French photographer Matthieu Quatravaux’s work masterfully combines the strange with the beautiful. His unique presentation of models captures the viewer's attention, drawing them in with an eccentric charm which results in pieces that are captivating and beautiful, yet delightfully awkward and weird. Having drawn clear inspiration from Wes Anderson, Matthieu now infuses his own creativity and perspective to craft images that offer a glimpse into his distinct vision of the world.

What was it that first got you into photography? Have you always shot on film?

My introduction to photography was a bit unusual I think, as it was purely based on my sensations - The sensation of pressing the shutter butter was super satisfying. I felt connected to the camera in a way, I liked the game of photography a lot; I learnt most of the basics like exposure triangle and basic composition rules. I distanced myself a little from my camera. I had maybe a one or two year period where I didn’t shoot much or even didn’t take my camera on some trips. Then my girlfriend at the time wanted to learn photography and I was so happy to teach her that I dove back into photography. I started with a bit of portraits but I mainly was interested in street photography. At the time my only experience with film was with my grandmother’s Semflex (a French Rolleiflex basically) and I just shot some slide film using sunny 16.

However that quickly changed as I began watching 'Negative Feedback' on Youtube and watched interviews of various photographers like Rosie Matheson who used film with Mamiyas for portraits. That piqued my interest in film and portraits altogether. I started composing my portraits the same way I composed my street photos, quite large, far from my subjects, but trying to show the outfits. I was shooting almost exclusively portraits and reached out to people who I found stylish. A few years later, my career finally started growing as I got to do some collaborations with Lomography, Godox and even Instagram themselves. Nowadays I shoot almost exclusively on film, which I scan after with a digital camera. I’d like to get into hand printing it though but it’s terribly expensive to do.

Outside of fashion what also inspires you and your photography?

I feel like my two biggest inspirations are the movies of Wes Anderson and the method of Tyler Shields. Wes’ movies are so perfectly framed while adding a bit of trashy style to the images with the use of distorted anamorphic lenses. I love that contrast and I love clean, perfect compositions. As for Tyler’s work, he explained in an interview how he tries to shoot every picture as if it’s worth 1 million dollars. I kind of try thinking in that way nowadays and I try to perfect my frames the best I can and only press the shutter when what’s in my viewfinder is exactly how I want it. I shoot one picture per location the majority of the time and it helped me get better results.

Is fashion also a big part of your life and inspiration? Or do you just like to photograph fashion?

I like clothes for sure. I mainly like high quality fabrics and products that will last me a lifetime. I kind of follow what’s happening in fashion though and I like seeing cool brands and original stuff from time to time. Originally I saw being a fashion photographer as my end goal. Now, my end goal would be to become a fine art photographer, deciding whatever I want to shoot, creating the whole set. But I still want to be a fashion photographer on my way to this goal. So, I like to dress up, I guess in that way fashion is part of my life, it just isn’t my END goal when it comes to my photography career.

How does photography make you feel, whether it’s before, during or after the shoot?

Before a shoot I’m usually a bit worried. Most of the time I don’t have plans for my shoot, it’s just we go somewhere and I have to find good pictures. I like to improvise the locations but at the same time it’s still a bit stressful to work that way.

So overall before a shoot, I am stressed and excited. I guess I discovered the extraverted part of myself with photography as I sympathize with people and we just talk and hangout. So I mostly feel comfortable during the shoots, chill, talkative usually. I love discovering all those new people I shoot photos with and giving them a safe space to discuss anything and everything. I think it’s both interesting and also good for the pictures as my models are more relaxed. So during the shoots, I feel chill, in my zone. And after, it depends. I’m usually scared. I’d say 75% of the time I’m worried that I messed up my exposures or just that my photos didn’t have the same quality as usual.

But when I scan the film, often all that goes away and I’m just happy. Also, I’m disappointed in the first place but then I take a little break from editing and when I come back to the images I’m very happy. So after a shoot, I probably feel a bit anxious, and impatient. As for the people involved, as I said, I love to talk with them and just exchange. It’s part of why I prefer small teams - we can all discuss together and feel like a simple friends group while walking and shooting good photos.

How have the people around you like friends and family played a role in your life and career as a photographer?

My parents helped me a lot as they offered me my first three cameras. They liked my photos and encouraged me. However, their enthusiasm in my photography grew instantly last year when I showed them my photos on the TV screen at home. At that moment my father asked me what I was doing in a business school and encouraged me to go to a photography school because he saw my “talent” as worthy to pursue a career in photography.

As for my mother, she always encouraged me and we plan on making an exhibition together as she’s a painter. As for my friends, they’re helpful as I use a lot of them as models for my photos when I have ideas so they like it, free photos for them haha. I also made a few friends that way, just finding cool people on Instagram, shooting photos and we became friends along the way. So I guess they’re all very supportive of what I do.

What's the big dream with photography?

My big dream would be to make a living from selling prints, and doing exhibitions around the world. I’d love to create my photoshoots from start to finish and create entire sets just for my photos, fully bringing to reality any idea inside my head. To get there I’d like to direct campaigns and shoot them for brands and fashion in general.

I think it’s just fun!! Sometimes I focus on stuff that people ignore, and so using photography allows me to show them that. I don’t think I see photography as such a deep subject though. I just enjoy doing it and I find the whole process super satisfying. I don’t see it as so serious, I want to make art but I don’t want to be a very serious snob kind of artist. So, fun before all.