As most of you probably know now I’m making backstage pictures since 9 years for the Belgian Oscar ceremony called '“The Magritte du Cinema” that happens once a year, in the heart of Brussels at the venue called the Square Brussels. There, Belgians and international actors and actresses are not walking up a red carpet, but going down on a blue one to receive an award which is designed based on a drawing of the famous Belgian Painter René Magritte.

I had my briefings well before the event and knew that the Magritte of Honor would go to the immense Italian actress Monica Bellucci. A picture to not miss, and when I realized the info, my blood went straight away for a roll up in my body. The actress that played in all these intense movies! To mention only a few of my favorites : Irreversible by Gaspard Noé, The Matrix by the sisters Watchowsky that I saw on my birthday more than decades ago, in Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola (my favorite director), Dobermann by Jan Kounen, or even this risky movie Sheitan by Kim Chapiron. Cream or not, she played along Vincent Cassel, Keanu Reeves, and Daniel Craig. Also immense actors.

I could put teaser of all the movies, but I’ll just go for a second one

Okay let’s go for the heat

To resume my pre-feelings, I was wondering how to photograph one of the most elegant, strong, powerful woman of the cinema industry that made movie from the coolest french underground director team to the best cinema director I ever watched a movie from. I’m not even counting the powerful romantic asset of the actress that caught all the camera in her eyes - that is way too obvious to be mentioned.

Well, it wasn’t my time wonder how to photograph her neither to choose how to control anything. There, as a backstage photographer, I might have some access - but heaven (consider exclusive moment to take a portrait) isn’t there yet for my 33yrs old body. When most of the actors were getting ready at The Hotel in the center of Brussels, I pushed a bit trough the press agent to be able to photograph her during the taxi drive from The Hotel to The Square. But has expected that was refused by her agent. Nicely explained, that she would only have few minutes of peace and quiet during the entire evening, probably in that taxi and in her room before the stage moment.

Acces refused and understood.

Indeed. As soon as Monica put a single toe inside the Square Brussels the journalists, cameramen & camera women, TV show crews, host, guests, phones, started to scream and surround her like a million starving bees around a fresh honey pot. I watched it quietly waiting for my moment between two shoulders of colleagues a bit further when the media volcano minute would go down, waiting for that split second where she would lower down her face mask.

Elegant, sharp, walking slowly and with assurance she would never loose control of her emotions. On the left picture she is listening to a question just before an interview starts in the crowd. Then on the second photo I decided to include all the faces behind her while it’s a total mess.. but she dropped the smile and the eyes were precisely targeting someone. I loved to see that range of controlled emotions, played and always dropped at the right moment. I then ran up the escalators, passed a bit of colleagues and people to grab that mid size portrait showing her dress, looking like an chainmail made to protect a queen walking in the middle of a noisy crowd.

So yes, as expected I was trying to grab some images… I didn’t want to be to pushy for a good image. It was too early.

Or not

My very second shot was the good one.

Here is the first, (weak image) she just left the photo call and walk trough people before going up the escalator :

• I got the right distance

• I like her hand connecting with my frame

• It’s a total mess around I have hands and people coming in my frame

• Cameras and subject directing eyes in every direction

• I’m too tight in the framing

• She is looking where to go, the emotion could be better

But I’m there

I just had to wait and focus for a split sec

There SHE is

Everybody noticed me by then but I had no crew/ colleagues on my right and left, neither in my back.

It’s a counter shot.

There all attention goes toward her. But actually her back, which then direct the attention on Monica that I’m the only one to aim at.
She is in full glow and just before the moment of re-opening her eyes - ready to shoot controlled emotions again. Reloading.
The glow is accentuated by the light of the cameraman in the back, the glamorous moment is there because everybody is dressed around in a suit or a smoking. The nice haircut of the photographer shooting film in the back adds even more vintage at the black and white scene. Maybe too much ceiling, but it gives a bit of air to the image and offer then this vision of "elegance”, accentuated by the 4 layers of black and white (background, face, dress, ceiling)

The picture wouldn’t breathe properly if I would have shot that image tighter like the first one.

Let’s analyze it with these rough indications:

This is mostly an instinct photograph mixed with luck coupled with a good distance, a heart rate at his max and a retina under adrenaline. Thinking about grâce and precision.

Then as you could see, the evening went on and on, I kept on doing my passion and photographs all the actors and actress loaded with emotions before, on and after the stage. Monica passed by backstage and took the time to pose for about 10 second (which can be a lot for important people, it is the same for some other actors, Ministers, Presidents and so on) with her award :

I stopped the moment in front of a black curtain, to high light her and the award. Made 3 different images, giving really few indications. It was mostly about light.

Then it was time to continue my path, photograph the dinner, the party, and then finally drive home to select all the other photograph, work on them and sleep a bit before delivering to the client few hours later!

If you want to keep on supporting my career and decorate your interior (!) I added the photograph as a 10X15 baryta signed limited print to my shop if you like it. Otherwise there is plenty other, among my last photography books.

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Thank you a lot for reading and following up.
Talk to you soon,

Sébastien Van Malleghem