Julia GRANDPERRET
Photographer

Julia is in the process of taking the portraits of the talented people supported by Porosus in 2020.

What is your artistic background ?
When I was 18, my father gave me his old Nikon FA. I then started to photograph my family, my travels, my environment, the elements... Collaborations and encounters, particularly with musicians, have enabled me to enrich and professionalize my relationship with photography, in parallel with my law degree. Once I obtained my law degree, I started to work in a photo studio, and to follow a masterclass during six months with photographer Diana Lui. That's when I decided to make photography my profession. The desire to further my technique, but above all to research and explore, pushed me to take the photography school exams. I have just finished a three-year bachelor’s degree at the Ecole de l'Image Gobelins. Beyond the technical aspect, I have been able to further my photographic skills by making several series, including one that is close to my heart: Dourgas, a documentary series about resilience and healing, made with the Women Safe Institute.

How do you see your profession today ?
The image-making professions are undergoing major changes. Between social networks, insane technological advances such as 3D, special effects, photography (and more generally the image industry) it is a sector which is constantly changing. It requires staying straight in your boots, staying on course while remaining flexible! A big job of balance and adaptation. And confidence too. The perpetual flow of images produced can sometimes demystify my relationship with photography, but nothing beats this feeling of comfort, of intense joy, when one manages to capture an imperceptible, fleeting moment of beauty. The resulting encounter is just as precious; this singular relationship with the person being photographed, the need to find the right place, the right words and to welcome the other.

How do you see yourself in 5 years ? In 10 years ?
It's hard to say, given that at the moment it's hard to think of oneself beyond a few weeks! But in 5 or 10 years, I would like to have found the right balance between commercial work and my personal projects, my documentary series, anchored in a more collective approach. My wish is also to go deeper into video, making images has been a great discovery for me at Les Gobelins and it is a field I would like to explore further.

Interview conducted in 2020
Photography credit: Julia Grandperret