Tell us something about yourself

Hello, thanks for the interview first :) , my name is Fabrice Meuwissen, and I m living in south west of France, in Toulouse. And basically I m NOT a photographer, I was entrepreneur in digital ( and I m still active with a company of my own doing some tools and software which could be use by photographers - http://www.obviousidea.com )

I m graduated from Stanford in California , in Strategic marketing management, I like the neuromarketing and how the image can impact a decision when we buy a product or service. My pictures and work can show sometimes there is a real purpose to show something in the pictures to serve the brand, product, or work of an artist ( hairdresser, makeup artist )

How and when did you get into photography?

I was doing photos as anyone, but I remember a very special day that I got a revelation with 2 friends in a park in Paris, the only girl posed on her back on the grass and the photo was different… better than usual, it was my first one, even with a pocket digital camera. Of course, the picture looks very unprofessional now, but the funny fact is this model has turned now as a really good wedding photographer in sydney but we are still friends :) you can check her work at  http://www.girlinthewhitedress.com. I have continued to do some pictures as a leisure, when I was travelling but not a lot of humans as models, in 2011 I sold my company and got more free time, then in 2012 I broke up with a long relationship and I was so free to shoot women ( as my partner was too jealous to let me do any picture ) , then since 2012 it’s my full time activity.

What does photography mean to you?

I would say it’s a challenge, a challenge to deal with a lot of factors, whatever if is the light, schedule to mount a team, location, human mood and management, and deal with a concept with the team ( makeup artist, hair dresser, stylist ), it’s a lot of compromise when it’s TFP work , and sometime you need to be a real asshole as you need to serve the request of a customers and only one voice should be used ( customer or artistic director person who really lead the shoot ). When I m alone with a single person, the work is different it’s about the challenge ( for me ) to make the best picture of the person, something different, something the person will like as the best picture she had, to allow herself to love herself and keep a trace of the experience we have shared.

Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers.

That’s probably one of my biggest issue, of course most of my pictures use people and so I could be defined as a portrait photographer. I feel I m not consistent in the style, as I do both studio or outdoor, hair, makeup, beauty, lifestyle, lingerie.. I like to do as much style possible, to learn more skills and gain in experience.

Where do you get inspiration from?

Women ! I forget about it, but my mother recently reminds me I was collecting supermodels calendar in the 90s ( Elle MacPherson, Cindy Crawford, Christie Turlington, Monika Belluci ( before she turned to actress ) , Claudia Schiffers ) , some tv shows were speaking only about them, and I was dreaming at this time I could make such nice scene with gorgeous woman, it was long time ago, now for sure my interest is much more technical too, I try to use a theme, create stories, but sometime you can’t, you just need to do something with what you have and so inspiration is coming from everywhere and everything you have experienced.

Think you in advance what you want in the picture?

Yes and no, depends on the shoot, and it’s a very good question as I don’t have the opportunity to show some case where I was really thinking in advance what I would like, no need to be good to draw, just need to show the shape and general direction. I m joining to the interview a sketch and the result, these one were pretty close, I tend to do it with special project to save time when I know in advance what I have in mind. But most of the time, I don’t prepare too much on paper. Just in my head !