French girls

or the goddess of the foam fountain

I meet them at the beach, four french girls traveling the first time without parents. When we decide to meet later at the fountain of Napoleon, I already see my spot for this shooting: the fountain is totally covered with foam, because the city cleans it exactly that night. The foam is like clouds, but the water is dirty as hell. The girls are brave enough to go inside with me! They first turn into tough cookies, than into goddess and after sending me some text about the process, I believe, they also turned into woman on this trip, maybe that night.

 Elisa

Maybe she's just fed up that people thinks she's a baby. Now she leaves her shadow side bring back to surface. She assert herself as a strong woman, she's watching her back and stay current. She's turned through her future, and leave her past behind.

Laëtitia

Maybe she is just pretending. Pretending to be a strong woman, pretending to break the rules without worrying about the consequences, pretending to spit at the face of people. Or maybe not. Maybe she should just accept she accepts herself, accept she has changed, accept that you can change while remaining the same person. Stop being in identity quest. Stop lying to herself because in her heart she knows, she knows she is strong thanks to her past. Stop pretending and assume its transformation. She must leave the knots in her stomach. She is a warrior. And now she does not want to be afraid anymore.

Clara

We can't judge someone by the cover of the book. Too many people did it. For them, she's only a frail and angelic doll they have to protect.However, this is not true. She is a strong woman who can act with her own weapons, without help.

Julie

Muscles and the template are not everything. Appearances mean nothing. We find our strength in several areas, such as reflection, patience and self control.

Je suis Louvre

PARIS - Belleville - Black Pearl

In Paris is Belleville, an area on the verge of gentrification. But it still felt real to me when I stayed in this neighborhood for a couple of days. One day I visited the hair salon, Blackpearl, a family business run by a lovely and strong woman. And where there is one, there are more. Thank you for letting me photograph you!

I´m a mountain

Visite ma tente

Three friends from Versailles sleeping in three tents.

Three Red lips, three cigarettes, three hands.

Plâges

Burning down the beach I

Burning down the beach II

L´ille Rousse is a village in the North of Corsica with very long beautiful beaches filled up with tourists in the high season. But something else attracts my attention, a burned down beach restaurant. When I ask locals what happened I hear words like, mafia, drugs, concurrence between the restaurants. I find the clash between beach and burn visually so interesting, that I decide to work with it. But I didn´t expect, that I would get the attention of mathing tourists with this decision. When I reinstall the scene with these two women pumping up an air matress infront of the "crime scene" people start screaming at me, telling me how tasteless it is to take photos this infront of that drama. The next day, the city cleared everything up and I am happy that I conserved this storytelling clash in one picture.

Under one roof

The plan for this travel was actually to go to scandinavia. I had the idea to travel trough holland and sweden. But the call came from friends in France, so I gave up planning to go with the flow and a few days later I´m already on an Island.
So you can imagine, how surprised I was when I stumble in Calvi/Corsica in a Hotel that is run by a scandinavian Company with a particular concept of bringing the swedish culture to french speaking countries. When I first enter the hotel, I realize that the staff is unusual. The sexy receptionists, the cute bartender and also the cleaning personal is very young, mostly around 20, good looking and full of energy. They speak to each other in swedish and prefer to speak in english with me and not french. That particular scandinavian ascent that makes me smile all the time. Suddenly I have these questions in my head, where do they all come from? How do they live here? Is this little Hotel more a village with the character if a soap opera? The manager that looks like a viking is super open, friendly and tells me, that he lives in the building in one of the guest rooms with his son, who came visiting for summer. The rest of the staff is in the installed in the last floor underneath the roof and when I ask them to portray them in their private space they do all agree on it. I´m happy that I was able to see everyones improvised home and that I  can now share it with you.


The hotel name is not mentioned, because this is a personal project and no commercial collaboration.

Thanks to all participants

Caisa, Receptionist

Ana, 20 years. Workin as the bartender and waitress 

Christian, from Copenhagen.
Working as a bartender, waiter, and barista for 4-5 years

Anton, 20 years, working as the guide 

Pontus, 20 years old. Working as head chef 

Jennifer, Bartender and breakfast host 
19 years old, just gratueted Highschool and went straight to work in Corse

Wojtek,  32 years old and  Olimpia, 28 years old both from Polan, Working in housekeeping

Magnus, the hotel manager with his son Oskar

L´histoire d´Emile sous sa peau

The Story of Emile on his skin

I love stories, especially in images. This is why I actually travel to find them. This story found me when I was getting lost while hiking in the mountains close by Corté in Corsica. 

And also this story starts with a woman, a man and an apple. I love picking fruits from trees and when I saw this apple tree behind a huge fence, I had to steal one. It was Emile´s garden. 

And with him showing up, I had this question: Why is this man, with all these incredible tattoos in the depth of mountains of Corsica? 

It reminded me of so many hipsters with french quotes in handwriting on arms, chests and backs. But this was different. These quotes were created by himself, not to be poetic, but to remind him, who he was. Now, he grew old and the story of his life is visible. I am very happy, I met this treasure, that never got photographed before and that was kind of to shy to tell his story, but not too shy to strip for my camera. 

Before we said goodby, he gave me as chow a peach and some juice, I guess he thought I stole his apple, because I was really hungry. 

Merci Emile!

"Marie-Pierre, Natalie, Josée:I beshrew you!"
>> He says, this was his most expensive tatoo. The three wowan he wanted to send to hell with this, sued him and they won. He had to pay 41 000 to pay the damages, but he has it still on his skin.<<

>>Maîtresse<<

>>The flames shos his force to fight<<

"That´s me, when I was young. And a girl I really liked. But you don´t see her face out of respect to her. With this position I did not want to disrespect woman, it´s just my most favorite position"

>>Under his arm, there is this tattoo of a woman with spread legs. His hair is at the pubic hair of the pussy in the tatoo<< 

"The year 1991 was just insane, but I don´t regret a thing"

"For you, there is nothing left but hate. 15 years to understand. Goodbye forever"

>> His first tattoo he ever had, he got it when he was 16<<

"You are my last song"

" I miss you - 1998"
>> His mother that passed away 1998<<

"Gentleness does not mean weakness"
>>He is very generous and kind he says, but if someone takes me not serous I show them who I am<<

"In life, you were my sun - In shadow you´ll be my light"
>> This was dedicated to his one and only love<<

L´histoire d´Emile

"The imprint of the death" and "hate helps to survive"

"Easy to have an orgasm"

>>Pascale, his last maîtresse. The only tatoo he really regrets, she does not have deserved this place at the end he says.<< 

>> There is also a Che on his left arm, but no tatoos at all at his back. This show even more, that he did this tatoos just for himself<<