WHO?
I was born and raised in Paris, France where I work as a graphic designer/artistic director. But I’m now living in the close suburbs. I am also the founder/curator/designer of Underdogs, a contemporary photography magazine that I started publishing in 2014. I had to stop for a while now, but I hope I’ll be able to work on new issues in the future.
I’ve learnt a little photography but I prefer to say that I’m a self-taught photographer because I follow my instincts and my own rules. I do use only analog because of the aesthetic of film, which in my opinion adds another dimension to a photograph. I find it interesting that you will get results that look very different from what you have seen in reality, by using different films and cameras under different weather and exposure times. But the main reason I really love film is the limited number of exposures available on a roll. It obliges me to be more selective and shoot less but better. When it’s time to check out the scans, I am not scrolling through tons of images that have no interest. Don’t take me wrong, I’m not saying that with film I take only good pictures; I get many bad ones—that no one will ever see—but I feel I’m wiser in the choice of my subjects. Another thing I also enjoy is that by the time I get back my developed films from the lab, I often have forgotten about some photos I have taken. It makes the moment of discovering what’s on the roll super exciting.
WHAT?
I have no favorite topics because everything is up for grabs in photography. There are no limits unless you define some. One purpose of my work is to give credit to that sense of modesty I witness, rather than using “artistic” means to amplify it and change its nature. I pay attention to details, to things I find beautiful in their ugliness or to things that are naturally beautiful and attractive. My subjects have an ordinariness that I hope remains intact within my images. Most of them, if not all, are just unspectacular moments and things. They can be anything: cars, barricades, reflections on windows, curtains, dogs (I love them a lot), and from time to time, people.
WHERE?
A few years back, I used to go wandering in the streets or to events such as horse races or vintage car shows. But I haven’t had as much time lately, so I carry my camera while walking my dog so I shoot mostly during this time. I get quite a few unfocused pictures because it’s not easy to take a picture with a dog that can’t stay quiet on leash. But he’s learning.
WHEN?
Anytime. If I weren’t so lazy I would wake up before the sun reaches the horizon, when the sky is lit but the sun is not yet visible. The light at this hour is special. But since I rarely wake up that early, I tend to use any available light during the day. The only light I can’t stand is that of dull gray days when the sky is flat and without relief. I also enjoy shooting at night, something I should do more often.
WHY?
Because photography is the medium that allows me to express myself and create my own world, in a unique and quirky way. I don’t try to–or want to–document anything in particular; I just take photos because it makes me feel alive and attentive to my surroundings. The world arranges itself before me and I am opportunistic enough to shoot it.
Although I have my own personal likes and influences, I don’t have an aesthetic program. I’m more into the spontaneous shot, “I see, I snap, I move on” is my approach to photography.
My pictures are really just a collection of “mental souvenirs”; in my eyes they are not “memories” but they “make memories”. It’s that simple, they are like a diary; even though I seldom look at old pictures. But sometimes when I go through my archives, I rediscover images I didn’t like at the time, and see in them an atmosphere or details I’d missed. That’s cool.
