[ BOOK LIVES ] Coincidences by Sarah Moon

Sarah Moon started out as a fashion model in the 60s but found out soon that she would rather be the one making the pictures.

And we should be very grateful for that.

Credited as the photographer behind the look of major brands like Cacharel, Chanel, Dior and Come des Garçons, she pioneered the dream-like style and approach that has since been copied all over.

Previously also known as Marielle Warin and Marielle Hadengue, she also works on film and music videos, often bringing along her signature look to her other forays.

Moon achieves her painterly look using Polaroid film as well as a rare printing technique called direct-carbon printing. But these days, people create apps and software or spend great amount of them at the computer just to replicate what would be considered second nature to Moon.

More than just accepting the technical limitations with her chosen processes, she embraces and owns them.

In her world, blurred and out-of-focus images are just part of her oeuvre.

She is one of the rare photographers who gets hired to do exactly what they would do for their personal work. In other words, she is paid to have fun.

Does Moon actually dream of a scene before she proceeds to make them?

Apparently she does sometimes.

But most times, I suspect, she probably just daydreams away and then turns an imaginary scene into an actual image, which is still dream.

Coincidences. That’s why the book is titled Coincidences.