Donata Interview - Fran Parente

In 2021 we interviewed one of the great Brazilian photographers when the subject is architecture. It was through the MW Apartament by Arthur Casas, in Recife-PE that we met Fran Parente, who, besides being a photographer, has a degree in architecture.

Looking at the MW Apartament photos, we can see that the way the light was used in the photographs filled in and composed the whole portrait adding a lot of value to the environment. What is your personal and technical opinion related to light (natural or artificial) in architectural photography.

The pleasure was all mine, first of all thanks for the interest in talking a little more about the behind the scenes process of creating the images. The spaces have several moments throughout the day and these spaces change according to the weather, time and climate. I believe that natural light adds much more value to the environment, because the attention is focused on the whole space and how the light "travels" through the space. Artificial light, most of the time diverts the eye to the light fixture, to the ceiling, and the shadows are much more striking as well. There is the atmosphere of the night photo, but very few of them look good.

Challenges run in the DNA of almost all great names in photography, the search for the best light, composition, frame, among other details. With that, we believe that with you it is no different, could you tell us what was the most challenging project of your career?

There are many factors and decisions that have to be made at the time of the photo shoot. As much as there is previous planning, it is not always possible to visit the project before the session. So the challenges are daily, where to start, which space has the best morning light, which place is most valued at that moment. I can't rank the most challenging project I have ever encountered. All are considered new and treated with the same priority.

Where do you look for references and who inspires you as a professional?

I look for references on the internet, in books, exhibitions, everyday life. I always say that photography is life's baggage and hours of flight. The more you consume from images, books, daily life, the more you incorporate this into your work. Of the older photographers, definitely Julius Shulman and Marcel Gautherot.

We saw that you have a long trajectory within photography, where did your passion for architectural and interior photography come from?

I have always loved photography, I have always recorded a lot of things when I traveled, and in retrospect, I have always recorded more buildings than people. The turning point was when I was in my last year of college and doing an internship at Triptyque. After 6 months of internship I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon photographing a building that had just been completed, that's when I realized that I liked the experience, after that I dedicated myself 100% to architectural photography. It was 2007, I was in my last year of college and I started photographing for friends who were doing internships in some smaller offices.

With the evolution of forms of communication and social networks, photographs have become part of our everyday life, and it is now much more accessible for the architect and any other professional to take a portrait. Analyzing your own timeline on Instagram, we notice numerous changes since your first photo in 2011. For you, what is the role of photography in the world over the years?

Photography has evolved over time from something more documental to something with more creative freedom. We can tell different stories at the same time and place, with the different visions of the photographers. Photography has several roles, from telling a real story and documenting this reality, to feeding dreams.

We are going through a global pandemic where many of us have been confined indoors for a long time. How was this period for you, did it make you observe things differently? What changes in Fran Parente's vision about photography in the midst of this period?

The period was a period of extreme reflection for many people, I believe it was a period of evolution for some people, for others, nothing changed. It was a difficult time in terms of work, because it was a time when people were valuing more and more the space of the home, and for this they were consuming more and more images of houses and we were restricted to producing this type of content. We are still in a delicate moment, with a hope for improvement, but I already understand how to live and produce in this restricted period. Photography proved to be stronger than ever in this period and became more and more necessary in people's lives. What changes is that the consumption of images will be greater and greater and the professionals that today we can call content creators, will have to create their own content.