Julien Levy, photographer

Talented but humble, uninhibited without however taking himself seriously, the meeting with Julien Levy director, but especially photographer in full rise, who divides his time in 3 cities which bewitch him, Paris, Tokyo, and New York, is a precious moment. 
Stolen interview and photos of a Tokyo by night, in the form of religion, dazzling with sincerity.


How did you get into photography?
When I was in my twenties I was playing in punk bands. And we spent a lot of time on tour. And if the evenings were always very intense between the stage, the people we met, the nocturnal visits to cities, the days were very monotonous. We were on the road all the time. So I started using a film camera my dad gave me. It was really to counter the boredom at the beginning. And little by little, as I 
was told that my photos were pretty good, I started showing them. After a few exhibitions, I quickly turned to the book format, which I found more powerful.

You seem like a night owl. Why at night? Does it enhance your work?
I am above all a big city dweller, and I find cities more beautiful at night. The days make cities very rigid, very hard, I don't like that. And then there's the fact that I myself live more at night, when the city is quiet. So I take my photos at the times I know best, using the decor I know well, that of darkness, artificial lights, empty streets, bars, etc.


How do you manage to convey the particular atmosphere that we feel in your photos?
I do not know at all. I'm not really a technician, I take images by feeling and they come out with these colors, these atmospheres. I believe that the fact that I ask to spend time with my subjects before the shots, so that they are very serene at the time of the shot, also plays a role.