Standing the Test of Time with the Nikon Z f – part two

Theo Gosselin and Maud Chalard, cinematic photography and portrait and landscapes

Paris, France

@theogosselin and @maudchalard

Couple Theo Gosselin and Maud Chalard both shoot together and separately. Here, Theo chats to Nikon magazine.

Why is it important to shoot in ‘timeless’ black and white?

Black and white evokes pictures of some of the most important moments of the 20^th century. When I think about black-and-white photography, I see pictures of D-Day in 1944 by Robert Capa, I see Phan Thi Kim Phuc running during the Vietnam War, Lover in Paris from Doisneau, or James Dean in Manhattan during the 1960s. There’s lots of classics forever connected to monochrome photography.

For most people, black-and-white photographs are connected to the past, before colour photography, that’s why it makes everything timeless. It’s important to shoot timeless black-and-white pictures because it gives people the power to use their imagination and think about the story behind the photograph. Who? When? Where? The viewers can imagine their own stories, discover the true story, and of course, just admire the beautiful piece of art.

Tell us about the Z f. How did you find the new monochrome features?

It had amazing performance and it looked beautiful, and was an easy transition from our D850. We worked directly in black and white which is a massive advantage, it helps to project yourself and find the best light and settings to create beautiful black-and-white pictures.

How does composing in black and white differ to colour?

In black and white, my eyes are more focused on contrasts, zones and lines. Black and white works like a drawing: without the help of colours to draw the subject, I have to compose the image using dark and light zones which helps the eyes to focus on certain part of the images. As a guide, lines and light build the image and avoid making it too grey or too flat. Blurry zones are important too, sharpness will make some special details pop from out of the frame.

What’s your main goal with black-and-white photography?

With black-and-white photographs, I aim to evoke emotions, nostalgia and a sense of timelessness – a big part of my work, I always aim to avoid time references (phones, new cars, TV and the like). I love when people think my pictures were taken during the 70s! I love playing with time and it’s always interesting to recreate pictures from a certain era. Black-and-white pictures also create a certain atmosphere: a mix of darkness, nostalgia and beauty. Fashion, journalism, art, and black-and-white photographs have been constant since the start and will forever be part of photography.

Ben Moore, architecture and urban street photographer

London, England

@bemorephotos

What does timeliness mean to you?

In this industry, time is a challenge – it’s only a matter of time until a better photograph comes along. Taking a photo that stands the test of time and is still relevant 10 or 30 years after the shot has been taken is a dream for a photographer. Shooting a legacy photo that you can leave behind is a way of submitting yourself in history and becoming a staple name. We all yearn to have photos that keep viewers coming back to again and again and still make people feel a certain way. That’s how you create art.

How do you create a photo that stands the test of time?

It’s not something you can do and say, exactly. Take the opportunity to create something to the best of your ability. I don’t think any photographer thinks they’re going to create a legacy straightaway. Most of the time you post a photo on Instagram, receive likes and then the algorithm moves on. Keep going, keep putting work out there and one may hit. You can only shoot the best you can today. In the moment, you can try and cover all bases (like using a wide angle and a zoom, or flash) to get that little something else not everyone would. Ultimately, it’s getting the opportunity to shoot and then adding more to it. Think outside the box and take it to the next level.

You often shoot more buildings than people. Is there a difference creating timelessness with people versus buildings?

It’s the same because buildings become monuments and people travel the world to see them – imagine you get to shoot inside before the building gets knocked down! Now you’ve got photos that show history and time that can never be taken again. That’s when you can create a timeless photograph and become a part of history. London, for example, has changed so much with all these new buildings – taking a photo that becomes part of London’s growing history is exhilarating. 

And how does the Z f help with creating timelessness?

It was really cool! It was fun to use, and it feels and looks like an old retro camera but the autofocus was crazy amazing, just like the Nikon Z 9. The photos became so much fun to take, because of how it feels and I loved the dials. It has a nice, valuable weight and feels balanced with the lenses. Seeing the shots come out in black and white was also perfect, I loved it. I don’t shoot a lot of black and white photography, so it was a very nice change, it was completely refreshing!

You can read part one of the introductions and results of our six photographers here.