For this project, I was inspired by the works of Jeff Wall. Even before the democratization of internet, he confronted the role of the photographer as another gazer (cf. Picture for women, 1979).

Regarding aesthetics, I felt that I could not depict such ideas without stepping outside my usual photographic comfort zone. Like David Hockney, I think I had to change my approach to be able to talk about the digital space. 

In VIDEOCALL_2025, I'm calling people from the internet and I'm displaying the screen on a wall. 

By doing so, I adress several parameters : intimacy as experience, the concept of gazing and being looked too, and theatricality with the photograph. 

I conducted several sessions, with the first category being models and photographers. This is because most of my followers on my social media account work in that field. I also concluded with a session with an artist.

The concept of these calls was to do a portrait session where the subject would be free within the limits of the technology used (Zoom, Instagram, or even Facetime). 

With me in the little square, I could echo Jeff Wall's work but also include myself as the photographer, viewer and voyeur. I tried giving instructions or interacting with the way to conduct the shooting. 

The overall experience made me see myself as the photographer, viewer, and voyeur.

In terms of results, I expected the subjects to feel free to do as they wished. However, the opposite occurred. While the nature of each context influenced the outcomes, the models were more responsive to me as the operator—not because I was giving directions, but because the camera itself was perceived as an external inconfortable presence.

Another aspect was confronting myself in portraying the male gaze. However, I still have doubts about its effectiveness aesthetically. I was more comfortable using Zoom, as it allowed me to move my own square on the screen—but the following question remained: how can I get closer to the viewer to convey a sense of intimacy ?

Furthermore, because of my classical approach as a photographer, I was concerned about the quality of the images. The creepiness from the raw images was very disturbing to me, so I decided to create a video  to make the subject more confortable to watch.

Regarding the setup for this project, I used a simple configuration: a computer connected to a tethered digital camera and a projector. I paired the camera with either a 45 mm lens or a tilt-shift lens. This allowed me to introduce blur in certain parts of the image.

When I incorporated the photographs into the video, I realized that this blurred and tilted aesthetic, combined with the existing video effects, could have been pushed further through VJing.

Additionally, I had not considered using analog film, but it might have been interesting for highlighting the contrast between the very present, physical aspect of the room where I was shooting and the distant connection I was trying to depict.