INTRODUCING MELCHIOR TERSEN
I was born in Paris and it’s been 23 years that I’m living there. If you like forest and animals, don’t come over. I started to take pictures of my mates when we were doing stupid stuff during class in High school. Then, photography became a way for me to get free tickets to gigs; I was shooting bands during hardcore gigs. And when I was alone and bored, I used to go to film premieres and shoot movie stars, I used to cover political events etc. I learned a lot doing that, it gave me the taste to do photo reportage. When you can’t draw or play an instrument, photography is an easy way of expression. I’m sure it’s really commun, but I’m a really nostalgic person and I’m really scared of losing what I see, I need photography to visually remember things, it’s been 4 years that it took a major importance for me. I started with a digital camera, but now I’m using films. Like everyone else, I love small size film cameras, like yashica or mju, I also use an amazing Olympus 0M20 that I bought for only 10 dollars at a flea market. This is a photo of a dead squirrel I found on the road, during my vacations in Bretagne. It took us, me and my sisters, 2 hours to walk back to the spot. When we did, we took it with us, and with all my little cousins we made a funeral for it. It was fun, we made it on the beach. Everyone was looking at us. I’m really inspired by the movies, paintings and music, especially hip hop and black metal music. I love photographers like,Peter Sutherland, Martin Paar, Peter Beste, Mary Hellen Mark. I’m really into photo reportage, it really blows my mind. What I like about it, is that there is no personal arrogance; it’s just about showing a particular sensibility or view on something. Oh, and I really like Ana Kras too, I’m fascinated by his in between dream and reality aesthetic.
