YEREVAN-BORDEAUX, France — French photographer Gaëlle Hamalian-Testud has been pursuing her artistic vision for more than 30 years, specializing in humanist, documentary and landscape photography. Since 2004, her work has been showcased in numerous exhibitions. Her photographic reports from Japan, Mexico and Vietnam have inspired several acclaimed exhibitions. Hamalian-Testud has also collaborated with the Opéra National de Bordeaux, producing series such as Meeting the Artist and Behind the Scenes, which offer intimate insights into the world of opera. In the spring of 2015, she presented a series of photographs documenting Armenia as part of the Arménie(s) event at the Musée d’Aquitaine in Bordeaux. Her creative pursuits have since expanded into co-writing and co-directing films, broadening her artistic horizons even further.
Dear Gaëlle, some photographers keep their first cameras and photographs as treasured memories. Have you kept yours?
For my 11th birthday, my father offered me a choice between two gifts: a small camera or a watch. Without knowing the deeper reason, I chose the camera: an Instamatic. I used it until the end of my teenage years, though it didn’t accompany me into adulthood. A vintage 6×6 Hasselblad quickly took over, marking the beginnings of a sense of artistic fulfillment. That camera is the dearest to me, like a jewel, the one I will always cherish.
Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, “Your first 1,000 photographs are your worst.” Would you say this was true in your case?
Henri Cartier-Bresson was undoubtedly aware of his artistic aspirations very early on and knew how to explore them from the start. As for me, the unconscious worked for a long time. Being self-taught in photography, I have always struggled to grant myself legitimacy in this art. It was precisely the famous first 1,000 photos that sparked my need to express myself through this medium. Even though I found most of them to be poor, they nonetheless developed my aesthetic sense. I recall one image, just one, that I finally considered successful and that gave me a sense of satisfaction. It was through this that the art of photography began to reveal itself to me, eventually becoming an essential means of expression for my balance.
The Opéra National de Bordeaux has given you carte blanche on several occasions, allowing you to create intimate portraits and explore behind-the-scenes moments. What was it like to immerse yourself in the world of opera?