This is the tenth year that I have been writing this blog, which summarises the past year by presenting my work. 2025 began with a trip to Vietnam and ended with a trip to Nosy Be. Two places where I had a blast taking photos. It’s difficult to take an objective view of what I did in Saint-Denis for the rest of the year. These two interludes distort my perception of the streets of Saint-Denis. Inevitably, the streets of my city seem dull compared to these two trips. But ultimately, what I do in Saint-Denis should be seen as a long-term project that is not limited to two or three weeks, but rather as the work of a lifetime. So yes, Vietnam and Nosy Be were fantastic, but what I do in Saint-Denis is what defines me.
When I started street photography almost 10 years ago in March 2016, I knew nothing about the practice. At that time, it was already gaining momentum and was very popular. I became very interested in everything related to street photography. There weren’t many blogs about it, or perhaps I didn’t know where to look. I have developed my skills over the course of these 10 years.
My style has evolved considerably since I took my first photographs in Aix-en-Provence. I remember that day quite well. It was quite intimidating to point the camera at people to photograph them, and the easiest thing to do was to take photographs while walking to avoid any unpleasant confrontations. I don’t know what I was afraid of! Then, for a long time, I started taking close-ups of people, as if photographing them up close showed that I was a guy who had what it takes and was bold enough to take photos with a 28 mm lens 70 cm from their faces… I must say that this was my bread and butter for quite some time. To tell you the truth, I’m not really interested in it anymore. In fact, I’ve given up the 28 mm to devote myself solely to the 35 mm.
For the past few years, I feel like I’ve finally found what I love about street photography. It’s not the light and shadow effects, which I find very tiresome, nor is it, as I said above, close-ups, nor is it high-contrast black and white photos (I’ve done a lot of that too and got tired of it…). No, what I love is just the banality of the street. I discussed this with John Harper. Nothing pleases me more than scenes of street life that are depressingly mundane. The kind of things you regularly come across in the street without paying any attention to them because they’re so ordinary. Of course, when I photograph these kinds of scenes, I try to highlight the moment I’m capturing.
I am very sensitive to the energy that emanates from a scene. It is this same energy that I want the viewer of the photograph to feel. I want them to feel like they are right there beside me at the moment I pressed the shutter button to capture that moment. I also love mingling with the crowd so that no one pays attention to me, as if I were part of the street. I know very well that with my camera, however small it may be, I don’t go unnoticed. People see me and aren’t fooled. But after a while, it’s as if there’s an unspoken agreement and people no longer pay attention to what I’m doing, and that’s when I really enjoy myself!
A picture paints a thousand words! Here is my selection of my 12 photos from 2025. As always, this is a very subjective and personal selection from the past year, which would be very different if I were to make it in a few weeks’ time… But this selection may help you better understand what I have tried to explain above.
I have also included a longer slideshow of my work this year below if you would like to take a look.
As I forgot to wish you a Happy New Year 2026 in my previous blog post, I’m doing so now! Above all, I wish you and your loved ones good health. And thank you for following me over the past year.
Happy New Year 2026!
Just a year’s work? That could be a lifetimes work for most photographers, thirty years or so and even then manage only to show a third of what’s displayed in your 2025 slideshow. I know your too modest to admit it, but man that’s some body of work you’re creating. I was asked to give a talk by a photographic society a while back, I refused the offer because I didn’t feel I could back it up. Now I’m thinking I should have accepted ” Good evening and welcome to this talk on Street Photography. That’s all from me, now watch this slideshow from Jeff Chane-Mouye-Mouye. Thank you and goodnight”!
“you’re” too modest not “your”! Alledgely English is my first language!
This error might come from the intuitive writing. I use it a lot and if I don’t check what I’ve written, sometimes it doesn’t mean anything!
As the songs says ” you’re too sweet to me…”
I also think that you need to be less harsh on your work and on your knowledge on photography, specially on street. Humbleness is what is required if you want to be a great street photographer. Some people tend to forget or dismiss that.
You should accept the talking thing. It could be fun