Sébastien Salamand dit Le Turk

If you're unfamiliar with the work of Sébastien Salamand, or 'Le Turk' as he is more commonly known, it's unlikely that you've seen anything quite like it before. His playful compositions are filled with both joy and despair, combining the risqué decadence of the Parisian cabaret scene with a darkly comic commentary on society.

Le Turk insists that his work "doesn't carry any hidden messages", rather it's simply "a chronicle of the strange world we live in". Any commentary that can be deduced from analysing his photographs and films is entirely up to his audience's interpretation. "I draw as much inspiration from artists such as Eugène Delacroix as I do from the silly films and mad pop culture of the 1980s," he says.

Today, Le Turk combines his skills as an artist, set designer, photographer and film director to create immersive representations of the world as he sees it. It's an approach that has earned him long-standing relationships with international clients, and tens of thousands of followers on social media.

"To be honest, it's cinema," says Le Turk, when asked which creative outlet is his favourite. "It's harder, more expensive and takes much longer – but it's also more fun. Photography is much easier to control – it can just be me and a model – but I enjoy allowing the process to find its own course in filmmaking. There's rhythm to cinema – the frame moves, there are words and sounds, and many narrative tools to produce a more complete work. It's hard to be precise because you meet problems along the way and plans change. Cinema also involves working with more people, each with their own ideas that become part of the final project, and I really enjoy the process."

Always seeking to improve, Le Turk says the work he is most proud of is always his most recent. "Every shoot is an adventure. Lots of things don't work out how they were supposed to, but I learn along the way – and I'm always happy with the result in the end."

How did you get your first client?

"My first clients as a photographer were French fashion brand Lilith Paris and UK-based lingerie brand, Playful Promises. My first video client was a French musician, and I've devoted a lot of time to creating music videos over the past few years. There's no difference between what I create for myself and what I make for clients, and the best thing about that is it means clients find me and not the other way around. Clients need to have an open mind, but they come to me because they want the kind of work I produce."


What work goes into the planning of a shoot?

"The amount of work that goes into each shoot depends on the budget, but I might spend two to three weeks on drawing and research, another two to three weeks on set building, then two to three days on set. I work with my wife on the concept, then alongside a chief set builder to bring our vision to life. When we get on set, I spend a lot of time on lighting and styling, directing even the smallest of details to ensure everything looks how I envisaged it.


Do you do a lot of retouching?

"I always say that if I have to spend more than 20 minutes retouching a photograph, it was a bad shoot. Video is different, though. I shoot everything in Canon's Cinema RAW Light, and work with a colourist to achieve a very specific look. I'm slowly learning how to colour, transferring my knowledge from photography to video, and working closely with my colourist so I can absorb some of his knowledge."


What piece of Canon kit can you not live without, and why?

"I use the Canon EOS R5 C for everything. Having one camera that I can trust to meet my expectations in both videography and photography, and that's easy to carry around all day, is incredible."


What else could we discover in your kitbag that helps you elevate your work?

"There are a few essentials beyond the camera gear: gaffer tape, a reflector and a sketchbook! I build a lot of my own sets and approach photography very much through staging and set design, so all three tend to come in handy sooner or later."

"I always say, 'Make first and think after'. Throwing yourself into situations that need solutions is the only way to learn. You'll find your answers by starting to create, rather than sitting and thinking for too long."

Facebook: Le Turk Photographies

Instagram: @leturkphotographies

Website: leturk.com