Laurent Parienti : Reveal, connect, transcend.
Nomad at heart, Laurent Parienti is inspired by the sacred feminine, the sea and his travels to create his images, always revealing his desire for exploration and discovery.
He lives in a small fishing village on the Mediterranean coast, an isolated and wild place from which he draws his energy and creativity. He likes to reveal the soul of a place or a person, and makes images in film and Super 8. He has been working for a few years with a team of ethnologists with the MOKEN, a nomadic marine people living in the heart of the Mergui Archipelago in Burma.
But for the time being, he has accepted to answer our questionnaire.
Website : www.laurentparienti.com
Instagram : @laurent.parienti
What was your first photographic breakthrough?
Laurent Parienti : When I was young, with my father.
The man or woman who inspires you?
Laurent Parienti : Vincent Munier “the snow panther” for his presence, his passion, his way of contemplating, his humility and his gentle connection to the world.
The image you would have liked to make?
Laurent Parienti : The portrait of Ché Guevara by Alberto Corda.
The one that moved you the most?
Laurent Parienti : “The girl with the flower” by Marc Riboud.
And the one that made you angry?
Laurent Parienti : “The child and the scavenger” by Kevin Carter.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
Laurent Parienti : The horizon over the sea.
A photographic memory from your childhood?
Laurent Parienti : A memory of film processing with my father, the image appeared as if by magic.
With no budget limit, what would be the work of art you would dream of acquiring?
Laurent Parienti : The birth of Venus by Botticelli.
According to you, what is the necessary quality to be a good photographer?
Laurent Parienti : To know how to observe.
The secret of the perfect image, if it exists?
Laurent Parienti : Total connection, a moment of grace, a gift from the gods or the light, the subject and … that je ne sais quoi that makes the difference.
The person you would like to photograph?
Laurent Parienti : Mahatma Gandhi if he was still alive.
The photographer you would like to have your portrait taken by?
Laurent Parienti : Steve McCurry.
An essential photo book?
Laurent Parienti : I don’t know of an indispensable one, but I like “Tractor Boys” by Martin Bogren.
Your childhood camera?
Laurent Parienti : Canon AE1.
The one you use today?
Laurent Parienti : Fuji X-Pro3 in digital, Miranda Sensorex II in film.
Your favorite drug?
Laurent Parienti : Chocolate.
The best way to disconnect?
Laurent Parienti : Contemplating the sea, meditating, reciting mantras, doing yoga, swimming and I do this every day because it has become vital. It is in fact a connection that disconnects from the world of illusion and ego.
What is your personal relationship to the image?
Laurent Parienti : It is fusional, for me creating images is to reveal, connect, transcend.
What is your greatest quality?
Laurent Parienti : The respect of the living world.
Your latest folly?
Laurent Parienti : Deciding to go to Iceland with a friend after 2 minutes of discussion.
An image to illustrate a new banknote?
Laurent Parienti : A tree of life.
The job you would not have liked to do?
Laurent Parienti : There are so many…
And if you had not become a photographer?
Laurent Parienti : I would have liked to be a writer or a musician.
Your biggest professional extravagance?
Laurent Parienti : Deciding to start a video production company with a friend in a few minutes after seeing a video sequence he brought back from a trip.
What do you think is the difference between photography and art photography?
Laurent Parienti : Photography is an art, but it is the way to transcend reality.
The city, the country or the culture you dream of discovering?
Laurent Parienti : I have been around the world but Ethiopia attracts me a lot.
The place you never get tired of?
Laurent Parienti : The little cove where I live on the Mediterranean coast.
Your biggest regret?
Laurent Parienti: Not having yet met or recognized or kept a soul mate, but who knows?
In terms of social networks, are you rather Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok or Snapchat and why?
Laurent Parienti: Instagram with the least amount of words possible… but I don’t like networks.
What has digital technology and smartphones taken away or brought to photography?
Laurent Parienti : Digital and social networks have taken away all the magic and preciousness of photography, that’s why outside of my work I went back to film photography and super8. They allowed a lot of people to create images easily but often without real meaning or awareness.
Color or B&W?
Laurent Parienti : Color above all but I love black and white.
Daylight or artificial light?
Laurent Parienti : Always natural light.
Does your heart swing more towards film or digital?
Laurent Parienti : Film without a doubt.
What is the most photogenic city according to you?
Laurent Parienti : Benares.
If God exists, would you ask him to pose for you or would you opt for a selfie with him?
Laurent Parienti : Certainly not, in my opinion he hides deep inside us and sometimes reveals himself in a gesture, a portrait, a light…
If I could organize your ideal dinner, who would be at the table?
Laurent Parienti : My family, my friends.
The image that represents for you the current state of the world?
Laurent Parienti : A burning forest.
What is missing in today’s world?
Laurent Parienti : Consciousness, compassion, love, gentleness, joy and a deep respect for all forms of life.
If you had to start all over again?
Laurent Parienti : I would start photography very young.
Any last words?
Laurent Parienti : Life is a wonderful gift and joy is the most beautiful and simple way to pay tribute to it.
