Biography
Photographer Eric Ouaknine possesses a unique style that is red-hot, beyond fashionable and completely original. Mainly shooting fashion editorial and advertising campaigns, Eric began his photography career shooting landscapes, model portfolios, and portraits. His exotic ad campaigns and exquisitely styled couture photos are conveyed through his completely original artistic vision. Eric’s personal approach to his business is based on his firm belief in the value of the client relationship. Aiming to deliver more than just an image, his goal is a heightened sculptural sensitivity bringing a responsive awareness to the visual message through the photographic medium.
Hi Eric Ouaknine. For how long have been in photography? How did you start?
I’m 35 and have had a passion for photography since 2000. When I was young, my father used to paint and gave me love of arts, I started with drawing. Completely self-taught, I learnt all technical aspects in specialized magazines. I began with landscapes and photo-reportage as I lived in the south of France, then I put up a makeshift studio in a cellar to practice the art of portrait, where I photographied all my girlfriends… Thanks to more experienced photographers, I created my first studio as a fashion photographer with professionnal equipment in 2001. Then I created a models school and I did a lot of tests to train. I did my first advertising campaign for a famous brand in 2003 and came to Paris in 2004 to start an international carreer.
How would you define yourself as an artist?
I think I have a seething and perfectionist mind, I never give up before to be fully satisfied. I don’t draw on my knowledge, I’m not afraid of pushing back my limits and challenging myself. Photography is above all a passion, art always flews in my veins as a vital liquid. I’m drug addictive of beauty and light games. I’m an artist fully living my own dreams and a conductor as well, I try to gather most talented persons in a photo shooting to get the best results. For me, to be a great photographer means to be a great art director first. And I have a great relation with models, make-up artists and hair-dressers as I transmit them my passion and let them drive the photo shooting as they feel it.
Where do you find inspiration?
Mainly in Baroque and Gothic Arts. I love the dramatic atmospheres and critical perspective vacillating between extreme modernity and past remembers. I’m deeply influenced by apocalyptic and visionnary fictions of the 80′s (Mad Max, New York 1999, Terminator, and others) as well as by ultra-realistic comic books like Enki Billal’s. I love to find original and historical locations for my pictures as I can imagine some amazing productions. I build my fashion stories first from clothes and places, and after I choose the models and specify the art direction with all my team.
Do you like working in a studio or do you prefer working in an open space?
The both as it’s very different. In studio I love to work with many flashs, I play with artificial lighting effects and different materials like metal or glass, I take a long time to focus the lights on the model. Outside I love natural light and cloudy weather, I never shot with sun, flash or artificial lighting, as I want to keep the true atmosphere of the location, structural effects and architectural materials.
Can you name the work you have done so far?
I worked for brands FACONNABLE, FRED, AZZARO, BALMAIN, SMALTO, GEORGES RECH, INES DE LA FRESSANGE, TORRENTE, LAGUIOLE, YAHYA COUTURE, BELOTTI COUTURE, ANOUFA and many other…
What qualities are you looking for in a fashion model?
It’s more spiritual qualities than physical. She must be like an actress & propose original attitudes, strong expressions, she must have deep eyes, For me it’s not so important to work with very experimented models as I’m able to make amazing pictures with new faces as well, it depends of the girls and the relation i build with.
How important is Photoshop in your final images?
Photo retouching is an Art for me, as to paint a portrait with his own interpretation. From the moment you push the camera trigger u get in the mind subjectivity & from this moment all is allowed, it’s peculiar to Art. To spit on Photoshop it’s like spiting on a paintbrush…
Press Release :
Brands And References :
YAHYA COUTURE – ETRE – FACONNABLE – FRED – AZZARO – GEORGES RECH – INES DE LA FRESSANGE – TORRENTE – SMALTO – NEWMAN – LAGUIOLE – BALMAIN – TARTINE&CHOCOLAT – OXBOW – LE COQ SPORTIF – TILMANN GRAWE – ROMERO BRYAN – ALEKSANDRA WISNIEWSKA – JEREMY BUENO – ERIC TIBUSCH PARIS – HINDI COUTURE – SANDRINE BELOTTI – YLAN ANOUFA – ETC…
Magazines :
C&G – UCE – NEW AFRICAN WOMAN – MUP – PUSH IT – UZURI – LUCIRE – MAMI MAGAZINE – LONDON O’MADAM – KLASSIK MAG – STATUS MAGAZINE – LE MONDE DE L’OPTIQUE – BIEN VU – ETC…
