Louis Guermond

Vemen Magazine: Walk us through your creative process. How much of your work is carefully planned, and how much is left to pure spontaneity?

Louis Guermond: No imposed rules.

Vemen Magazine: How do you approach light and shadow in your own work?

Louis Guermond: Not being keen on technique, my images cannot be read from the perspective of "beautiful photography" (classical aesthetics).

Vemen Magazine: Do you prefer immersing yourself in long-term documentary/visual projects, or are you chasing singular, standalone moments?

Louis Guermond: Not being a professional seeking profit or recognition, I make my images for myself and for those who find an interest in them!

Vemen Magazine: Let's talk about the gear. Do you believe the camera and the medium dictate the soul of the photograph, or are they just tools?

Louis Guermond: Useful instruments depending on the type of photography. For me, a basic camera is enough, without the need to immediately broadcast the image to the whole world. (Laughs).

Vemen Magazine: We know you live in Romania. Is photographic art promoted enough in Romania?

Louis Guermond: Clearly not, with a damaging absence of the history of Romanian photography. And you have all the necessary examples here to train your eye...

Vemen Magazine: What is your response to photographers around the world wondering whether it is worth visiting Romania?

Louis Guermond: Of course. Romania has everything to show, provided you don't come looking only for the negative, or possibly the poverty. Every country has its dark corners. It is worth coming for documentary photography if you are a curious photographer.

Vemen Magazine: Every artist faces creative blocks. Have you ever experienced one, and how did you manage to find your visual voice again?

Louis Guermond: Yes. It was a slow evolution for me, based on my readings, visiting exhibitions, and encountering other visions.

Vemen Magazine: What is the most memorable or emotional reaction someone has ever had to one of your photographs?

Louis Guermond: I don't know...

Vemen Magazine: If you could give one piece of advice to an emerging photographer who is struggling to find their unique style, what would it be?

Louis Guermond: Work, work.

Vemen Magazine: What is next for you? Are there any upcoming exhibitions, photobooks, or new themes you are excited to explore?

Louis Guermond: Time will tell. I have illustrated numerous book covers and held several collective and solo exhibitions.

An interview exploring Louis Guermond's straightforward approach to photography—from relying on basic gear to capturing the simplicity of everyday moments without the constraints of modern visual trends.

Vemen Magazine: How did your journey into photography begin? Do you remember the moment you realized this was more than just a hobby?

Louis Guermond: A long story, starting from the high school photo club, the purchase of vintage photographs (Victor Hugo), countless books and cameras gathered as a polymorphous collector, to meeting and befriending renowned international photographers. A slow evolution toward the passion of an informed amateur.

Vemen Magazine: How would you describe your visual style to someone who has never seen your work, using only three words?

Louis Guermond: Humanism, essay.

Vemen Magazine: Inspiration often comes from unexpected places. What is your biggest source of inspiration outside of photography?

Louis Guermond: Chance, luck, hard work, and multiple sources based on a solid knowledge of the global history of photography.

Vemen Magazine: In your opinion, what transforms an ordinary picture into a truly powerful photograph?

Louis Guermond: A multitude of elements: composition, different angles, simplicity, and the gaze...

Vemen Magazine: Is photography for you more about documenting reality exactly as it is, or about creating your own version of it?

Louis Guermond: Clearly, my own reality, based on the criteria of Dr. Otto Steinert (Subjective Photography), categories 3 and 4.

Vemen Magazine: Name three photographers whose work has inspired you throughout your career.

Louis Guermond: Louis Stettner (American), François Tuefferd (French), Felippe Ferre (Colombian), and Dinu Lazăr (Romanian). All friends with whom I have shared projects...

Vemen Magazine: In a world flooded with millions of digital images every day, what is the most challenging aspect of being a contemporary photographer?

Louis Guermond: My feeling: images that are too intellectualized? A lot of emptiness within the frame...

Vemen Magazine: If you had to be remembered by just one single photograph you have taken, which one would it be?

Louis Guermond: Street sweepers in an alleyway during a foggy period. A well-composed black and white image with rhythm, multiple layers: the simplicity of the moment.