You can preorder the book here

Lavalette is the founding Publisher and Editor of Lay Flat as well as the Associate Director of Light Work.

Images via

Almost every major religion breeds ascetics; wandering monks who have renounced all earthly possessions, dedicating their lives to the pursuit of spiritual liberation.Their reality is dictated only by the mind, not material objects. Even death is not a fearsome concept, but a passing from the world of illusion.

Created by: Cale Glendening, Joey L., Ryan McCarney
Directed by: Cale Glendening
Edit/Color: Chris Dowsett, Cale Glendening, Joey L., Megan Miller, John Carrington
Graphic/Titles: James Zanoni
Original Score: Stephen Keech,Tony Anderson
All Photographs: Joey L.
Guiding/Translation: Raju Verma, Tejinder Singh

Études is a studio established in 2012.  Études designs and produces men’s contemporary fashion, artist books and offers its creative services.

In your opinion, what makes a good photograph?

Something you have never seen before with a strong point of view.

Tell us a little bit about your job. What big of a part does photography play in your job?

Photography is a major component of our work, we are surrounded by photography in many forms. Shooting fashion is a great exercise – so many things have already been done and coming up with new ideas every season is very challenging. We are also commissioned to shoot for clients, still life mostly, and we do photography for our artworks. Photography is also the main component of the books we publish.

What kind of photography do you want to see more?

I guess when photography is used as a medium with the purpose to produce conceptual work.
When it is not considered as photography at first sight.

What kind of photography do you want to see less?

Too many pictures are taken nowadays, people should look at things more carefully. We just published a book entitled “Vista” by Colin Snapp, it deals in part with the democratization era of digital cameras.

Working in and around photography, what steps do you take to publish / distribute / create the kind of images you want to see more?

By running our own publishing house, we exclusively create our own editorial line. Usually, we get in contact with an artist / photographer and propose to them to work on a book project together. Sometimes, we have a precise idea of a body of work we would like to publish in a book, but we also like to discuss works in progress or side projects. We like to go back and forth with the artist, to meet him in person and spend some time together. This process allow us to create books which we are 100% content with.

What is your opinion on Instagram?

It is a great tool, we started to use it a couple of months ago. It is a way of showing more intimate stuff and to create different content compared to other social networks (@etudesstudio). It is an exciting exercise to compose nice and quick pictures everyday!

What kind of (photographic) project would you like to realize or see being realized in the future?

For a year, we have been focusing on publishing – right now we are working on a couple of stand-alone books on the side of our blue books collection. Our idea is to publish one or two before the end of the year. We also have a couple of blue books in discussion. Jérémie and I are also working on some more personal work, probably in form of an exhibition and some books.

Any remarkable projects or artists to keep an eye on?

I would like to mention the younger artist we did some books with : Nicolas Hosteing, Daniel Everett, Bryan Dooley and Colin Snapp.

In 2009 David photographed in northern Uganda, focusing on A River Blue, a school providing psychosocial counseling and vocational training to vulnerable youth. His series, Uganda: A River Blue, was selected for the 2009 Conscientious Portfolio Competition Prize. The work was exhibited at Anastasia Photo Gallery in New York in 2010, selected for the 2011 Hearst 8×10 Photography Biennial, and exhibited at the Hearst Towers in 2011.

This is a selection of Eva’s book Splinter, published by Hatje Cantz

You can catch her talking at the Liverpool Photography Festival on the 18. 05. 2013, click here for more Infos

Images (in order of appearance):

Flowers, living room, Stroud Green
April 2010

Holly, London Fields
April 2012

View from the train to Wimbledon
March 2007

Luke, Clapton
October 2009

Nanneke’s house, Sint-Niklaas
June 2007

Eef, De Klinge
May 2007

Brothers, Heath
July 2006

Deer, Isle of Arran
June 2009

“I find inspiration in various places. Music, art, relationships, etc. Mostly I seek out the beauty in unlikely places. I struggle with expression using words alone. Photography, to me, is a balance of exploration with discovery and a medium of expression. I find the magic of discovery to compliment and contrast, at times, my need and desire to share my thoughts and feelings through imagery. An approach consisting of both intent and trust for the unexpected provide me with the longing to continually create. Learning and growing as a being and as an artist…that is the purpose. Injecting this idea into my photography is the goal. The process here is as important as the photographs, and this is what keeps me engaged in photography. I hope, above all, that this is conveyed on some level in my work.”

Watch Episode 1 and Episode 3 and a Behind the Scenes clip