Sophie Hemels: Youth, Paris Diary, and the Lomo'Instant Wide

Sophie Hemels, who is also known as "Francis Morrison" on the Internet, is a 23-year-old self-taught photographer living between Paris and Amsterdam. She's been shooting artists, fashion campaigns, cool kids, and skateboard/surfboard scenes with her Nikon FM2. Here, she used the Lomo'Instant Wide to shoot these kids.

Hello Sophie! Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Sophie Hemels, a 23y/o photographer based in Paris and Amsterdam. I’ve been shooting for about 5/6 years and very intrigued by reckless youth.

We are very intrigued. Why "Cesar"?

Cesar I hadn’t met before, this was a test shoot. We got together and what I love about Cesar is that this young boy looks older for his age, dresses like the ‘grown-ups’ but yet still has this softness, a certain shyness in his eyes. It really suits him and you can tell by this that deep down he’s still an innocent kid.

How did it feel shooting with the Lomo'Instant Wide?

I really liked it. It’s very easy to use and I love that is has a remote.

You are living between Paris and Amsterdam. How have these different cities and cultures shaped your artistic vision?

Amsterdam shaped me the most because this is where I started my photography basically. Yet Paris is rougher, there are more skaters and the types that I like to shoot. So the last few months Paris has been a perfect addition and I’ve shot and met some great people. Basically in Paris, I have to find a softness in my models and in Amsterdam I have to find their edgy side. It’s exactly the opposite.

And what does inspire you in general?

Movies the most, I think. And real life events. I think I’m creating what I would like to see in the world and it’s also a way of healing for me, of dealing with certain emotions and giving it a form.

If you had to name 5 people that have shaped and stimulated your imagination?

Xavier Dolan, Hedi Slimane, Tim Walker, Tyrone Lebon, Shia Labeouf

If you had to put some music on this photo series, what would it be?

Sample Answer - Good Boy

Do you have any projects for the future?

Yes, agenda is fully booked haha!

You can follow Sophie on her website, Facebook and Instagram.

written by Maria Teresa Neira on 2017-08-07 #people #instant-photography #lomo-instant-wide