Breathing new life into the theme of female friendship on camera, French photographer Ophelie Rondeau is capturing relationships offline in organic environments. “We live in a world where internet has affected human contact, so I decided to focus my work on relationships, whether present or absent,” she explains.
Using the concept of repetition, Rondeau illustrates the strength and endurance of friendships between women. The physical strength of numbers, with bodies clinging close down slides or dancing in their pants, highlights the intense and powerful connections between her various subjects. Whether dreamy and sun-dappled, saturated or stark black and white, it's an intimate scene. The series explores aspects of girlhood and womanhood, from huddles in the playground and quiet one-on-ones. There's scenes many of us would be pretty familiar with: for me, it's the pile of bare legs aschewed over each other, obstructing the viewer from hushed, secret conversations.
While every woman follows a different life journey, their intersections and shared experiences are carefully traced in The Girls. Rondeau says: "My inspiration comes from my own life and memories, and by random things I see, hear and read everyday. My works reflect my perception of friendship, love and natural beauty in girls I meet."
Rondeau is committed to shooting women of “different colours, shapes and sizes”, citing her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Coco as an influence for creating an environment permeated by diversity and intimacy.
Check out more of Ophelie Rondeau’s work here
