Fade to Black: Mathilde De L'ecotais

Mathilde De L'ecotais
Photo by Cristelle Daniel

Mathilde De L'ecotais enjoys defying convention. The director, who previously focused on photojournalism projects for major print publications such as the Los Angeles Times, unexpectedly found her way into the field of tabletop food photography 10 years ago when she was asked by acclaimed French chef Alain Ducasse to try her hand—and eye—at photographing images for his book of desserts. Ducasse loved her fresh take on the subject and hired her for the job.

"Food in France is very traditional and linked to the past," says the Belgian, who resides in Paris. "What I did was counter to that. I projected into the future instead of looking into the past."

De L'ecotais soon made the leap from still photography to film and commercial work, doing spots for companies including Hamster Publicité and Paranoid Projects in France and, more recently, Identity in New York. She says she attracts clients who are looking for an innovative perspective on their product and appreciate her minimalist aesthetic with its focus on extreme close-ups.

"I believe the product by itself has a story," she says. "If you look at the product very closely and light it in a different way, then you don't need something else around it. Also, what is very small could be very, very big. For example, a salmon roe, when I film it, it could look like a planet. Life is a dynamic sphere, and we as humans must be very humble because we are just a part of this big spirit."

De L'ecotais has recently completed spots for chocolate producer Côte D'Or, McDonald's, and Mövenpick ice cream. She and her DPs have used Arriflex 435ES cameras.

In addition to her commercial work, De L'ecotais is finishing up a book project for French modern chef Thierry Marx, for which she is contributing 200 photographs and 20 films for the publication's accompanying DVD. She also has an art exhibition travelling around France entitled Edo (meaning "to eat"), with a focus on the abstract textures of ordinary food items.

Whether for art or commercial work, De L'ecotais proclaims, "Creation is everywhere."

"For me, advertising is creative art; it's just a different frame," she says. "It's a challenge to surprise the eye, to still be creative in my way while responding to a very strict demand. But I like to find the right answer regarding the obstacles. I look at it as a game, and I like it when it is complicated."

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