Romane, can you tell us a little about yourself and what brought you to photography?
My name is Romane Jacquin, I am 25 years old and I live in Paris.
I learned photography by myself and then I validated this knowledge by obtaining my diploma at the School of Image Gobelins. I work as much with digital as film photography, especially with a view camera.
Art has always fascinated me, especially the possibility through art of being able to create universes and tell stories. Since my younger days, I draw a lot. The photograph appeared very early as a sequel to my drawings, a new way for me to express my imagination and create even more intense emotions.
How was your first shooting? What did you shoot?
I started training alone, after high school, in my room with self-portraits. My first self-portraits were catastrophic, but progressively I learned from my mistakes and persevered until I got a result I liked.
I see photography as a staging, and putting myself in a position of model also allowed me to address all the themes I wanted, and to create real little stories.
My first real shooting took place when I arrived in Paris, with a model. I had turned my small student studio into a photo studio. The model had an incredible look, with very big eyes. So we made simple portraits on a black background, but it released a very intense emotion.
Ce premier contact avec une véritable modèle était à la fois stressant mais aussi très formateur. This shoot convinced me that photography was what I wanted to do.
In your opinion, what is the difference between fashion and beauty photography? What's your favorite?
For me, fashion photography revolves around the world of fashion, with the touch of the photographer. The latter will sublimate the model as well as the clothes by inserting these elements in his universe. He will make the subject travel and create a whole story around it.
It’s not just «pressing a button», there is a real reflexion behind the shooting. The goal is to convey an emotion and make photography unforgettable.
Beauty photography is just as intense, but this time we will not create a story, but sublimate an existing one. The make-up artist is then the creator of the work, and the photographer must sublimate this work without distorting it. I find these photographs less experimental but just as powerful.
Can you name a single work that has resonated with you emotionally? Why?
Paolo Roversi’s work has always resonated with me. Although these photographs are simple, they convey an emotion so intense that one cannot emerge unscathed. Paolo Roversi has this gift of being able to sublimate the beauty of women or a garment in a very poetic way. I am overwhelmed by much of his work, which reveals a true strength of women, while preserving their vulnerability and sensitivity. These images are intriguing, sublime and sincere.
What is your favorite type of project to shoot for yourself?
Today, I am a photographer specialized in portrait, fashion, but also advertising. Nevertheless, my favorite projects remain those where I am free to totally create an universe. I want to make the spectators travel, take them in my imagination, my dreams, as well as my nightmares. To transmit new emotions by making them discover a new vision of reality.
What is your mental checklist before a shoot?
Before a shoot, I always prepare either a moodboard or explanatory sketches so that the team on D-Day is effective. I also did some light tests beforehand and prepared my equipment. Finally, I do a check-up of my team and then I prepare my set the day before.
I like that my shootings are effective but also a pretty fun experience for all!
How do you choose your studios and locations? Is there anything specific that you're looking for?
I have the chance to work in a studio that very quickly saw my potential and met my expectations. I do part of my shootings there where I have access to the material and a lot of space to create.
Outside, I like to find atypical places that serve the story that I will tell through my photographs.
In your opinion, what makes the good picture stand out from the average?
A good photograph is able to transmit intense emotions, to bring the viewer back to a memory and/or to make him travel in his unconscious. It can intrigue, question, annoy, but in any case, it does not leave indifferent and marks the spirits.
Who or what was your biggest influence in photography and why?
As I said earlier, I particularly like the work of Paolo Roversi, who was a real source of motivation in this vocation. I work like him with a view camera around women, their femininity and their force. He was and still is a great source of inspiration.
I also find in Nicolas Bruno a real influence, especially in these productions around his nightmares. I find his work particularly well done and upsetting.
How important is it to stay up-to-date on the latest trends to be successful in what you do?
It’s a double-edged game. We need to be aware of the new waves that are arriving in the world of photography to try to appropriate them and thus be able to explore new subjects and media, acquire a new audience and rediscover ourselves.
Nevertheless, these ephemeral modes can prove dangerously when the photographer gets lost and loses his style in it, becoming only an «Instagram photographer» who reproduces the same shots without having any real reflections.
What role does social media play in your photography business?
In 2022 social networks are essential for communication when we are artists. Unfortunately, they can also be very harmful.
I have a hard time being consistent on these networks because it’s a world really apart where the followers race advocates on the quality of work. However, if we ignore the negative elements, social networks are a good way to present his work, but also his personality, his style, his opinions. In this way, real bonds are created between you and your community, which can also lead you to new customers and new opportunities.
Where can our readers keep up with your work and get connected with you?
I’m going to be much more present on Instagram:
You can also find me on Tiktok:
@romane.jacquin
Futhermore, my best friend and I have created our studio dedicated to view camera and film photography, you can find our creations on the instagram of @tytytyetromy .
Model: Maëly Sunberg @maely.sunberg Makeup Artist: Claire Cothier @klairemakeup
Assistant: Thinlay Silva Vincent @thinlay.svphotographie Photographer: Romane Jacquin @romanejacquinphotographe
You can read The MAIN ISSUE Vol. 30 here:
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