In any case, I’d like to wish you and your family a happy new year in 2024. For our part, we started the New Year in Thailand. We embarked on 27th of December just after Christmas and we’ll be staying there until 14th of January. We’ve been in Bangkok for 5 days now, and now we’re flying north to Chiang Mai, where we’ll be staying for a few days before heading down to Phuket.

Christmas has come and gone, and as I’ve been relatively good in 2023, Santa has put a new lens under the tree for my Fujifilm X-E2. As I’d written in a previous Blog, I was planning to get a 23mm (35mm FF equivalent) because the 7Artisan 35mm 0.95 was a bit big and the focal length was too tight and lacked versatility. I have to say that I love this lens and that it will surely remain my favourite focal length for portraits. So here I am with a TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 on my Fujifilm X-E2. A fully manual, compact lens that cost just €80!

I thought I’d do the whole trip with this focal length. So I left my 18mm f2 and my 35mm f0.95 at home. Nevertheless, I took my Ricoh GRD IV as a backup, because I didn’t know if I’d be able to get used to this focal length. I had no doubts about the travel photos to document our trip, but I had more questions about the ‘Street Photography’ aspect. Even though this trip is essentially about our holiday in Thailand, you know me and I certainly wasn’t going to resist snapping like crazy.

That was the case! Strictly speaking, I didn’t do any Street Sessions. I took advantage of our travels to do a bit of Street Photography. And frankly, there’s so much going on in the streets of Bangkok that just taking the overground metro (BTS) offers enough opportunities for a guy who lives on a small island lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean! Bangkok is an incredible city and it would take me months or even years to get the measure of this megalopolis. You’d have to take your time in the different neighbourhoods and settle down to get a consistent result. Clearly I didn’t have the time, so I made do with what I had.

Let’s come back to the 23mm. It was a very pleasant surprise. I was a bit apprehensive about this change of focal length, as I’ve been shooting exclusively with the 18mm for over 7 years… The transition was fairly straightforward, even though the lens is manual. I think I love having control over the focus, and I think one of the big plus points is the increased battery life! They’ve never lasted so long! I was also happy to get back to Zone Focusing. I set myself at f8 and focus at 3m. That gave me a zone ranging from 1m60 to 20m sharp. When I was shooting with the viewfinder, I had fun changing the aperture and setting the focus precisely. In Street Mode, I often shot with the LCD screen in Zone Focusing mode, as with my Ricoh GRD IV. But sometimes, when the light was lacking and I found myself with larger apertures (I even went so far as to shoot at f1.4!), I manually focus and I have to admit that the lens is really pleasant to use. The aperture dial is notched, unlike the 7Artisan, which is a real plus! The focus ring is also very pleasant and I was able to focus precisely even when walking. However, there’s a little play around the bayonet. It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s worth noting.

As far as image quality is concerned, I’m pretty impressed for a lens that costs just €80. For the way I use it, I get a lot of bang for my buck! It’s light, fast and compact. Everything I need for street photography. And it’s also a focal length that will be more versatile for my family photos, with less distortion than the 18mm. As far as street photography is concerned, the slightly tighter focal length than the 18mm didn’t bother me much. Zone Focusing works terribly well and is clearly the ultimate weapon for street photographers!

While we were having lunch in Chinatown, I went in search of a shop to have my sensor cleaned because it was riddled with very annoying dust … Shooting regularly at f8 or f11, these stains made my post-processing heavy and tedious. On the afternoon of 31 December, I found myself in Mega Plaza Chinatown on the 5th floor having my sensor cleaned. A 5-storey building, just like in Hong Kong. Each floor has its own speciality (video games, figurines, games, electronics, etc.). This top floor is entirely dedicated to photography. Thousands and thousands of second-hand cameras (Leica, Minolat, Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc.). Both film and digital. And even more lenses! I came across a guy who spent 15 minutes cleaning my Fujifilm X-E2 and didn’t even charge me! It’s a service that would have cost at least €70 in France. So here I am, ready to go into 2024 with a clean sensor! I must say that I hadn’t cleaned it since 2016 …

I’ll leave you with this first Blog of 2024. I’ll try to do a Street Photography Blog as soon as I have the time or the motivation!

