People

Of Skin and Light: Paloma Saint Léger

Light, time, tenderness.

Photography by Paloma Saint Léger
Based between Paris and Cape Town, Paloma Saint Léger moves effortlessly between art direction and photography. Her work feels like a quiet dialogue between light and emotion, a reflection of her travels, her sensitivity, and the stillness she seeks to capture in every frame.
Of Skin and Light: Paloma Saint Léger
People

Of Skin and Light: Paloma Saint Léger

Light, time, tenderness.

Photography by Paloma Saint Léger
Of Skin and Light: Paloma Saint Léger
Based between Paris and Cape Town, Paloma Saint Léger moves effortlessly between art direction and photography. Her work feels like a quiet dialogue between light and emotion, a reflection of her travels, her sensitivity, and the stillness she seeks to capture in every frame.
ROWSE

1. You studied art direction and design before photography became your language. Do you remember the moment when the act of looking turned into the act of capturing?

PALOMA
 I remember realizing one day that photography had been the constant throughout my entire life. I had tried so many hobbies, wanted to do so many different jobs, but photography was the one thing I had always truly enjoyed. I loved art direction and design, I still do, but I needed to be able to capture moments to remember them, and ideally make people feel something.

R

2. You move between fashion, interiors and lifestyle, yet your voice remains soft, unmistakable. Where do you feel this sense of unity comes from?

P
 I think it comes from a mix of intuition and consistency. I’m drawn to certain tones, light, and moods, and film helps me translate that sensitivity in a way that feels raw and honest.

R

3. Your images often feel like a study of stillness, the way color, light, skin and fabric meet. How do you prepare yourself, or your eye, before shooting?

P
 I’m learning more and more to contemplate and take my time, instead of chasing every possible scene. Wherever I go, I need to feel the place first and let it have an effect on me. Whether it’s a personal trip or a professional shoot, I like to arrive a day or two earlier to feel at ease and to understand the nuances of the place.

R

4. You travel often, and your gaze seems to shift with each place. Are there destinations that awaken something different in you?

P
Places that seem stuck in time truly fascinate me. The nostalgia that lingers, the desire to keep traditions alive. An old convenience store in the middle of nowhere, selling all kinds of peculiar trinkets, will make me want to photograph every corner of it.

R

5. What is the first thing you do when arriving in a new city, a ritual, a café, a walk?

P
I always start by setting up my skincare routine in the bathroom of wherever I’m staying, it makes me feel at home wherever I go. After that, I head out for a stroll, without a camera, just to take it all in. I then usually stop at a coffee shop to observe the dynamics of the place I’m visiting.

R

6. What does skincare mean to you, is it about care, about presence, about texture?

P
Skincare is very much about presence and care for me. I’m quite an antsy person with a racing mind, but skincare is the one thing that helps me slow down and be in the moment. I like to say I’m not a girly girl, except when you look at my skincare collection, aha.

R

 7. Are there beauty rituals or products that always stay with you, in your carry-on or in your daily rhythm?

P
Absolutely. In my daily rhythm, I need my rose water to soothe my sensitive skin. And in my carry-on, I always have my Rowse lips and cheeks balm, I like to give a little sun-kissed color to my fair skin.

R

 8. And now, where is your eye turning to? What are you dreaming of capturing next?

P
Vast, wild places. I grew up in nature, and as I get older, I feel an even stronger need to be close to it. I want to see the plains of Kyrgyzstan and the mountains of New Zealand in the coming months.

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