About
Elara Voss
The photographer
Elara Voss is a Paris-based fine art and documentary photographer whose work explores the tension between presence and absence, intimacy and distance. Born in Lyon in 1986, she studied visual arts at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris before apprenticing with documentary photographer Laurent Genet.
Her practice spans multiple formats — from 35mm film to large format digital — and resists easy categorization. She is equally at home in the studio and in remote wilderness, and her work often brings these worlds into unexpected conversation.
"I'm not interested in capturing the decisive moment," she has said. "I'm interested in the moments just before and just after — the breath, the weight of anticipation, the exhale of aftermath."
Voss's work has been recognized with the Prix Niépce, the European Publishers Award for Photography, and a Hasselblad Foundation grant. She teaches documentary photography at the École des Gobelins, Paris.
Based in
Paris, France
Since
2008
Specializes in
Fine Art, Documentary
Languages
French, English, Italian
Equipment
Cameras
- Leica M11 Monochrom
- Sony A7R V
- Hasselblad X2D 100C
Lenses
- Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4
- Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM
- Hasselblad XCD 65mm f/2.8
Film
- Kodak Portra 400
- Ilford HP5 Plus
- Kodak Tri-X 400
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibition — Galerie Camera Obscura
Paris, France
Group Show — Arles Photography Festival
Arles, France
Solo Exhibition — Foam Museum
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Group Show — FORMAT Festival
Derby, UK
Solo Exhibition — Fotografiska
New York, USA
Publications
Silent Coasts
Éditions de la Martinière
Urban Solitudes
Thames & Hudson
In Between
Aperture Foundation
Forest Breathing
Kehrer Verlag
Press
Vogue
Feature on editorial fashion work
National Geographic
Documentary series on nomadic communities
The Guardian
Essay on urban photography practice
British Journal of Photography
Profile — Emerging Voices
Awards & Recognition
2023
Prix Niépce
Gens d'images, France
2022
European Publishers Award for Photography
Kehrer Verlag
2021
Hasselblad Foundation Grant
Hasselblad Foundation
2020
World Press Photo — Honorable Mention
World Press Photo Foundation
2019
Sony World Photography Award — Open Category
World Photography Organisation
2018
Emerging Photographer of the Year
British Journal of Photography