Laurent Clerc press portfolio by Andrei Kovalev: ornate stone statues line a Paris rooftop above the city.

Laurent Clerc

In September 2014, the French publisher Éditions Denoël commissioned me to make a press portfolio for one of their authors, Laurent Clerc.

The Denoël cover of Laurent Clerc’s Saving Joseph: a horned saint inside an orange TV set.

The Denoël cover of Laurent Clerc’s Saving Joseph: a horned saint inside an orange TV set.

Saving Joseph, Laurent’s first novel, is full of religious humour, so we built the shoot around it.

For the location, we negotiated access to the Église de la Sainte-Trinité, a Roman Catholic church in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Its hidden corners were the perfect setting for a story in the mood of Saving Joseph.

Laurent Clerc sits barefoot on wooden stairs beside a saint’s statue with a red blindfold.

Laurent in glasses and a dark coat against a wall covered in graffiti, in black and white.

Laurent rides an exercise bike barefoot beside a stained-glass window.

Laurent Clerc sits barefoot on wooden stairs beside a saint’s statue with a red blindfold.

Laurent in glasses and a dark coat against a wall covered in graffiti, in black and white.

Laurent rides an exercise bike barefoot beside a stained-glass window.

Then we rocked.

Laurent pedals an exercise bike in a smoky, empty hall with arched windows.

Laurent pedals an exercise bike in a smoky, empty hall with arched windows.

Every prop came with the location. Photographer’s luck (well, location scout’s luck).

Laurent sits on the exercise bike, hand to his mouth, in a red-walled room.

Laurent crouches on a narrow roof ledge below carved stone columns, in black and white.

Laurent sits on the exercise bike, hand to his mouth, in a red-walled room.

Laurent crouches on a narrow roof ledge below carved stone columns, in black and white.

But the real luck was yet to come: access to the roof. Laurent is uncomfortable with heights, but he was brave and playful.

Laurent stands on the church roof beside a large stone statue, the city behind.

Laurent stands on the church roof beside a large stone statue, the city behind.

We made the most of it:

Laurent sits barefoot on a stone ledge, his hands clasped.

Laurent balances on the roof with his arms out, beside a dome topped by a cross.

Laurent sits barefoot on the stairs in a white T-shirt, next to the blindfolded statue.

Laurent sits barefoot on a stone ledge, his hands clasped.

Laurent balances on the roof with his arms out, beside a dome topped by a cross.

Laurent sits barefoot on the stairs in a white T-shirt, next to the blindfolded statue.

Laurent in a flat cap on the roof, a statue and the Paris skyline behind him.

Laurent in a flat cap on the roof, a statue and the Paris skyline behind him.

Bonus track: playing with old instant photography formats.

Laurent on the exercise bike in a bright hall, on old instant film.

Laurent sits by a statue of a saint, chin in hand, on old instant film.

Laurent sits on the steps in a white T-shirt beside a statue, on old instant film.

Laurent on the exercise bike in a bright hall, on old instant film.

Laurent sits by a statue of a saint, chin in hand, on old instant film.

Laurent sits on the steps in a white T-shirt beside a statue, on old instant film.

My sincere thanks to the administration of Sainte-Trinité for their invaluable help.

Behind the scenes: I photograph Laurent on the exercise bike under a softbox in the red hall.

Behind the scenes on the roof: I crouch on a ledge while Laurent sits on the roof ridge.

Behind the scenes: I photograph Laurent on the exercise bike under a softbox in the red hall.

Behind the scenes on the roof: I crouch on a ledge while Laurent sits on the roof ridge.

More of my work with writers and publishers →