Lara Zankoul: From An Idea To Reality

Lara Zankoul by Cathy Lê Thanh

It all started by leafing through fashion photos in magazines.

Then, at the age of 21, she started splitting her time between her corporate job and her love for photography.

Since then, Lara Zankoul has risen to become an iconic piece in the Lebanese photography scene.

Lara, the highly creative, self-taught photographer, has migrated from a background in economics to a full-fledged photography life, and as she puts it, "...even 6 years later, I consider my decision, to this day, to be one of the best [decisions] I've ever made."

Being a self-taught photographer definitely has its ups and downs, but for Lara it turned out well. "The challenge was to fill all the technical gaps and to discover all the aspects of photography on my own, which is more time-consuming...", she says, but she also adds, "The pros were that I had no pre-built rules, no rights and wrongs- I had the freedom to experiment without any preconceived ideas or formulas."

   

Untitled by Lara Zankoul

Her work is mostly based on human psychology and the human psyche. She also draws inspiration from dreams and her own daily experiences, "It's interesting; just looking around at my surroundings can set off an idea in my head."

Here is some more from our little chat:

• ·      What is it you want to say through your work? How do you accomplish that?

It depends. Sometimes I want to talk about one theme and I build a series around it, like "The Unseen". For my individual photos, I'll take independent concepts for each.
In conceptual photography, the hardest part is the passage from idea to reality. The implementation of the photo is sometimes harder than predicted, can have limitations that were not expected. Because of this, it is always important to plan ahead of time and be well prepared. 

• ·      Are you ever unsatisfied with the final result?

Yes! Many times actually. Because I experiment a lot, sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Regardless, I value every failure, because it is a lesson learned.

• ·      Your underwater series, “The Unseen”, touched me deeply. Where did you come up with that idea and how did you go about doing it?

The first idea that lead to the series was the image I would later title "Frennemies". After completing it, I liked the under-above water technique so much that I kept at it for the remainder of the series.
The idea resulted from an accumulation of experiences linked to the disillusionment with people's transparency. Some people are more transparent than others, but all people hide a lot of things, be it consciously or subconsciously.

"Frennemies" by Lara Zankoul

"Feminine Side" by Lara Zankoul

"The Zoo" by Lara Zankoul

• ·      Your Cinemagraphs are quite reflective. What gave you the idea to put those together?

Animated GIFs are all over the internet, and I wanted to create something conceptual and artistic with technique. The ideas behind my cinemagraphs revolve around a search of freedom. 

• ·      Can you tell me about your technique?

This is how I usually plan a shoot: First, I recruiting and interview models, come up with ideas for the theme of the photo/series. Next, I'll contact the studios where I'd be interested in executing the photo shoot, then explore the options for set design, costumes, etc. 

• ·      What do you think makes your work yours?

I consider the signature of my work to be my composition style, color treatment technique, and the visual elements and symbolism found in each one of my photos. There are also elements that recur throughout my work, like fog and water, traditional Lebanese houses, etc.

• ·      Where do you find your models?

Sometimes they're friends, sometimes they're people my friends introduce me to, and other times I recruit models by word of mouth or by putting up auditions on my Facebook page. It's really nice to get to work with a variety of people, both those I've known previously, and those I get to know on set!

• ·      What was your family’s reaction to the concepts portrayed in your work?

 They were impressed and surprised. At first I was shy to show them but as my work progressed, they supported me all the way.

• ·      Did you ever have any doubts prior to making your work known to the public?

At first it was a hobby, so posting my work was fun--I didn't over think it. I was very happy creating imagery and wanted to share it with the world.

"Giving In To Clouds" by Lara Zankoul

• ·      What is Lebanese talent to you? Do you identify as a Lebanese artist?
Lebanese talent is any talent originating from Lebanese people.
Aside from my settings in Lebanese traditional houses, I consider my art universal, with no cultural frontier. Because of this, I was criticized at the beginning of my career for not including Lebanese identity in my photos.
However nowadays, I believe globalization exposes people in all countries to very similar products and aspects. I've seen this firsthand during my travels, and I can vouch for the fact that persons share similarities all over the world. 

• ·      How do you see the Lebanese photography scene, specifically, and the Lebanese art scene, generally (pros/cons)? 
The Lebanese photography scene is definitely growing, and there are many talented Lebanese artists producing amazing works. 

• ·      What words of advice can you give to young, aspiring photographers? 

Always push yourself--get out of your comfort zone, listen to critique and be open to how you can better yourself. You can find your own style in your own creativity, so always be true to yourself. Most of all, have fun with what you're doing, and as long as you love photography you'll always find joy in it.

• ·      What motivates you to keep doing what you do?
 PASSION. Creating staged photos gives me purpose and brings me happiness. My greatest form of expression is with pictures. I'm less of a fan of words--my memory and my language are visual.

You can check out Lara Zankoul's official Facebook Page and Website for more of her work.