Paris: Meet the Photographers

For the next installment in our size? captures series, we set our sights on France’s fashion capital, Paris. With our suitcase for this trip containing some of the latest forward thinking releases from Nike, adidas Originals and Reebok Classic, we met up with five local photographers from the city to take in the sights and sounds Paris had to offer.

Each photographer taking part in this Paris edition has a very individual style or working. Some specialise in photographing sneakers and street life, while others scale rooftops and shoot solely on film. We spoke to each participant briefly to find out a bit more about what they enjoy about photography and how they got into it in the first place.

Paul Mougeot – @paulmougeot

My work looks at the interaction between man and the landscape. We are now witnessing a perpetual metamorphosis of the urban landscape. The environment is formed and recomposed according to the needs of the human being, but also under the influence of nature, which sometimes takes back its rights. Mixing this with work accessed on the human level and how it is placed within its environment is something I enjoy.

Louis Bever – @louisbever

My name is Louis Bever. I am 6 ft 3, blonde hair and I enjoy long walks on the beach. I am joking, this is about photography right? I guess my upbringing was rather obscure as I was born in Germany, brought up in France and Italy but I am completely English. I think growing up in the army has made me want to go out there and experience different cultures and hence take pictures of it all. I love meeting new people and learning new things so I use my humour to get to know people and their backgrounds. Then I just throw my camera in their face and beg for a portrait. I’m desperate to shoot intriguing subjects.

My grandfather was also in the army and used to shoot photos for the military school’s magazine with a Pentax K1000. He used to chuck old film equipment at me and my parents just forced me to stick at photography. When I was 13/14 I got into digital/photography but I have the attention span of a gold fish so film just seemed far more exhilarating for me as I had to wait like an agitated puppy waiting for its treat. I sell my photographic prints to buy film and cameras. Also my parents made a bet with me by saying that if I got 2.1 in my law degree, they would surprise me with a Leica M6. I now have a 2.1 and Heidi, my Leica. It’s a bit weird that I called my camera a German girl’s name but there you go. The love of my life since June last year.

I love shooting people. I strangely have an obsession with old people, nuns and builders. They always capture my eye when I’m in any city. I love shooting skateboarding as it’s something I’ve been into since I was 8 years old so if i’m not on a board, I’m shooting someone who is indeed on one and is probably much better than I am. But then again, quirky things and ironic subjects catch my eye. Lord knows, I’ll shoot everything and anything I like. I dabble everywhere.

Hichem – @hichem.og

Hichem’s work focuses predominantly around the world of sneakers, often sourcing early versions of exclusive pairs months before their releases. Through working within the industry he’s created his own opportunities to shoot social content for the brands he’s been wearing for years.

Pierre – @ahtlaqdmm

I started in photography with an old film camera that my granddad gave to me. I then bought a Canon 5D and created my Instagram account 4 years ago. Since then I’ve tried to make sure to post every day to show Paris from my point of view. It’s now been my full time job for two years now. I like to take pictures of the Metro, people in the street, deserted places or rooftops. We are a little group who likes this kind of photography and we organise quite a lot of outings together.

Charly – @ixeurban

My name is Charly, I’m 26 years old and I’m a passionate photographer based in Paris, currently studying Design & Interactive Innovation.
I first got into photography by exploring the city and practicing with my camera, this is how I first learnt the basics. That’s why I really like capturing cityscapes and street photography within my work. I also like to discover abandoned places, lifeless spaces that often have more stories to tell than busy areas. I often walk around with friends, really inspiring people like Paul Mougeot, Aliocha Boi and Thomas Frs. I really like to show aspects that people don’t really see within the city. It comes from few factors, like the locations and areas and also different points of view like rooftops. In the future I would like to travel more to discover different cultures and places.