Algerian street photographerImed Kolliuses his camera to form a connection with others.
Playing with light and shadow, Kolli creates dramatic images in a style that is instantly recognizable.
At times, he uses light and shadow to emphasize the features of his subject.
In other moments, he uses these elements to cloak them in darkness and heighten the emotional impact.
All of this is in an effort to visually recreate the emotions lived during the photo shoot.
Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview.
When did your interest in photography begin?
Why do you choose to shoot in black and white instead of color?
It’s often about dramatic situations or viewpoints.
Drama is created in pictures in lots of ways.
Knowing the environment did help in preparing for that moment.
I devoted myself to shooting entirely in black and white.
I processed, predominately through dodge and burn, to develop the mood of my subjects.
What inspired your seriesHumanity in Black and White?
Loneliness, laid bare, is a very powerful stimulus.
Its never been about shooting a photograph though.
The relationships I establish are self-fulfilling in many respects.
My pain is somehow desensitized by understanding theirs.
Im very much an empath.
Im very much project-based, so I have to go to an area and immerse myself in the community.
The deep personal connections I make with the people I meet always makes a lasting impression on me.
The images I produce are the final piece of the journey.
I channel everything into them.
My faith, my love, and my humanity.
Your portraits are particularly inspiring.
How do you find your subjects?
The subjects that I met coincidently during my journeys in my life are the models in my photography.
They were easy to find, but difficult to photograph.
They live in poorer neighborhoods which could be quite dangerous and risky to get involved in.
To me, the most important thing is being aware of the environment around me.
My lack of experience as a photographer sometimes worked to my advantage.
My blurred, half-lit images both fascinated and frightened my audiences.
These photographs contrasted sharply with images of children.
What do you do to make them relax?
I attempt to introduce myself properly first and ask them some regular questions like how’s your day?
I feel like I know them through their spontaneity that clarified their state of mind.
What I do is photograph emotions, but what interests me most is developing a personal relationship.
What do you hope that people take away from your photographs?
I have a go at provoke an imaginative and intelligent response from the viewer with a purely visual reference.
