Photos from Denis Darzacq’s new project “Hyper” (here) were all over the internet a couple weeks back and they certainly deserve the attention as fascinating and unnerving images, plus there’s no photoshop involved which makes it all the more interesting.

Here’s a behind the scenes video I found on the Lens Culture blog (here) from his book La Chute.

I suppose the only editorial application of a technique like this would be a fashion story since you need the talented street performers to do the jumps but whenever I see something like this I start to think of all the different ways I can get it into the book. Now, with all the hype certain types of photography can receive on the internet there’s a little extra incentive to find something quickly.

Recommended Posts

The Art of the Personal Project: Sara Forrest
Fostering Creativity and Personal Health- MJ68 Productions

19 Comments

  1. That was very interesting to watch. It’s cool that there are still great ideas out there that are executed so simply in camera with little-to-no production.

  2. This is a relief. How simple can you get? It’s damn near impossible for me to keep things simple. It always starts with a nice (simple) concept, then I start dropping toppings on it until it tastes like crap. Even down to the lighting–Zilch. Really cool stuff.

  3. Nice reaction time. I like that the lighting is ambient too; this type of work usually requires strobe. Looks like a Mamiya 7 or something that he is using. I am surprised that he can get a fast enough shutter speed, maybe he is pushing the bejebuz out of the film. I’d like to see a big print.

  4. Just absolutely great, it shows that is always about having ideas and wanted to say something and be original, i’d love to see a fashion spread for Vogue done by this guy.

  5. really? not to sound like a hater here, but people caught in various states in mid-air is hardly anything original or new, and i think maybe a small handful of those really worked effectively in hinting at something beneath the surface but the rest looked just like ordinary snapshots of people jumping…i think he could very well develop this into something interesting, but i would say its not fully there yet. just my opinion…

  6. i preferred BY FAR his first series of “floating people” that gave him the WPP prize, very well accomplished and needed no captions or “behind the scenes”.

    this second series feels a bit too overdone, he’s repeating himself, just using the exact same technique in a slightly different context. i don’t see any other point other than precisely put him “all over the internet”…

    anyway, should i really add that none of the series is about idea – which btw is an extreme cliche – but terrific execution?

  7. No idea? What do you mean? It’s been done like that before?
    Or a bunch of guys jumping in mid air(with no photoshop i should add) it’s not an idea? Comparing to what?
    What about all the Alec Soth and terry richardson copies out there, do they have an idea?
    At least this dude is doing his thing, ppl may not like it but at least it’s quite original.
    It’s just my take on this , o am not an expert or a critic, just a still life photographer.

  8. well, he owns the concept for now and I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw it in some advertising next because it’s very arresting and memorable. that would be the goal for most people here so therefore it works.

  9. Clang did an editorial for black book long time ago with ppl jumping but they were jumping straight and it wasn’t anything like this.

  10. I’m not sure if his idea is that original, but I sure love the execution (and he’s shooting film – that’s not easy in this context I guess).
    What I love most about the film is the reaction of the jumpers – like they didn’t expect that result. Darzacq captures exactly what he wants (that fraction of a second making for a surreal image) and not what the jumpers want to convey (a perfect jump from beginning to end). Love the contradiction in that.

  11. Floating People was a much better use of the concept. I think this series takes away from the original. Just like in Hollywood- sequels can damage originals.

  12. […] here’s a quick page that made me think of all this–simple street “performers” doing jumps. infinitely applicable for endless variety. you’ll see it in random places–it’s already hit the street (bad pun intended): Jump.Snap. […]

  13. pics remind me of THE EXORZIST. Nice special effect photography (love the fact that it was shot for real but still it looks like special effect photography so it is)
    I definitly see some adertising concepts with these.

    Although on second thought maybe the “flying” idea has been used quite a bit already the last couple of years

  15. people who complain about things not being “original” usually have no good ideas of their own. everybody has their influences, its impossible not to.

    i like that he is not using any motor drive for these either. its the curious juxtaposition of being staged and also being the unpredictable decisive moment.

  16. seems like a more gracefull, still, parkour in a way…very interesting, nice that it’s simple too – amazing he catches them at the exact moment w/ that equipment.

Comments are closed for this article!