“It’s About Having an Emotional Reaction”: In Conversation with Photographer Clément Vayssieres

Chinatown, NYC, 2014. Clément Vayssieres

A cityscape viewed from an unusual angle that emphasises the realness yet enigmatic interactions that make up the everyday fabric of daily urban life. So many colours and street details, perfectly imperfect and misshapen, captured with spontaneity amid the flow of miscellaneous presences. The click of the camera shutter opens the window into the unruly rhythm that is the street life of Chinatown, New York City.

I have lingered over this photograph taken by Clément Vayssieres (shown above) in repeated times. It’s more than a frozen moment in time, as it seems to allow life to follow its course and it does that by avoiding the conventions of the picturesque. I want to frame it – a manifesto of sorts against the overly polished uniformity of the present day imaginary that we surround ourselves with. It’s a very fresh approach, filtered through an atmospheric introspection.

Whether he shoots in his home-base city, Paris, or around the globe, in broad day light or twilight, there is often a certain undertone in Clément Vayssieres’ photography. It’s a quality that may be fueled by his great passion for cinema, but it also certainly stems from his own genuine curiosity in the story he wants to tell. It’s the “why” he is interested in. He is a subtle witness who, with the snap of the camera, comes close to his subject and responds to what he sees. It’s the precise moment that becomes the making of an image.

In our interview, Clément and I talk about the thing that led him to photography, the filmmaker he would like to go on a journey with pretty much anywhere in the world, why a photographer needs to remain humble, and the story behind that Chinatown photo that inspired our conversation.

Kasbah des Caids, Tamnougalt, Morocco, 2022.
“This is a XVIth century Kasbah, in the Draa Valley.” Clément Vayssieres

Is it take or make a photo?

I think it’s both.

Obviously, when you’re in the studio, playing with lights, set design, poses and everything, you’re « making » a photograph. And even in street photography, craft is about making the good conditions happen for you to be able to get the perfect photo.

But photographers also need to be humble and state that sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time and you’re gifted a photograph that you just « take ».

Do you always carry a camera with you?

I don’t, because I tend to be « hunting » for pictures and it would be insufferable for the people around me. But it makes me « miss » pictures that I often see just happening in front of me. I then note down the time and place and come back another day.

Does the opposite happen? Are there moments when you simply want to witness a moment without shooting any picture even if you have your camera with you?

For sure, I tend not to take photographs during « life events », birthdays, family reunions etc. Everybody else is already documenting it with their phone, and my phone is pretty bad, so I can just sit back and be in the moment. It’s nice.

Left: SAINT LUCIA, BWI, 2016 | Right: Ischia, Italy, 2020. Clément Vayssieres

“Photographers also need to be humble and
state that sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time.”

Details from artist Heather Chontos’ house in Dordogne, 2021. Clément Vayssieres

What led you to photography?

Definitely films. I’m obsessed with cinema.

Can you tell me a little more about your passion for cinema? How did it start? Do you have certain films and filmmakers that are a constant inspiration in your work?

It’s always been there. I’ve always wanted to make movies. Perhaps it will happen at some point. It would take forever to make a comprehensive list of all the people and films that influence me, and it’s an ever-evolving list. But one thing for sure is that I tend to be happy with my pictures when they have some kind of cinematic quality and storytelling.

Then I will ask you this: Which filmmaker would you hypothetically like to take on a journey with you?

It really depends on the destination. I guess I would also pick filmmakers with a good sense of conversation which is essential when travelling. If I had to imagine some, I’d go to Italy with Martin Scorsese, to South Korea with Bong Joon-ho, to California with PT Anderson and pretty much anywhere in the world with Werner Herzog. Also, how about going to space with Kubrick?

Aley, Lebanon a city overlooking Beirut at sunset, 2011. Clément Vayssieres.

“I’m obsessed with cinema.
I tend to be happy with my picture when
they have some kind of cinematic quality and storytelling.”

Left: Scotland | Right: Paris, 2018, for Mr. Porter Live. Clément Vayssieres.

Your work includes architecture, interiors, artists’ work and portraits, travel. Do you approach differently the various mediums you photograph?

I used to, but less and less.

Clearly, you don’t shoot a building and a face the same way, and there is a technicality associated with each genre. But the more I go forward into my practice, the more it’s about: « What’s the story / subject ? » and « How does it make me feel ? » and then you’re just guided by instinct.

How much does “liking” a subject matter in your photography? Do you have the freedom to choose the stories you want to tell through your photographs, that present a certain interest from a personal point of view as well, not just professionally?

I don’t think it matters that much. To me, it’s about having an emotional reaction. You can make a good picture of something you dislike, because you’re reacting to it. It’s much harder getting a good photograph of something that leaves you lukewarm. When I don’t care for something, the results often ends up being bad or at least not interesting.

Artist Heather Chontos photographed by Clément Vayssieres.

What makes a good photograph?

That’s a tough one. Obviously, a good framing and a good lighting will help. But in the end, there are no rules. I think the subject, the story you’re telling is always the main attraction, but that can take so many forms… And also, what about abstract photography? They don’t have a « clear » subject and still they can be so good…

”I had found this spot where I could hide behind a door
and it took me a couple of days to find the right moment to shoot.
This was it.”

One of my favourite photos of yours is the one that opens this interview. The unique urban view, the framing, the light and tone, the colours that are reflective of the cinematic quality of black and white – it reminds me of Saul Leiter’s photography. Could you tell me more about the context of this photo and if you’ve considered taking on street photography more often?

