focus final

Preface Photography can be many things, from blaringly authentic to dreamily surreal. Denis Olivier is a French photographer who is renowned for his ability to warp objects and morph subjects. In many cases, one cannot tell what the subject of his photograph is. He has a talent for evoking strong emotion from even the simplest of items. Olivia Shaw is a Midwestern photographer who greatly enjoys the work of Denis Olivier, and finds inspiration in his work. In this book, Olivia Shaw and Denis Olivier push object photography to its very limits. A strong theme in this book is focus, as the two photographers strategically use blurry vs. clear images to conjure sentiment and passion.  

Artists’ Bio

Denis Olivier was born in 1969 in Royan, France. He grew

up with parents who were photographers, but he did not get

interested in photography until he was 17 years old.

Painting and drawing were his main artistic interests at

first. He visited many black and white photography

galleries as a child, which influenced his work today.

When he first started to photograph at 17, it was only

recreational. He started his university career majoring in

biochemistry, and he soon switched to computer graphics and

generated imagery when he realized his true passion. When

he switched majors, he started taking more photos and used

his knowledge of computer editing to enhance his images.

                                                                           “Mantle” – Olivia Shaw    

“Down to the Ground” – Denis Olivier      

“Open” – Olivia Shaw                  

               “The Passage” – Denis Olivier      

“Keys” – Olivia Shaw

       “Fjord Cruise” – Denis Olivier            

                                                    “Reflect” – Olivia Shaw

               “Plenty More Fishes In The Sea” – Denis Olivier