting my performers and I always try to choose framings, compositions, and placements that will prevent them from having gigantic limbs.


I will share more on this particular subject in an upcoming video, be sure to check that one out also!


I would like to thank the city of Antibes, my friend Rachel Desbordes and Isabelle Pasquini for making this possible.


This project is a team project, and as you can see in the video, I wasn't alone on this one. Huge thanks to Virginie and Guillaume for their help. Shoutouts to my beloved partner Marlène for the Behind the scenes video and support from day one.

Thank you, Canon and Broncolor for giving me the chance to create with amazing tools.

Tell me, are you using wide-angle lenses on your own projects? What do you think of the results of this photoshoot? Bonus, in case you wondered, the soundtrack was made by Soundtrack by ɃⱠṾḰ - DISSOLVE ME -



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