Beauty, fashion, and portrait photographer Quentin Décaillet always starts with finding a concept. It's been the cornerstone of his work as a commercial photographer. After just 6 years in the industry, Quentin has already made a huge impact with his unique concepts and out-of-the-box thinking. But ideas aren't easy to come by. And sometimes, staying fresh and original, takes some unique approaches to brainstorming.   

We sat down with Quentin to chat about his creative process, what inspires him, and how he has improved his workflow for more efficiency. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Quentin Décaillet; I'm a photographer based in Switzerland. I specialize in beauty/cosmetics and portrait photography. I've been working as a full-time photographer for a little over six years now, and I share my passion on a regular basis on YouTube (in French) and Fstoppers (in English).

Who inspires you? 

 

Can you take us through your workflow from concept to shooting to editing? 

Finding the concept is the keystone of all my work. I love spending time finding ideas, trying to create things, and putting it all together. Usually, I either go offline, wander in the forest, and let my brain dream to find ideas, or if I'm under pressure because of a very tight deadline, I'll usually meditate for a few minutes, brainstorm quickly, and put things together. The first solution tends to yield better results but isn't always possible.

Once the concept is clear in my mind, I'll sketch it on paper, criticize the concept once it's drawn, find improvements, and repeat the process a few times – sounds like a lot, but in fact, it goes very quickly.

At this point, my concept is clear; I know what I need to bring my idea to life. To me, it's essential to spend time on pre-production more than anything else. It helps streamline production and post-production as well. From there, I'll shoot, and then edit.

The editing part varies greatly depending on how much time I had to spend on pre and production. I feel like the three are linked together. If your pre-production isn't solid, the production will suffer, and then if production is poorly executed, post-production will require a lot more work and time. 

How has Palette helped or changed your post-production workflow?

I love using Palette Gear in Capture One! I feel like the editing becomes more natural, more pleasant, and faster as well. It offers a new sensation as if I was working on the picture and not moving sliders on a screen anymore. It's hard to describe, but once you try, you can feel it.

About Quentin Décaillet