Josephine is a photographer living and working in Paris.

“I’m very curious about surroundings. I had the chance to travel a lot and what I enjoy the most is to discover people’s lifestyle, how they live in their own place, and how they appropriate it in their own personal way. ”

Josette asked Josephine a few questions

What is your background?

I grew up in Paris and I have always loved art, of every sort. I have practiced theater, drawing and music since I was 7. Artistic activities have always been part of my life. I’m very lucky to have grown up in a family that always helped and encouraged me in this field. I started photography after graduating with a Literature degree.

What inspires you?

The 60s and 70s always inspired me for photography and music. Stephen Shore, Martin Parr, and Lars Tunbjörk are some of my favorite photographers, they essentially do documentary photography, which has influenced my work. Nowadays I open myself to current artists. There are so many great new fields to discover everyday ! 

How/When did you get started?

I started photography the day my mom gave me her analog pentax K1000, when I was done with the film, I developed my own pictures in the lab of my high school and that was it!

How has your work evolved?

I started with black and white analog photography and I mostly do digital color now so I guess I evolved quite a lot, right?! More seriously, thanks to my studies, I have learnt how to work professionally on a project, dig into deep meanings and thoughts, write about my work and how I feel about it. All of this is for me a great key to help move forward.

Which work of yours is a good introduction?

It actually depends on who’s interested! I do so many different things. I don’t show the same things on instagram or at a job interview. However I think my photo series from my trip to America is very revealing of what I love to shoot: a culture different from mine that I show with my point of view. 

How do you stay motivated?

I realize how lucky I am to do something I love, especially when one day never looks like another. I think that is the best motivation.

Do you always have a plan?

I’m not the kind of person who plans ahead. I love not knowing what the month is going to look like, then it’s always a surprise! 

Who/what would you travel to see?

I would love to travel to New Orleans, do a documentary about the locals’ lifestyle, trying to rebuild after Katrina and dancing to awesome music. I've been attracted to this culture for quite a while! 

What would you like to learn?

Learn about the world ! Discover all about the different cultures that surrounds us. I want to travel in order to learn more about people who don’t live like me, who have nothing in common with me and share intense moments with them. 

How do you deal with judgement and criticism?

I like it. It is very important for me to know what people sincerely think about my work. For my degree, the jury members were disagreeing about my personal project. It confused me a lot but then I realized it helped me learn a lot about my work, about what I still have to work on. I also learnt about myself thanks to this conflict and how I accept arguments about my work.

Who will you thank when you receive an award?

My family, some of my teachers and my best friends Leila and Pauline.