Esclusiva: Jimi Paradise intervista Verner Degray (english version)

Continua anche quest'anno la grande attenzione rivolta da questo blog agli esordienti della fotografia mondiale. E' oggi il turno di un giovane fotografo tahitiano di grande talento: Verner Degray!

I suoi scatti favoriti sembrano privilegiare il bianco e nero, tecnica favorita da chi vuol far risaltare la fisicità del corpo maschile. Ma Verner si concentra anche sulle espressioni dei suoi modelli... Ma lasciamocelo dire direttamente da lui, dopo il salto.

Q. So Verner, let's speak about your art: why did you start photographing and what do you like to photograph to?

A. I approached photography as a painter starts painting. I made visual art studies before beginning the interior architecture, in that moment i choose photography. I needed at this time to externalize my emotions, my feelings and photography seemed to me the most direct way, the most suitable for this. I headed toward the male nude artistic photography because for me it's what puts the most value to human body. I have a deep need to magnify human body in its integrality.

Q. Your shots seems to celebrate nudes and male beauty: what do you want to tell us?

A. Humans are complex, men in particular (This is just my point of view)... Man possesses for me so contradictory sides: between strength and weakness, love and hate, gentleness and violence... That’s what i want to show! By putting males naked in front of my lens, it seems that I can understand it better. I like to think that my photographs are what the model feels deep within him. I want people who look at my pictures can see anything other than a body, even if this one has superb beauty.

Q. Do you put a bit of eroticism in your art: what's the "perfect erotic thing" in your mind?

A. For me, there is nothing more erotic than a pretty muscle under a beautiful light, a curve or evocative expression. This is certainly what I try to convey in my art.

Q. Who's your "perfect" model/body you have photographed? What's your fav cover?

A. My favorite model is often the last with whom I have worked, but I must say Warren and Nicolas for me have something more. In any case models that I love to work and that understand very much what I want from them, who are afraid to be naturally, which reveal the most to me. I have many difficulties to comment on the photographs that I prefer, but I especially love pictures of my last shoot with Corentin that you can find on my website (the one where it seems undergoing any pointing a horn on his throat).

Q. Do you travel a lot for your work? Where do you live? Do you like your country? Is ok for your work?

A. I do not travel enough in my opinion, I live in Tahiti, in French Polynesia: a fabulous island, beautiful, where I think everyone would like to go, but I would work much outside. I am also available for those who will want, no matter the country. Travel is the way to open the mind and helps to evolve my work.

My work is really kindly welcomed here, it affects me when I receive compliments from the people...

Q. Nowadays what's the role and significance of photography? What's the point of shoting to the present day?

A. Photography is a major art form, directly outcome from accadémique painting in my opinion. Today, in a time where everything going quickly, where we look at the life cycle, I think it's good for people to stop in front of a photography, to take time to understand it. I would say that photography is increasingly popular with Internet development. Everyone can now enter this art with a click and this helps to develop it. If in addition allow my photography to convey a message of tolerance, if it helps to open minds then I think we in interest to continue to share our passion.

Q. Do you work for fashion? What do you think about fashion?

A. No, I don't work for fashion. Not that I do not want, but Tahiti is far from being at the forefront of fashion. I'd be happy to do it. Fashion for me is often a reflection of society. we can not ignore it or we will not understand where we are headed.

Q. Let's speak about art in general: do you have fav artists? Do you have inspiring people in your mind while working?

A. I am a photographer inspired in general. I need to look around for work. In painting I particularly like Gustave CAILLEBOLLE and Frederic BAZILLE, impressionist painters from the 19th century. First pictures of art I've seen are from David Hamilton, I was 8 or 9 years old and I was watching the book from them that my parents had. I think that in the curtailment inspired me in my work.

But all around me inspires me: music, events, films, etc.

I saw 50 shades of gray and it really touched me and I also preparing an upcoming directly from shooting what I felt while watching this film.

Q. And what about technology: are we all photographer today?

A. Honestly no! Although it is true that everyone can use's now have a good camera, we share on social networks a lot of pictures with the help of our smartphone, we are not all photographer. A photographer is more than a lover of technology. A photographer is an artist, a man with messages, with particular creativity. We became photographers, in my opinion, when we begin to get a message, an emotion. everything else is only images, nothing more. press on a button without give reflect is to make the picture, not to be a photographer.