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Me, Myself

The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish
and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten
The purpose of words is to convey ideas,
and when the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten,
Where can I find a man who has forgotten words?
He is the one I would like to talk to
Chuang Tsu




Who I am

I am partner at Eau du Volcan at Courdemanges, France. You can contact me at pinaki@pinaki.info and keep in touch with my work through Twitter.


What I do

I tell stories. I come up with the idea behind them, create them, and package them.

These stories have a purpose, which might range from getting people to empathise with turtles, telling of the migrations of the Bedouin, or selling them Rolexes. I help people come up with the concept behind them:

  • Why a story should be told
  • What the story should be
  • Who it needs to be targeted at
  • How it should be delivered and packaged

    • These stories might become books, websites or advertisements. The end product is decided by purpose. What is common to everything is conveying a message, telling the story.

    Stories usually involve research, documentation through writing and photography, and design.


    Where I am

    I am based in central France but look for stories all over the world. Assignments might last weeks or months.


    Photography and writing

    Most stories are written and photographed by different people. But writing and shooting aren't watertight compartments. Neither should they be ends in themselves.

    There are many photographers in the world, and many good writers. But not many who do both. When you mix the two, when one leads to the other and the lines get blurry, you can tell a story with a single vision that runs through both. Because the person you photograph is the person you have talked to. And because both your shots and writing share the same style.

    Minimalism, and focus, is key. As Cartier-Bresson said, "It is with the strict economy of means that simplicity of expression is achieved." I use one fixed lens for 99 percent of my shots, and usually keep it at the same aperture. I don't own a zoom, or a flash. I'm not interested in shooting everything. I'm only interested in what matters to me.


    Design

    I design to convey a message. My design is simple, utilitarian and clear. I lean towards minimalism. I aim for the unfashionable, because it lasts.

    I don't believe in art for art's sake. I am not trying to be creative.

    My tastes in typography lean towards Helvetica and Bodoni. You might call them dead boring, but I have my reasons. I have experimented with Anziano but don't use it much any more.

    You might say my tastes are a bit Vignellian. David Alan Harvey's philosophy made me shed all my lenses and stick with just one. I went a step further and shed color from my photography, to reduce the image to the barest minimum.


    If you have a story to tell, do get in touch with me. I'd love to be a part of your effort.


    Pinaki | because the best stories are our own

    for Eau du Volcan | Courdemanges, France



    Photograph on this page: Moscow, March, 2010. By Maria Klochkova



    Twitter | © 2001—2012 Pinaki