This time Prissy Mag?s taking you all the way to London to introduce you to a fabulous (we certainly think so) photographer by the name of Jens whom we discovered grace à the internet. One of the things we like most about Jen?s work is the creativity behind it. Here?s what he had to tell us about it.

PM: How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

JL: Hmm, I don?t know...

PM: How long have you been taking pictures?

JL: Since I was a child and first owned a camera at the age of 10 (34 now). Since then all of my money and passion have gone into photography ? I feel lost without it.

PM: Were you influenced by any other photographers and if so, how?

JL: Many, Jaques-Henri Lartigue is a favorite ? I just saw the original of his best photograph (in my view) at the MOMA NY ? a race car passing fans standing by the side of the road.

PM: How would you describe yourself as a photographer?

JL: I love what I do, I?m not in it for the money, which I feel is very important if you want to shoot what you really love and don?t want to reduce yourself to a technician.

PM: How do you choose your subjects?

JL: It?s hard to describe ? I get ideas while driving, drinking, dancing? then I try and write things down quickly because some of them go as fast as they come? At other times I just see things around me and then try to find the right viewpoint ? composition (besides color and authenticity) is probably the single most important key within my style.

PM: I love how some of the heads are ?cut off? in your work, or how people are facing away from the camera. What do you want to say about that? What?s going through your mind when you take a picture like that?

JL: People can ?say? a lot without even showing their faces ? through body language, the way they dress, accessories they use etc. ? it also gives the viewer more of a chance to make up his own theory of what the picture is supposed to say - showing less often makes you want to look at the picture for longer, trying to figure out some meaning behind the shot, imagining what the person might actually look like, think, feel.

PM: Do you ever experience self-doubt being an artist?

JL: Times have been hard (financially) a few years back, it doesn?t help to live in a city as stupidly expensive as London ? but this is my city and I love it here, just as I love being a photographer ? having been broke in the past never stopped me from believing in what I do. I've always been of the opinion that what matters most is that you enjoy your work ? money could never compensate for the kick I get out of my job.

I was interviewed on the Channel 4 TV Show ?Young, gifted and broke? and that pretty much described me at the time ? and I was happy with it!

PM: Tell us about what I call the ?naked girl? pictures. The first time I saw I wished I was there just to observe the other people in the crowd. There?s one photo where the business men are facing the camera and it appears that none of them have even noticed her! Is that true?

JL: The series was shot for the Velvia Bursary in 2001. I wanted to portray how people in big cities are so used to seeing pretty women in the streets and they don?t really blink an eye ? so I thought I?d show how things change as soon as the girls are naked.

The London Bridge photo is most interesting in my opinion, simply because the business men did actually see her and if you look closely you see how tense they are, trying to stare straight ahead because they don?t want to be caught on camera staring at a naked woman. Very unlike the people (many of them tourists) in Venice, Paris and Barcelona? They got their cameras out and started shouting and pointing.

PM: What effect does your work have on other people?

JL: Ask them :-)

PM: Cheeky, cheeky! Isn?t that what you guys would say over there? OK, so tell me what motivates you or inspires you?

JL: Simply the joy of shooting, traveling, meeting new people all the time, seeing my photos in galleries and people?s apartments? And also I do have to eat, right?

PM: Which one of your photographs is your favorite and why?

JL: I really can?t choose just one ? many of them have a lot of sentimental value to me ? I wouldn?t be alive without my pictures ? they are everything to me.

PM: If you weren?t a photographer, what would you want to be?

JL: I?d be dead!

PM: Understood. Any last words?

JL: Call me.

To check out Jen?s work please click here.

Priscilla Lalisse moved to Paris from New York City in 1999. In addition to being the Editor and Founder of Prissy Mag, she is the author of the novel STOCKALE. For her complete bio, please click here .

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