Gaëlle Dechery: When the Petzval 85 Art Lens Meets Lilith

Paris-based photographer Gaëlle Dechery specializes in shooting portraits and in fashion photography. She also assists another photographer, Emily Soto in creating dreamlike images. She’s fallen in love with the Petzval 85 Lens, which she used for a photo series titled ‘Lilith.’

Hello Gaëlle! Please introduce yourself to the community.

Hello Lomography my name is Gaëlle Dechery and I am a photographer from Paris. I work essentially as a fashion and portrait photographer. I consider my universe as dreamlike. I try, through the treatment, the direction and the styling to create timeless images, as lost between the dream and the reality, the present and the past and to blur any social codes.

Could you please tell us your story with photography?

The photography appeared to me as obvious as way of expression among all the existing arts. I made many paint, installations, videos… and the photography always held a more important place! It also allows me to live my second passion closer; the fashion.

How did you become a photographer? What was your first camera?

I realized that I wanted to be photographer with my first camera, a small compact from Samsung, I was 13. When I was at high school I decided to follow an artistic program, then I did a MANAA and after I studied during two years the photography at the ETPA where I graduated from. During this formation I did different internships; it was a very formative and rich experience— like when I was with Group Marie Claire. I have good memories of it.

What’s your story with analog and digital photography?

One of my most beautiful memories in photography is exactly connected to the argentic. It was during my first course of photo where I discovered the Pinhole! It was just supernatural to see your own photo revealing! So I love the argentic and more particularly the immediate, the Polaroid! But in my everyday life the numeric turns out simpler and more coherent with my work.

Could you tell us more about your universe and inspirations?

For photography I’m inspired by Sara Moon and Tim Walker’s universe! I love Emily Soto, whom I assist in Paris, who also sublimates her images with the Petzval! In painting I admire and I am unmistakably inspired by surrealism. Concerning the cinema my two masters are Tim Burton naturally and also Baz Luhrmann for his weird universe.

Could you tell us more about the series Lilith? Why did you choose to use the Petzval 85 lens in particular?

Lilith is in fact the name of the brand of the clothes worn in the photos. It claims the woman freed from the conventions and advocates this idea of a mysterious woman, child woman and rebellious woman! For these reasons I wanted to realize my series with an optic as off-beat as the brand and with I could create a totally crazy universe and very narrative in the same time! With this optic you can really tell a story! For my part I used it with a wide aperture and I only played with the exposure time, this way I can in every case achieve this swirling bokeh that I love!

Why did you fall in love with this lens?

Exactly for its bokeh — very unique! And of course, I won’t tell you lies it’s also a very beautiful object ha ha! I particularly like its vintage quality and its golden cover!

What were your first impressions about the Petzval 85 Art Lens?

At the beginning the handling was risky. It has nothing to do with the objectives that I had before. The most important was to let be surprised, to experiment it with all the focals and especially to indulge itself, to enjoy creating new images!

The lens has an unconventional appearance when compared to other modern day lenses. Did you get any unusual reactions while you were using it?

A lot! For example the first time I used it, in the Tuileries, not less than six persons approached me! Some of them photographed it, asked questions to its subject … Others were interested in my images and my work and even followed me on the social networks, in brief it has that effect in every trip!

Learn more about the artist and her work on her website and Facebook page.

2016-01-25 #people #lomoamigo #petzval #petzval-85 #gaelle-dechery