#7 - Tomas van Houtryve on Notre-Dame, borders and photography as a language

In this episode, Kaat sits down in Paris with Tomas van Houtryve, the Belgian-American photographer and filmmaker who has lived in the city since 2006. Tomas was selected by National Geographic to document Notre-Dame after the devastating fire of 2019, and his book on the project comes out at the end of October or beginning of November. They talk about that years-long, almost intimate relationship with the cathedral, about language and national borders as a recurring thread in his work, and about why he picks a different technique for every project, from drone photography to 19th-century wet plate collodion. AI, curiosity as a driving force, and his new research into the relationship between people and nature in the Alps also come up.What you'll learn in this episodeHow Tomas got access to Notre-Dame, and what it meant to spend months climbing around it in a hazmat suit.Why he deliberately switches between techniques, and how each one opens a different window onto the same subject.How, inspired by Hokusai's 36 views of Mount Fuji, he found a fresh way to look at one of the most photographed monuments on earth.Why borders (language, land, religion) have fascinated him for years, from the Belgian language border to North and South Korea.How he thinks about the future of photography now that AI-generated images are getting harder to tell apart from real ones.About the guestTomas van Houtryve is a photographer, filmmaker and researcher, born in 1975 and based in Paris. His work weaves together investigative journalism, philosophy and metaphor, and has been recognized with honors including the Pulitzer Fellowship, the Hasselblad Foundation Research and Development Award, the ICP Infinity Award and a World Press Photo Award. He is a fellow at Columbia University's Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris and is currently working on a project about the shifting relationship between people and nature in the Alps.This episode is brought to you by CameranuKaat turns to Cameranu herself when it comes to gear. Their specialists think along with you and give you honest advice, whether you're after a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. Listeners of De Donkere Kamer get 10% off with code DDK10 at cameranu.be.Free webinar: what growing photographers do differentlyThrough her work with top photographers, in masterclasses and in 1:1 mentoring, Kaat keeps noticing the same patterns in the photographers who keep growing. In a free webinar, she walks you through the five things these photographers consistently do, with practical insights you can apply yourself. Sign up here for freeMore from De Donkere KamerWant to grow as a photographer yourself? Discover the options for 1:1 mentoring, masterclasses and the CONNECT membership at donkerekamer.com.