Originally from Hossegor, Liora is a talented 26-year old photographer. After starting out and finding success in Paris, she eventually decided to come home and launch Baignade Studio and specialize in product photography.

How did you get into photography?

Very early on I was attracted to images, so I studied  film in high school in Bayonne. But it was only during my sophomore year that I met a photographer during a surfing lesson in Portugal. He’d come to take some pictures and I went over to talk with him. He showed me how he worked, let me try out his camera and that’s how it all started.

What did you do before launching Baignade Studio?

I was worried I wouldn’t find a job in photography, so I studied interior design for 3 years at the Camondo school where I was trained by famous architects and designers like Philippe Starck or Pierre Paulin.

I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do for a living, but it helped me a lot in photography, taught me how to build an image, reach harmony and design. I therefore went on to study at the Ecole des Gobelins in Paris specializing in post-production photography. I also worked part-time as a photography assistant. After graduation, I stayed in Paris for 1 year working freelance for clients like the Galeries Lafayette.

How did the rest happen?

Even though I found artistic emulation in Paris, I had had enough of the crowd and commuting. That’s when I realized that I was from a truly beautiful region and just how beautiful the environment is here and how amazing the light is in Hossegor. The idea of starting a studio specializing in product photography was born in June 2014 and I opened the studio last January.

Baignade Studio, does the name have a story?

Not really a story so much as a way of thinking. It was the name of my first blog. I wanted a French name because I live in France and because France has a reputation for good taste and a rich culture which is appreciated around the world. “Baignade” represents my attachement to water, to the beach, to the place where I grew up. I wanted something that conveyed a mix of things, like when you dive into the ocean, because that is how I see creation.

Why decide to specialize in product photography?

Because I felt like it. I have more fun making image compositions. Through working, I realized that I am not as comfortable with people and that I enjoy working with light inside. I’m a very detail-oriented person.

What is a typical day at the office like for you?

I’m an early bird so I get up rather early around 6:30am. I start working around 9am but I like to do things before I head over to work. I often go for a run around the Hossegor lake. The first thing I do when I get to my studio is check my inbox, then I retouch photos from my latest orders and do some prospecting in addition to my photo shoots. At lunch time, if the waves are good, I go surfing. Generally, I end my work day around 6-7pm. I then go for drinks with friends or my family with whom I am very close and simply enjoy nature.

“I eat up images on a daily basis to feed my inspiration and learn.”

How are you different from a traditional photographer?

I have a passion for design and products. I grew up with them through my dad (Frédéric Basse is the co-founder of  Rip Curl Europe) and my brother Manu who is a designer. I believe that to sell a product, you don’t have to do something cold and traditional. I want to bring the product to life, to break down barriers and bring a younger more modern take on things. I eat up images on a daily basis to feed my inspiration and learn.

What is a good photo to you?

A photo I see or that I took?

Both.

For a photo I see, there are no rules. It has to move me. It can often be a basic image in relation with water or blue. I love blue.
For my photography, I’d say the series on minerals. I worked with color but kept it simple.
A picture needs to still be exciting to me and not bore me three months after taking it.

What is the strangest thing you’ve shot?

It was for a project at the Ecole des Gobelins. We had to produce a high color analog photo with on one side of the photo the object and on the other, the object displayed with a person. I chose a “carambar” (classic French caramel bar candy). I’d bought kilos of them, they were everywhere. I shot a friend of mine with them in her nose, coming out of her mouth, it was sticky… we had a good laugh. It’s a good memory.

What drives you? What is your fuel?

Well it’s not meat, since I’ve been a vegetarian for the past 7 years (laughs). Seriously, I feed off everything and anything. Magazines, all kinds of design objects and anything with lots of color. I find inspiration in Sam Falls’ work. He is an amazingly talented american photographer. I’m also inspired by Memphis design, an italian design movement from the 80s. I particularly like the blog Oculto for its selection of super modern and precise images. Design and graphic design inspire me in on a daily basis.

“To go into business for yourself, you have to be motivated, surround yourself with the right people and not be afraid of putting in the work.”

What advice would you give to someone who wants start a business like you did?

You have to be motivated, surround yourself with the right people and not be afraid of putting in the work. I was lucky enough to have all kinds of people support me, like my father, my mother and my girlfriends in Paris who all always believed in me. In photography, it’s vital to learn basic techniques and know your camera inside out or you wind up stifled. And the most important of all is to be yourself, to enjoy it. Only through enjoying what you do and having fun will it work.

What does being a EuroSIMA member bring you?

It helps me develop a network, interact with other people within the Action Sports industry and meet other young entrepreneurs and see how other small structures work. If I have any questions, the EuroSIMA team is always there to help.

What can we wish you for the future?

To keep on having fun.

DEEP INSIDE…

–  Baignade Studio  –