Paris, the city of love, light and artistic attraction, is the venue for one of the world's most prestigious events in the field of photography - the annual art fair "Paris Photo". It is a paradise for enthusiasts, collectors and artists alike. The event brings together some of the most prestigious photographers, galleries, publishing houses and curators.

The richness of Paris Photo lies in its ability to present a broad spectrum of photographic styles and genres. Visitors have the opportunity to explore the intersection of culture, history and technology through the lens of numerous artists. Also for art collectors and enthusiasts, Paris Photo is a real treasure trove. Not only because of the art fair itself, but also because of numerous other exhibitions, vernissages and encounters outside the art fair but at the same time.

Images: © Thomas Berlin

In addition to exhibitions, vernissages and many encounters in and around the art fair Paris Photo, I also used my stay in Paris this year for my own photo shoots. The pictures in this article give a first impression. Paris radiates a certain joie de vivre and creativity that inspires photographers, among others. The city has produced many artists who have used nude photography as a form of expression. Paris also has an open and tolerant atmosphere that creates a space for photographers to express their visions. Overall, the mixture of cultural history, artistic tradition, romantic ambience and creative freedom contributes to the special charm of nude photography especially in Paris.

Images: © Thomas Berlin

The essence of a photo shoot is to create images that are not only visually appealing, but in the best case also trigger a mental cinema or capture a certain mood. Here are some elements that are important to me in photo shoots:

- Establishing the style and atmosphere you want to convey with the images. Is also a clear message needed? I am not convinced yet.

- Communication between the photographer, the model and other team members. That's why it's important to me that we can also communicate in a common language.

- At its best, a photo shoot offers room for creativity and innovation for everyone involved. This can mean trying out new perspectives, playing with the light or spontaneously changing the planned set-up.

- Harmonious teamwork between photographer, models, make-up artists and other participants helps to realise a coherent vision. If the people don't know each other, familiarity must be established. In Paris, for example, I shot with two models at the same time who did not yet know each other. We therefore took a playful approach at first. A funny pillow fight between the two models at the beginning ensured fun and a light-hearted interaction during the shoot.

- An important goal is to capture emotions and convey expression in the images which adds depth to a photo shoot. Both the photographer and the model help to create an emotional connection that brings the images to life.

- A photo shoot can take unpredictable turns. The ability to be flexible and adapt to different situations is crucial. Especially in new and unfamiliar locations. Flexibility makes it possible to capture spontaneous moments and capitalise also unexpected opportunities.

- Time management is important to keep to the time frame of the photo shoot and ensure that all planned elements are covered. This requires a bit planning and organisation in advance. However, I am always prepared to abandon all my planning if new and better ideas arise. I can do this because I always realise free projects and am not bound by commercial specifications.

- The post-processing of the images and their presentation are next steps. The editing should support the desired style and vision of the photo shoot. I edit my images myself and don't work with retouchers because I see image editing as an integral part of my creative process. The presentation of the final images helps to convey the story or message. This includes one of the most difficult tasks after a photo shoot: selecting a few images from an ocean of possibilities.

To summarise, the essence of a photo shoot is the interplay of collaboration, creativity, technical ability, communication and the ability to capture emotion. A successful photo shoot not only creates appealing images, but also conveys a certain mood or opens the mind's cinema. I leave it to you to judge whether I have somehow succeeded with these pictures. Feel free to write to me if you have an opinion on this.

Encounters in Paris and some thoughts about photo shoots

Timeline