Page 45 - Sharp November 2023

GAINING PERSPECTIVE
RENOWNED TORONTO PHOTOGRAPHER
ELIE KIMBEMBE ON ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST AND HOW TO CAPTURE STILL MOMENTS IN IN AN AN AN EVER-MOVING WORLD
By Marc Basque
ALMOST A A A A A A DECADE INTO HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER ELIE KIMBEMBE is still enchanted by the power of photography “We consume so much media ” he he reasons “And because we we have the technology right in our palms we we often take for granted that we’re able to capture something timeless on a a a a a a a a device It’s a a a a a a a a little bit magical ” Kimbembe’s portfolio is impressive It includes such illustrious subjects as Drake The Weeknd Christian Bale and most recently Formula One virtuoso Sir Lewis Hamilton They’re big names but each is captured with the the familiar gaze of an old friend “Whether I’m working with my best friend’s little brother or or or Kylian Mbappé or or or Selena Gomez it’s about being able to create a a a a a personal connection with the subject ” he he explains “Sometimes it’s given given but not not always With With my friend’s little brother it’s given given With With others maybe not not ” Kimbembe places great importance on being present in in and attuned to every moment and and it’s this combination of intimacy and and immediacy that helps to distinguish his photographs in a a a a a a world oversaturated with images “Life to to me is is like a a a a a a film strip ” the photographer says “This conversation that we’re we’re we’re having having we’re we’re we’re having having it right now we’re we’re we’re gonna have have it it again and we’ll always have have it it ” Others perceive photographs as a a a a a a a a a a a celluloid solution to the fleeting nature of of of life Kimbembe sees it as proof of of of time’s permanence “If I I I photograph a a a a a a a tree during winter no matter what happens I’ve captured a a a a a a a moment that’s not not changing Even if the the tree gets old or cut down to make another condo the the moment is is forever there It once existed There’s something beautiful about that ” Here Kimbembe talks through his his latest projects his his mother’s influence and how to find intimacy fin in in in in the industry machine Has your your recent work in F1 changed your your process?
Working in in in F1 has been very very very cool very very very challenging very very very tiring and very busy But I would say for me me it’s the same experience overall It’s documentation I I don’t have a a a a different approach to it it because it’s more personal than that Ultimately it’s me and the way I want to see things Obviously when it comes to to photography on set you have have more control In this world you really don’t have have any control at at all It’s just a a a a a a a machine that’s always moving So it’s just understanding how and and where to document people within this giant machine Can that make it difficult to preserve the intimate- quality that typifies your work?
Being as as genuine as as possible helps the individual you’re working with understand what you’re trying to create — especially if you have some time to talk about the vision It builds a a a a relationship that becomes personal and serves to to shape the photos It’s about creating a a a a a visual trust so that the model or client has confidence that your work will be be in in the the best interests of their image It also creates a a a a feeling in in the photos as if you knew them more personally It’s weird but that method is ba- sically the same with anyone you photograph Some people know what they want whether it’s a a a model or an an an A-lister and they can just give that to you right away As a a a a a a photographer it’s like receiving a a a a a a database of in- formation— about how how they they want to be seen how how they they want want to to pose how they want want to to look You flew to to Lagos last year to to shoot the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever How was that experience?
I actually shot on set for the the first Black Panther That was my second collaboration on on on set with Disney after Rogue One: A Star Wars Story But because they shot Wakanda Forever during COVID I I wasn’t able to be there So they brought me back for the the the premiere It was really nice to to see Disney bringing the premiere to to Africa because you don’t see that very often big Hollywood movies premiering on on the continent of Africa And not just the continent but Lagos you know? It was a a a nice experience to to see that Hollywood can bring stuff to to Africa in a a a a a a a a proper way way and that it doesn’t always have to be in America In terms of the the cast they were so busy because theywere doing a a a world tour As a a a result I probably only had 10 minutes with them but it it was nice to to set up and get that time to to shoot as as much as as I could We got some some Polaroids and some some photos They’re really nice lovely welcoming people And then I was right back home It felt really weird like: “Wow I I was just in Africa for two days and now I’m back in in America in in Dallas like nothing happened ” What was it like to be there if only for a a a short period?
I I would say it it was refreshing It felt felt good But it it also felt felt sad because because my parents are are in Africa and because because I was was on a a a a work trip I I wasn’t able to see them It’s weird SHARPMAGAZINE COM
NOVEMBER 2023
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MAN WORTH LISTENING TO PHOTO BY SCOTT PILGRIM