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PORTRAIT
Sylvie Blum was born in 1967 in Taxenbach in Austria, then she left for Germany. She began a modeling career as an art and fashion model. Throughout her life, she travels the world. In 1991, she met the erotic photographer Guenter Blum, of whom she became the model and then the muse before marrying him in 1995. From the master and mentor, she learned the techniques of photography, composition and light. From a very young age she wanted to become an artist, favoring art, fashion, architecture, design, pop art, music, filmmaking and above all photography which would become the true passion of her life.
Then she worked with monsters of photography such as Helmut Newton, Jeanloup Sieff, or even Jan Saudek. When Guenter Blum died in 1997, she moved into an old factory which she converted into a photo studio. She then knows the fame with several art books of her composition then she settles in California. She now lives and works in Los Angeles in her WhiteBox studio. Her book Naked Beauty has been published by teNeues and distributed worldwide. In 2012, she launched a show with iconic photographer Herb Ritts at the Fahey Klein Gallery in Los Angeles.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
- Why did you want to become a photographer after being a model?
Since I was 4 years old, I always knew that I wanted to become an artist. I worked more than 16 years as a model but photography always interested me. The transition came naturally and since then I have been doing just that.
- It is often said that the gaze is different in front of and behind the lens, for you it is too?
Sure ! Knowing how one feels in front of a camera helps a lot in knowing how a model feels about things. This helps to create a relationship in a short period of time between the photographer and the model, and it also helps to motivate a model to find their persona on the day of the shoot. I consider the model an important part of my team, rather than just the object I photograph.
- A recurring question I imagine, but what is the difference between a female photographer and a male photographer?
Well, there's always been a difference between men and women in general, and that's what makes life so interesting. Working as a photographer requires being very competitive, having a strong vision of your own style and knowing where you want to be with your work.
- Find the continuation of Sylvie Blum inNormal Magazine n°3 et n°9 -
