Panafrica Marie-Claire

I met Panafrica Marie-Claire - “Pana” - through a friend, on the beach of the Tanganyika Lake in Bujumbura, Burundi. It was in June 2008. She is 23, studies law, works at a local radio station and wants to become a fashion model.

We combined our wishes. She would like to have some pictures taken; who knows, one day someone may discover her as Pana the Model? So she let me take several hundred shots spontaneously there and then with no preparation. I was grateful for having a wonderful “object” to exercise with; I’ve never explored how to take model-like photos.  

The result is this series of black-and-white portraits, a series of colour portraits and one series where Pana acts as a fashion model.