The woman places both hands on a sunlit, triangular patch of grass. Her recumbent pose is so measured she seems to have known the exact moment she needed to shut her eyes. Yet it is also significant to appraise the precise angling of her face towards the light: how her face might seem prismatic given its sheen, how much of her temperament she reveals in an unspeaking repose.

— Emmanuel Iduma

This photograph was taken during a residency with the collective Les Cousines in Montreuil, a Parisian suburb. I was photographing youth in the Morillons district and I met Sirandou during. I offered to photograph her near her home and I saw this light which made me want to make her portrait there.

This photograph represents my work well; I mostly photograph women and youth.

I like to photograph in order to meet people. I shoot instinctively and at the same time quite thoughtfully because I work mostly in the long term and with analog photography. Photography is impactful because it allows us to perceive what surrounds us differently. It is also something that endures and allows to be the witness of a moment or an epoch.

— Louisa Ben

Louisa Ben is a French-Moroccan photographer based in Paris. She develops in her work a reflection around the geographical memory and the construction of identity. She works on long-term personal projects and has had her work featured in M le Magazine du Monde, El Pais, and Marie-Claire. See more of her work on her website and on Instagram.