Eye of the beholder
Talking art, acting and anonymity with Paris-based photographer Alain Aka.
INTERVIEW: Eye of the beholder
Not everyone is seeking fame and fortune. For some, their work is simply a labour of love. We talk art, acting and anonymity with Paris-based photographer Alain Aka.
You shoot across a wide range of genres. What are your favourites?
I’m lucky in that I can pretty much choose what and who I want to photograph. If I were to narrow it down into a handful of subjects, I’d say art, acting, glamour and fashion.
You live in one of the fashion capitals of the world. Yet you’re not a typical ‘fashion’ photographer?
No. Nor are my models typical ‘fashion’ models. Clothed or otherwise, I enjoy taking photographs of real, beautiful women. It’s debatable how many of those you find in the mainstream fashion industry!
It’s also a highly competitive market.
Absolutely. It’s perhaps one of the reasons I have never tried to break into it as a fully-fledged professional. That, and not necessarily having the right connections. I’m also self-taught. Without being big-headed, I’d like to think my photographs stand up well against some of the big boys in the industry, but I guess my CV doesn’t necessarily reflect that. I’m probably also too opinionated to work with overly-precious art directors or pretentious designers! And I like improvising.
So you’d describe yourself as an enthusiastic amateur?
Yes. In the sense that I don’t sell my images as such, nor do I usually find I have to pay for models. You could say I work on the old-fashioned barter system: in exchange for modelling for me, I will help compile portfolios, and work with them on developing their websites and other promotional platforms. A lot of models are also trying to break into the market, or maybe do it part-time, in between other jobs. Dancers, performance artists, actors…
And how do you promote yourself?
I know I need to create time to do more, and raise my public profile. My work can be found on social media and several photography websites however, including Viewbug, Model Mayhem and 500px. But word-of-mouth is always one of the best ways of getting known. Models know models, they talk to each other, and my name will often crop up in conversation. Hopefully always in a good way!
Trust is vital between a model and a photographer?
Without a doubt. If you’re working with somebody relatively new, for instance, you have to be able to put them at their ease. And even with experienced models, the same unwritten rules apply. If somebody is undressing in front of you, there has to be unconditional trust and mutual respect. And getting to know the person behind the face or the body is equally crucial. It’s where improvisation, spontaneity and originality come from. I firmly believe that shoots should be a combined artistic process between the photographer and the model. We talk, we have fun, if it’s a long shoot we’ll usually sit down and eat together. I like models with personality. That’s probably another answer you can tag on to the ‘fashion industry’ question above…
You do some non-nude work?
I take a few standard portraits (face only), do a little bit of photojournalism, love vintage shots, and enjoy some quirky, fun, off-the-wall stuff in unusual places or situations - but yes, on the whole, a lot of my work involves the naked form.
Studio or location. Do you have a preference?
Nudity should be an expression of freedom. It should be natural. You can create that in the studio. But it’s often easier outdoors. I’m a naturist. Being naked on a beach to me is the most perfectly natural thing in the world. It’s great when the models think the same. And the backdrops are always different.
You’ve shot in a wide range of locations.
I’ve been lucky to travel quite a bit. In France, I love the west coast. Those wild, wide beaches and stretches of pine forest on the Atlantic. And it goes without saying that the light in the south, especially Provence, is a photographer’s dream. It’s also where I first discovered naturism, as a teenager. But I also love mainland Spain, Menorca, Fuerteventura, Thailand, the USA. There are some amazing landscapes in Nevada and New Mexico.
And would you call yourself a ‘naturist’ photographer?
I’ve never really liked labels. Nude, naked, nudist, naturist - is it important? The same goes for when people try to describe photography. Mine or anybody else’s. Is it nude photography? Glamour? Boudoir? Art? Porn? It’s whatever people want to call it. Or whatever they think it is. And sometimes, you’re not going to change their minds anyway, if their minds are already made up. As far as I am concerned, fine nude art is still art. I don’t shoot anything that I consider vulgar.
Your daughter is also a model?
Katerina. Yes, she is. And she has posed for me. Naked. Which I think proves my point. I’m very proud of her, and what she does. And the feeling is obviously mutual. We respect each other’s work. And as naturism has always been a part of our family life, it’s completely natural to both of us.
You work in TV news, as a cameraman. Do you see yourself making your hobby of photography your full-time profession at any stage?
Perhaps. I love to travel, and find new places, and love what I do outside of my ‘day job’ - so it would be nice to be able to spend more time on that. But not just yet. I have bills to pay!
And is that the reason behind your nom de plume?
Not really. There’s no secret at work to me being a naturist, or what I do in my spare time with my photography, and I’m certainly not ashamed of it. But when I started out, I felt I needed to separate my work from my hobby and needed a name. I played around with some ideas, and Alain Aka came up, almost as a joke. AKA. Also Known As. It kind of stuck.
