From Dusk 'Till Dawn - An Interview with Louis Dazy

Louis Dazy is a Paris-based photographer known for his electric double exposure photographs that bring together different visually appetizing elements. We got in touch with him to ask about his style, creative process, and tips on how to stay creative. Without further ado, here's our quick chat with Louis.

Hello, Louis! Welcome to the Lomography Magazine! We’re so glad to have you. Please, introduce yourself.

Hi! My name is Louis Dazy, I’m a French photographer based in Paris, I’m mostly known for my multiple exposures shots.

How did you start your journey with film photography?

I started photography 2 and a half years ago, I started shooting film at the same time, I knew the look I wanted to achieve was film-like so I bought a Nikon F2 off eBay and two rolls at my local store, one Portra 400 and one Ektar 100.

How would you define photography?

Dreamy, ethereal and maybe timeless but that’s a bit tacky.

In your opinion, what makes a good photograph?

What people can see in it, I just like the fact that anyone can have a different interpretation of one photo, see things in a different way. I think as long as people feel something watching a photo, that means it’s a good one.

What’s your favorite thing about photography?

Photography helped me find myself. It gets you on adventures, it makes you meet new people, it just makes you live as you should have always been. Another thing I really like about shooting is that I make memories with my own vision, it really is true to what I felt at a certain moment and later I can look at photos and feel the same way again.

What’s your favorite subject?

Night time and neon lights. Oh, and landscapes at dusk.

In your opinion, what makes multiple exposure photography stand out?

I never thought of it before but I guess just because it’s not a common thing, people like to see two points of view at the same time on the same frame.

What are the things that influence or inspire your style/images?

Cinema and music mainly, I know I just have to feel something to shoot and music helps me a lot, I have music on 6 to 8 hours a day and I can never get enough, sometimes it’s the words, sometimes the melody, I get vision from the feelings and shoot.

Which artist (photographer or not) had the most significant effect on your style/work as a photographer?

I think Stanley Kubrick.

If you could have a dream collaboration with an artist/photographer/painter etc, who would it be?

I would love to collaborate with Gregory Crewdson and/or Toby Harvard

If you could only own and shoot with one camera and type of film in your whole life, what would they be?

Easy. [haha] I’ve been shooting with only one camera ever since (well, almost) and it’s my Nikon F2, so definitely the F2 for the camera. As for the film.. I’ve been shooting Lomo 400 for quite some time now and I have to say it’s really good, I really like the outcome for night/city lights shots, just great, so I guess I’ll go with Lomo 400.

How do you stay creative?

One simple advice: stay away from routine.

We’re really into your night-time/dusk shots with neon lights and glowing backgrounds. What attracts you to take those kinds of images?

Dusk and night-time have always been special moments of the day ever since I was really young, I was first afraid of the dark, used to have fairylights all around my room, I would play with the colors as well; it’s definitely the moment of the day that I feel the most creative, less people in the streets, the city gets quiet and you can wander around, no rush, no crowds, lots of colored lights, things like these make me more creative.

When do you prefer shooting -- day or night?

Night for sure, I really struggle to shoot during daytime, I can’t get the composition right, i can’t get the mood I want.

What’s the craziest thing you encountered while shooting?

Probably not crazy but somehow I can still remember this moment quite clearly ever since, it was during my time in Australia, I went to The Grampians in Victoria (a national park) with some friends, we went to the highest mountain’s point of view to watch the sunset with a slab of beers, my friends were shooting photos but I wasn’t really feeling it, I went roaming around and stumble on these two girls sitting on a rock in silence, watching the sunset too, the vibe in the air was so strong I just stood there for what felt like an hour, I took a photo of them then left without saying anything. I bet I will still remember that feeling in 50 years.

What do you think is more important -- talent or skill?

Talent and practice, skill is not that important, as long as you feel things and try your best to express them through what you shoot then skill don’t matter. I honestly don’t have any skills in photo, I just happen to know the basics but that’s it.

How do you see photography evolving in the next few years?

Maybe film will keep growing, I really don’t know to be honest and I don’t feel really concerned, I’ll still shoot my F2!

If you could replace photography with one thing, what would it be?

None, sorry!

How does a perfect day look like for Louis Dazy?

Waking up early after a night out, around 8-9ish, get dressed with yesterday’s clothes, go out, get breakfast outside with a friend, chill in the park on a sunny afternoon, maybe go to the beach for a bit, jump in the car around 6pm with a few friends and some beers, drive out of the city, no plans, no directions, just drive, stops wherever feels/looks good, bonfire, friends, beers, wasted, sleep on the ground, repeat.

What would you be if you weren’t a photographer?

Musician, probably a singer but I have a really bad voice.

Coffee or whiskey?

Whiskey, no ice.

How do you think people should handle failure and success?

We should handle both the same way, they’re just part of our lives, embrace both, take the best out of it, success feels good only because you know what failure is like.

Any last words for our readers?

You guys! Keep shooting, do what you love, don’t try to be successful just be true to yourself and you’ll succeed. Okay, this is super cheesy… but still true.

We'd like to express our gratitude to Louis Dazy for this interview feature. If you want to see more of his work, you may visit his website and Instagram account.

written by Marc Ocampo on 2017-07-27 #people #film #interview #lights #neon #dusk #artist #night-time #feature #louis-dazy