Tristan Vergnault – Shot in my bedroom
“Home-made” is a word that makes real sense for Tristan Vergnault. Coming from the skate culture, this young man took the plunge and has recently gone into independent photography. He set up in his flat his own fully equipped photo studio, making do with what was at hand. Located just a few steps from his bed, his kitchen (just in case you have an urge for a drink) and his turntables, he can perfectly shoot in a relaxed atmosphere, I can tell you… Feels like home!
Hi Tristan, it’s quite unusual to run his studio in his own bedroom, where did you get your idea from?
I work with “Milk et Click” in Nantes and they needed some picture for their new website so we made a deal, they’d buy the photography stuff and I’d take the pictures! Then I have a bedroom large enough, so I put everything inside it! White, flash and everything else!
What did you use to do before going into photography? How does it feel taking the plunge?
I used to work as shop assistant but I quickly realized it wasn’t really what I wanted to do in my live; I used to take some pictures too, but it was just to have fun with friends. I wondered about being a professional photographer only once I was back from Montréal, 4 years ago, where I bought my first Reflex camera. Taking the plunge is scary, as in every independent job, if you don’t wake up in the morning to look for some work or to do your personal projects you might end up having a breakdown or banging your had against the wall! It’s been a year now I’m in freelance and I have my own agenda, so it’s going well, I started swimming without doing too much apneas.
Tell us a bit about the advantages and the drawbacks of working at home
At first, working at home is really cool; you decide your schedule, turn your own music right up, work in pajamas and take a break whenever you want to… well, lot of nice things! At the end, the benefits are drawbacks as well, excepted maybe the pajamas, but you know, it’s still your place, where you are supposed to be with friends, chill out…and have a break from job. Since I work in my bedroom I have the feeling I work all the time, and that’s not cool, it’s a bit oppressing! Working at home is not really my cup of tea though, I can tell you I get quickly bored when I’m on my own even if I’m working: I like discussing with people, going to work at the morning and get back home in the evening. So, by now some other people and I are looking for a place and we are on the right track!
Can you tell me a bit about your clients?
I mostly work with Milk Store and Click Skate Store for their website pictures or the ones for their blogs, like look book. I occasionally work as a photo assistant in an advertising photo studio in Nantes. Plus, I do different stuff like working in my father’s puppet company “Theater for two Hands”. I love the atmosphere, it’s like taking pictures on concerts, with the stage lightning. I also work for the skate park or the shed. Lately I’ve taken some pictures for a skate blog called “live skateboard media” on Nantes’ stage.
I know you just got back from a trip in Copenhagen, how was it? Did you manage to take some picture in Christiania even if it’s forbidden?
I went there with a friend to see my Montreal roommate who lives now in Copenhagen. Copenhagen is crazy, we didn’t know at all what to expect, but this city rocks: there are tags everywhere, buildings are colorful or with red briquettes, there are bikes everywhere, I mean it; they are like the kings of the street. Every kind of skate spots, local skaters are stunning! Christiania is crazy as well, it’s completely another world, I didn’t really try to take pictures over there: when you get in the neighborhood, just in front of the “shops” there are around 6 stocky and hefty boys with something like 3 or 4 amstaffs and pitbulls; plus, cameras are barred everywhere as a parking ban so you’re not really fancy taking pictures…
What are you current projects?
That’s top secret, I’ll tell you about it next.
http://www.flickr.com/people/-tv-/
