Frederic Frognier: Morgane

The Image

Photographer:
Frederic Frognier

Location:
Namur, Belgium

Time / Date:
16 February 2014

The Technical

Gear:
Camera Body: Fujifilm X-E2
Lens: Fujinon 35mm 1.4R
Lighting: Natural light

Camera Settings:

Shutter Speed: 1/250s
Aperture: f/1.4
ISO: 640
Focal Length: 35mm

The Story

Background: 

This image is now included in a series called “Lazy afternoon.” I started it a bit than a month ago. It begins as a “surprise” shoot with a model named Jessie. I’ve seen a fan in my studio and I’ve decided to use it to shot though to get shadows and different stuff. Now, I’ve shot 15 models through the fan with the same idea.

Two months ago, I’ve decided to go back to the roots of photography. Simplicity, natural light, smaller camera (the X-E2). I was really fed up with big and heavy gear (I also own a Nikon D4). The D4 wouldn’t fit for that kind of pictures. I wanted intimacy.

I’m a portrait and wedding photographer. I like to photograph people. The more time passes, the more I want something natural and simple. I want my pictures to be close to reality.

The Scene: 

Morgane is simply laying on the ground in front of the fan (a 80cm large fan). Morgane is a pro model from Belgium. I just explained her I wanted to see natural beauty with an attitude. Then I started to take the pictures; fastly. To me, that’s the only way to get the perfect attitude : continuous shooting. 500 pictures taken in 20 minutes.

A window is on the left. I’ve only used natural light. Nothing else.

Gear: 

I’ve used a Fujifilm X-E2 with a Fujinon 35mm 1.4R lens. That’s what was packed in the small bag and the only gear I’ve used with the fan. It was important to use a small camera. The intimacy story as I said above.

Making the Shot:

I didn’t have precise idea for this shot. It’s just a happy surprise but I had a clear idea about the atmosphere, the composition. I wanted natural and attitude. The only two words the model’s been told. I’ve used continuous shooting to make a lot of images in a few time. In this case, it’s (to me) the best way to get the natural and spontaneous results.

It was quick and simple.

Editing & Processing:

As the rest, very simple processing. For the “Lazy afternoon” series, I’ve only shot JPG files. I’ve been shooting RAWs for years. I wanted to get the best shots immediately in the camera. Very few processing. Just a few contrast added. I’ve used Adobe Lightroom v5 to select the best shots. For the whole series, I wanted to get warm images and sometimes 70’s look alike images. Not for Morgane.

Looking Back:

This image is the perfect example of what I wanted to achieve with this series. Simplicity, natural and attitude. The most important is not the gear (a good camera is a plus) but I’ve used a great small camera which was perfect for the series. Non-intrusive, easy to use with great results and almost no processing. It defines perfectly me as a photographer. I’m a simple man who loves simple things. That’s it. 😉

Advice:

Don’t think pro photographers only use heavy gear. Keep it simple. Always… Talk a lot with your models, be funny and don’t take it too seriously.

Inspiration:

I like Richard Avedon, Terry Richardson, Annie Leibovitz and David LaChapelle for the photographic inspiration. And for the image in general : I’m a huge fan of David Fincher, Martin Scorsese and Michael Mann.

About the Photographer

I’m a 34 y.o. photographer based in Namur, Belgium. I’m the co-founder of K-pture with my photographer-friend Dorian. I almost shoot portraits, events and wedding.