Leah Johnston- The Blog

I was thrilled this week to get to interview one of my biggest inspirations on flickr, Chris Dessaigne, or as most of you flickrites might know him, Midnight-Digital. I stumbled across his work several weeks ago and became instantly engrossed in the dark and mysterious world of his photography. It was a real treat to exchange with him and to hear his insights on photography. Read on…

The last dawn, originally uploaded by Midnight-digital.

What inspired you to start photography and how did you learn it?
Basically I’m a cartoonist (a bad cartoonist), and a painter (a really bad painter). After a long period without drawing, I wanted to create again, so I brought a camera in order to create images. It was during late summer 2007. I learned by myself. I taught myself photography using the internet and with very intense practice. For 4-6 months I took pictures every day, from the morning to the night. I was like a drug addict…

How would you describe your style of photography?
I’m a fan of cinema. So I don’t know if I have a particular style, but my main goal is to create strong cinematic images with a drama feeling/mood. And a slice of poetry.

Disconnected, originally uploaded by Midnight-digital.

What led you to posting your photos on flickr?
I love Flickr because it’s an international community. It allows me to see stuff from everywhere and to show my work to people from different countries.

How has Flickr influenced your photography?
Flickr hasn’t influenced my work, but rather, has given me the opportunity for a wider audience. And it gives me the opportunity to met different people.
A famous european rock band contacted me to create the artwork of their album. They had seen my pictures on Flickr. A U.S. editor (Nextfolio) will publish a book of my work, he saw my Flickr stream. I will do the cover art for a Michael Connelly book… same, thanks to Flickr. All my opportunyties came from Flickr.

What tools do you use to capture your images?
I work with a Canon Eos 40D + different lenses (Sigma 10-20 / Tamron 17-50 / Canon 17-40 / Canon 50mm / Canon 70-200 mm), a good tripod (my best friend), 3 flashes radio triggered.

How do you go about creating your photo-manipulations (under usual circumstances)?
I think that pure photography is a bit frustrating for me. That’s why I sometimes do photo-manipulations. I don’t like reality. I like imagination. So photo-manipulation is a great way to transform reality in something else.

Do you plan the shots a lot in advance, or just go out and shoot?
Both. Most of time I know exactly what I want to do. But sometimes I have a vague idea and I like to lost myself in the creation. There are no specific rules.

Do you usually composite multiple images into one image, or are they usually taken in one shot?
When I go with a photo-manipulation, I do a compositing of multiple images. The most difficult part is to create something unreal which appears to be real. I mean, a correct lighting, correct perspectives, homogenic stuff etc. I love this exercice cause it’s a total immersion into the image, kinda “static travel”. I can’t create an image without a bunch of CDs playing (you know music is my first passion, I was the worst drummer on earth but I’m still a music addict . Music feeds my imagination.

Struktural Chaos Empire, originally uploaded by Midnight-digital.

Where do you hope to go next with your photography?
You know, actually, I’m not very pleased with my own work. I’m a tormented guy So I don’t plan anything. My main goal is to be satisfied with my own product. I just want to show visions, create universes, and have fun. My most foolish dream is to work for the cinema industry. But I’m not enough good.

Do you have any advice for aspiring photographers?
Break the photography rules. Be an outcast. Use the digital process without any questions. Capture the dream. Escape the reality. Think like in a movie scene. Look at the detail. Listen music, watch movies, read books. Love the impossible. Be romantic. Think tall. Feed your imagination.

Chris Dessaigne is a digital photographer based out of Perpignan, France. Please visit his his flickr stream or his website or to learn more.