That’s it, it’s the 37th and last Blog of the year! I didn’t think I wrote so much this year. I even felt like I lacked imagination to find interesting topics to discuss in 2020. Note some will say that there was nothing interesting in what I wrote in 2020 .. For many years, I drew a lot of inspiration from social media. I had become this crazy guy. I can’t do this anymore because I left Facebook and Instagram a long time ago. Continue reading Looking back to the year 2020
I have the impression of reliving what I have already experienced in Aix-en-Provence. Something like déja vu … I started to see boredom coming last month. When you find it hard to motivate yourself to go out and take pictures because your eyes can’t see anything anymore and you feel that the streets are boring to death and you only have one desire, to escape, to go elsewhere because that it is well known: the grass is greener elsewhere. I had already experienced this in Aix-en-Provence when I started Street Photography. I went regularly to Marseille, the big city next door, for a little exoticism and rediscover the pleasure of taking photos.
Continue reading Overcome boredom
I have always criticized photo competitions because for me, photography is not a competition. I refer you to a blog written some time ago here. But besides that, I have already submitted my work for free contests where there was something to be rewarded. The bait of gain ! Of course without success. Good for me. When you do something, not for good reasons, there is no reason to be rewarded ! There are so many photos submitted in these contests that the chances of hitting the jackpot are almost nil.
Continue reading The story behind the photograph
Over the past two months, I have been able to have a lot of success on the streets. I don’t know if that has something to do with the fact that since the beginning of August I have taken my Ricoh GRD4 back for my wanderings in the streets of Saint-Denis or elsewhere. As I’ve said many times, it’s not the most responsive camera on the street, but it’s the same for a lot of photographers, there’s an alchemy going on with this or that camera. For some it will be a Leica, for others a Fuji, a Sony or a Pentax … For me it is with the Ricoh GRD4 that I am in symbiosis. I also liked the Ricoh GR a lot, but I still have a preference for the GRD4. Make no mistake, I only see these cameras as tools for what I do and nothing else. I don’t give names to my cameras, I don’t make feelings. It’s just a tool for capturing moments in the street, but it’s a tool I chose and it’s the Ricoh GRD4 that suits me best.
Continue reading Human after all
I have already told you about this state of mind that drives me when I photograph my own children. It’s stronger than me and I try to photograph them as I photograph people in the street. I have exactly the same approach, keeping the candid feel. I don’t like posed photos because I never get them. Some are good at it, not me … Last week, I went with a group of 22 young people for two days for a mini road trip in a minibus. The opportunity for me to take pictures, while I was weaned lately with Ronan’s injury (Moreover, he is much better!).
Continue reading Street Mindset
The children return to school tomorrow morning after 2 weeks of holidays. As usual, these periods are quite slack at the Street Photography perspective for me because I try to spend more time with them and I have fewer opportunities to go roaming in the streets of Saint-Denis. No way to hang out in the streets after work. I go straight home to find them. We nevertheless decided to go and spend a few days on the west coast of the island to enjoy the beach. I had booked at the last minute, an apartment with sea view and a large swimming pool in the residence. Looks like Heaven will you tell me ?
Continue reading Groundhog day Syndrom
The perfect combo for a successful vacation ! If you are a regular reader of this Blog, you know that I have killed a few Ricoh GRD4 by getting too close to the water … It must be said that I am irreparably drawn to water and my children always offer perfect photo opportunities. The holidays started on Friday evening and will last for 15 days. This vacation takes us back a few weeks. Very precisely on August 4th.
Continue reading Sea, Kids and a Ricoh GRD4
Lauren Welles : A “Metzkeresque” photo (look up Ray Metzker, if unfamiliar with his work). Perfect lines, shadows, light and triangles – Fundamental elements of good composition. While I often see work like this in Street Photography, I think that verticals are much harder to get right and this one does it perfectly, making use of evey inch of the frame. Continue reading Street Photography Tips : Triangles
The first thing that came to my mind when I post-processed this photo is The Smiths song : Vicar in a tutu. This photo was taken in front of the church where my sister got married 12 years ago for the record. It does not make me younger … I told myself that it would be nice to see a vicar in a tutu like the two little girls. It would make an original photo ! This song is taken from the album The Queen is Dead released in 1986. Yes definitely, it does not make me younger … Even though the album is full of more famous titles, I have always had a soft spot for this song. Morrissey’s waxing lyrical and Johnny Marr’s guitar are characteristic of this bygone era.
Continue reading Behind this shot : Girls in a tutu
I will soon be living in Reunion Island for a year. Next October, I will blow out my first candle. Last year when I left Aix-en-Provence, I had spent the last 3 years walking the streets of this city. I knew it perfectly. Even though I found it intimidating to photograph people when I was starting out, in the summer of 2019, before embarking for Reunion Island, I had reached a stage where I no longer wondered where things were going. Everything was fluid and simple on the street.
Continue reading Street Photography in Saint-Denis
