Mehdi Abidliinterview
An interview with Mehdi Abidli, a talented Paris based photographer who presents us this beautiful lingerie series featuring lovely Eva Biechy.
Know more about his work at instagram.com/mehdiabidli– www.mehdiabidli.com
In a few words, tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Mehdi and I’m 27. I am a photographer since 5 years, I currently live in Paris.
How long have you been a photographer?
I do photography professionally since 5 years but I have started to take my first pictures there is a little over 10 years.
How did you discover photography?
I was doing street skating and after many injuries, I became interested in my friends who did our videos so I became interested in video, image and editing.
When it came the time to choose what to do next I’m told that begin with the photograph would be a good way, and I didn’t let go the photo camera since but who knows, maybe one day I would take back the video…
How was your first shooting? What did you shoot?
The shoot which I remember most is not the first, but one of the first fashion. I invited one of my best friends to take some pictures, we shoot in my living room with a poorly tuned flash, with little clothing. That day, for the first time I managed to capture the attention of my model and I felt that this was this contact with the model that stimulated me, this intimate relationship at the time of shoot and swapping with the person in front of me.
How would you describe your style?
I am more attracted by natural light because I conceive my images thinking moments of my life, including childhood, and in real life this is the sun that illuminates us!
Otherwise I like quite natural things where we see the personality of the model, but I like to control space and to work postures/poses until I get the image I have in my head. I try to make models beautiful. I love when they tell me they are beautiful.
What does photography mean to you?
This means creating moments that are timeless like dreams and try to capture the magic of the moment.
What inspires you?
The music, a lot. Everything could inspire me, but especially my childhood memories in my neighborhood when I was looking at girls playing through the window, and I imagined what they thought, what they liked.
This is particularly by observing the people around me that I find inspiration.
What would you like to photograph?
Wild landscapes and Marloe Horst.
A photographer you particularly admire?
Alasdair McLellan for all of his work, which, from my perspective, mixes perfectly personal vision and fashion, not to mention his writing in these series that is super strong but by making pictures both very minimalist and sensitive.
But also Bruce Weber, Jock Sturges, Eggleston, Hamilton among others.
What is happiness?
Happiness is being in the place you want with the people you want, these moments are rare so you have to enjoy it when they arrive. (And do lots of pictures)
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
New York.
What’s your next goal?
Moving to New York, editing a book and continue to meet interesting people and to progress.
Lingerie: Valentine NYC