Thank you for the Saul Leiter comparison, it’s very flattering. This photo was taken in 2014 in Chinatown, NYC. At the time, I was regularly spending time in New York as a photo assistant and I used to stay in cheap rooms in Chinatown. I had found this spot where I could hide behind a door and it took me a couple of days to find the right moment to shoot. This was it. I love how the guy rests on the bike.

When I travel to cities, it’s street photography, and when I travel to more natural areas. I guess it’s more travel photography. But, to me, the two disciplines are very alike. You use the same muscles.

San Pietro, Vatican, 2015. Clément Vayssieres.

Tennis clay court at Foro Italico, Rome, during the Ides of March. Clément Vayssieres.

And given that it’s clay season and the Rome tournament is currently underway, my next question has to do with my passion for tennis. Was it a one-time photo of the clay court of Rome or does tennis or other sport also present an interest to you as a photographer?

I’m not so much into sports to be honest. But if there is one I often watch, it’s definitely tennis. This shot was part of a series where I shot rationalist fascist architecture in Rome. Mussolini was obviously one of the worst leaders ever, but the buildings that he commissioned have something that I find very interesting and quite beautiful. This tennis court is part of the Foro Italico (used to be called Foro Mussolini…) a sports complex that was designed similarly to an ancient Roman forum in the 30s in order to have Rome organising the Summer Olympics in 1940 (which didn’t happen for obvious reasons). The tennis court has fascist statues all around it and behind, you see the Stadio Olimpico. It was the second time I came to Rome to shoot that series and it was a stormy day during the Ides of March.

Your selection of limited edition photographs that you are making available to purchase for a limited period of time at the moment is centered around Morocco. What is your most memorable experience from Morocco? What keeps you going back to Morocco?

In 2022, I went to the Sahara desert. We arrived at the end of the day in Erg Chegaga, the dune area close to the Algerian border, during a sandstorm. The feeling was very eerie, almost post-apocalyptic. And the colours were completely off, but you could still see the animals going on with their day. It felt pretty surreal. That night, in the camp, looking at the stars, we learnt that the Queen of England had just died.

Morocco is such a beautiful country, and so diverse, there’s always something new to explore. I’ve been going almost every year since 2011 and it always fascinates me.

Erg Chegaga, Morocco, 2022.
“This one was taken during the sandstorm I talk about in the interview.” Clément Vayssieres

You’re more focused travelling by yourself but,
in general, I’d rather travel with people.
I find that’s when you have the best conversations.

Morocco. Clément Vayssieres

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, preparing to take/make a photo, where would you want to be?

There are so many places I’d love to go to. It keeps changing. These days I’m planning a trip to South Korea, so I could picture myself in Seoul. I also really want to go to Svalbard, Peru and Sudan.

Do you prefer to travel alone as a photographer?

As a photographer, yes. It takes patience getting the right picture. You have to spend a long time in a place to figure out the angles, the light, and that time spent is often boring or redundant for other people. But in general, I’d rather travel with people. Sharing a trip is really one of the perks of travelling. I find that’s when you have the best conversations. So I guess you’re more focused travelling by yourself, but the travel is way more fun with other people.

New Orleans, USA, 2018, after a rainstorm in the area that was impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Clément Vayssieres.

“It’s about having an emotional reaction.
It’s much harder getting a good photograph of something
that leaves you lukewarm.”

Left: Bokor, Hill, Cambodi, 2017 | Right: Kampot, Cambodia, 2017. Clément Vayssieres

Has your approach to travel changed in time in terms of what you want to transmit to others? Do you think a travel photographer should feel responsible to a certain extent for what stories he chooses to tell, to inspire people to travel in a different way, not just so that they can share a photogenic place on their Instagram?

Social media is definitely not helping with mass tourism. But it’s also something that started way before and is involved with a lot of today’s issues that are quite intricate. It would take much more than an interview to solve them.

I think a photographer of any kind should feel responsible for the story they’re telling and the way they’re telling it. But in the end, I am responsible for myself. I’ve changed my way of travelling and always try to improve, to make it more carbon neutral. On the other hand, who am I to tell people how they should travel?

It’s true that one can’t be responsible for the way other people travel. But the power of example can go a long way, I believe. What is the most important lesson that your travels have taught you?

Not to take your own referential as the « right » one.

Paris at night through the lens of Clément Vayssieres.

You live in Paris. What is the best part about living in Paris and which you would miss if you lived anywhere else in the world?

The food and the accessibility to culture are definitely two main highlights. I’ve always lived in Paris so, like most Parisians, I have a love-hate relationship with it. Paris has a lot of drawbacks, but I can’t picture myself living anywhere else. Paris also has a lot of great movie theaters, along with the food I think that is what I’d miss the most.

Do you have a favourite movie theater? And as a true cinephile myself, I would like to ask: With so many movie theaters closing down around the world and with the impact that streaming has had on cinemas, do you feel hopeful about the future of the movie theater?

There are so many that I love. I’m very faithful to a place when I like it, I tend to come back to it often. If I had to make a list, I’d say Max Linder, Studio 28 and Le Champo in Paris. In London, I love the Everyman Screen on the Green, the Electric and the Everyman Baker Street. And in New-York, I love the Nitehawk cinemas, the IFC and the Film Forum.

Hopeful would be a strong word, but I’m not worried. It definitely won’t ever be again like the 70s where you’d find a movie theater at every corner. But I see « niche » auteur theaters that are still open because people can’t find these kind of movies anywhere on the platforms. It’s true that it’s mostly in big cities though.

And I think a movie like Dune 2 this year showed that spectators will come in masses to the theater to see a « big » movie if it’s good and thoughtful, which isn’t often the case with today’s blockbusters.