Armand Tamboly is All About Ideas in Journal #368

If you want photography that goes beyond the captured image, look no further than Armand Tamboly. A professional photographer living in Germany and Sweden, Tamboly first got interested in taking pictures when he received his first camera as a child. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he took a job as an art teacher before deciding to become a freelance photographer. He gained recognition by participating in photo salons, group exhibitions, biennales, and festivals, and his career really took off after his second solo exhibition, “Mystery.” Since then, he’s worked with a multitude of clients, including Sony Music, Airbnb, Rolling Stone, Conde Nast, and The Times, and has won awards from competitions such as the International Photography Awards, the Global Entrepreneur Awards, and the Le Grande Awards. Always ready to improve his craft and expand his knowledge of photography, he is currently finishing his MFA in photography at Valand Academy of Arts at Göteborg University in Sweden.

Known for his architecture, travel, and portrait photography, Tamboly seeks to shoot photographs that have deep meanings behind them. “British Royal Hussar’s Officer” (above, left) and “WWI Preussian Field Officer” (above, right) are part of his award-winning project Eve’s Glory, which depicts the beauty of women fighting chronic illnesses, while “Cliches” (below, right) lets people see the harm of domestic violence. As author and speaker Silke Guldner says, Tamboly’s photography “is characterized by strong themes. His works are staged with calm deliberation and look into the soul of the portrayed person.”

Here’s a snippet of his Q&A:

What is your work philosophy?

My work philosophy is being able to create elegant pictures that still have a deeper meaning behind them. Sometimes I use humor, irony, or sarcasm as a weapon, which makes it hard to grasp for certain people. I see that a photographic project about a political or environmental issue doesn’t have to be too complicated to understand. The message should be easy to transfer, and the main focus should be how it interacts with the audience. Otherwise, we as photographers risk failure to deliver the message, or the public ignoring the message completely.

What is it about photography that you are most passionate about?

Photography is a way of expression; it goes far beyond the beauty of the image. For me, photography is the act of touching many subjects in our life, from psychology, social structure, philosophy, and history, to how we see and understand things based on our background. It’s one of the most important ways to communicate with society through visuals and raise questions or criticize certain subjects. It’s an ongoing dialogue between the viewer and the artwork, and it’s staged by the artist behind it.

What is the most difficult challenge you’ve had to overcome?

I have had a lot of challenges throughout time: building a career and constantly delivering high-quality material and trying to survive hard circumstances hoping for a breakthrough is on the top of the list. Some of the challenges were also based on my skin color, which is sadly nothing to wonder about even in 2020. As a person of color, I can see sometimes how differently I’m treated from my father, who is white. That’s why the idea of stereotypes can be seen in some of my projects.

If you want to read the entire QA, as well as discover other talents like Lennette Newell and Silver Cuellar III, subscribe and pre-order Journal #368 today!