For Mellow, I faced this challenge multiple times. From an entire series with Anato, I had to cut almost all the shots. (Sorry, Anato!) In the end, only two photos from our shoot remained, telling a story as a diptych. Everything is there: Anato's amazing body, her expression, the cramped Parisian apartment, the art. Two individual images that strengthen each other, their power truly unfolding only in dialogue.
By the way, the location has its own unique story. It's happened to me often: I book an AirBnB that looks like a sophisticated Parisian period apartment in the photos — and then find myself in, well, let's call it a "compact" space. My first thought was: This should be interesting!
But the large windows spanning the entire sloped ceiling and the warm, earthy tones of the floor and furniture eventually won me over. Sometimes you don't need much space for great images. And anyway, Anato is clearly the star of my shots.
The special thing, though not visible, was the location: Right across from the Sorbonne, surrounded by those typical French bistros that create the charm of the Quartier Latin. One evening, I'm watching The Student (L'Étudiante) — my favorite Sophie Marceau film (yes, even ahead of "La Boum," which is saying something!). And then it happens: In one scene, she's sitting there, right in front of "my" café! Thirty years later, I'm photographing in exactly the same spot.
It gave me goosebumps. As if someone had drawn a cinematic thread through time and made it reappear right in front of my lens. Just another one of those little surprises that make life so exciting.
