Photographer Pierre-Louis Ferrer’s latest collection of photos isn’t just a work of art—it’s an eye-opening look into the unseen damage that ultraviolet light from the sun can cause. The 33-year-old Paris-based photographer used an ultraviolet camera to capture a series of black and white photos he titled, “RAW.” In the series, Ferrer gives viewers a close-up look at the effects of sun damage on a group of individuals that "lies beneath the skin," as he puts it, and is normally invisible.
“I did this project both in an artistic and technical approach,” Ferrer tells Health. “As a former engineer in optics, I wanted to reveal the invisible aspect of people through UV light, a kind of way the sun could see us.” Sunlight is the main source of UV rays, and these rays are also a major cause of skin cancer.
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“People are seeing the aspect of their body through the first layers of their skin, to reveal spots and freckles due to sun exposition," Ferrer continues. "This explains the title of my project: they are RAW, without protection to hide them.”
The individuals in his photos have dark, irregular-shaped spots on their skin. What exactly are these spots? Rachel Nazarian, MD, a New York–based dermatologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (FAAD), says they’re the unseen effects of years of sun exposure.
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Dr. Nazarian says that dermatologists often use the same kind of UV camera that Ferrer shot his portraits with. Doctors use this camera to detect any hidden sun damage, which can lead to premature aging and sometimes skin cancer.
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