All the photos were made with the Fujifilm X-E2 et le TTArtisan 23 mm f1.4.

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The water is colder and so is the air. But it’s still over 20°C during the day in the sun and it’s great for sunbathing. It was even warm enough for us to go for a dip and say hello to the fish. I just went out with my mask and was able to see trumpet fish, a lion fish, coris clown fish, triggerfish, trunkfish, etc. not far from the shore. If the water was that cold, I wouldn’t have stayed in it so long! We had planned a little trip on a boat to see the whales. Last year was a year to remember, as these large mammals were seen in great numbers. This year is likely to be even better! It’s simple, they’re everywhere! You sit down on the beach, pay close enough attention and watch the horizon beyond the coral reef: there’s a whale jumping! You go for lunch at a straw hut: there’s another whale doing its thing. You’re strolling along the jetty: whale in the distance! No, I’m not exaggerating. It really happens. Even from where we were staying, you could see them in the distance.

But this time we planned a boat trip to get up close and personal with them. I took along my Fuji XE2 and my 55-200mm to try and get some close-ups. Well, we saw quite a few, but very few were willing to make the super jump so that I could immortalise them. No, in fact, it was a cold shower. It’s really hard to photograph and it’s quite unpredictable. Maybe I don’t have the best camera for this kind of photography. It’s much harder than photographing animals in the Kruger Park! Here are a few photos I took during our stay in South Africa to prove that I’m not a one-armed man.

At sea, it was a big flop! Only one whale deigned to grace us with a leap and by the time I’d moved the camera in the right direction and focused, it was already too late! I just managed to photograph the back of a whale that passed not far from us. I must be the worst wildlife photographer ever.

Nat Geo Wild must be laughing at my whale shots. I can safely say that I’m much better on the streets with just my Ricoh GRD IV. I went to take some photos during my stay in the west on the port. I’d gone to read an article by Jean Perenet, a photographer who, like me, loves the GR and lives by the sea. I raved about his photos of the seaside. I’ve always found ports and quays very photogenic. I find these places very authentic. These places are changing because the fishing trade is disappearing. So I went to hang around the port of Saint Gilles to do a bit of street photography. You’d have to spend a lot more time to capture the soul of this place. Early in the morning when the last fishing boats left. Be there when they return… In short, no time. Still, I’m on holiday and spending time with the kids and family. So I snapped away as I usually do and I’m pretty happy with what I brought back. A bit of street photography and lots of photos of the kids having fun.

All in all, a good first week’s holiday. On Tuesday, we set off again, this time with a rucksack for a hike in the Mafate circus. It’s a different kind of trip, but I love it. We’re going for a walk and the children are looking forward to getting out on the hiking trails. Throughout my youth, I can count on the fingers of a leper’s hand the number of times my parents took my sister and me to the beach? On the other hand, we often went hiking. That’s why I’d much rather spend time in the mountains than sunbathing on a beach. Gwen and the kids like both, but I’m more into the mountains! I hope the weather will be kind so I can document this little trip to the Mafate circus! Oh yes, before I wrap up this week’s Street Shots.

All the photos were made with the Ricoh GRD IV except the animals ones (Fuji XE2 | 55-200 mm)

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I ran into many photographers that day. It’s easy to spot those who work for newspapers. They are armed with several cameras, big super bright lenses. They are often stationed high and in front of the demonstrators to take pictures of them. There were also photographers who documented for the trade unions. I don’t count those who immortalise this popular movement of the people with their smartphones. I was in the street on Tuesday, because like many French people, I find this reform unfair. This government has not stopped giving gifts to the richest and then telling us that we will have to work more to finance our pension system. Since the Covid crisis and the war in Ukraine, the rich have become even richer. Apparently it’s not a crisis for everyone … It would be enough to tax the rich a bit more to solve the problem. Or else increase salaries so that there are more contributions to fill the coffers, but the employers are opposed to this. We are now being asked to work more when we know full well that after 50 you are considered a liability and nobody will want to employ you. Anyway, I’m not going to make a speech about this reform because it’s all about Street Photography here !

Last Tuesday, I went to demonstrate against the reform and of course I went to document this demonstration. I had never seen so many people in the streets of Saint-Denis, proof if any that citizens have mobilised to show their discontent. Pensioners, students, children with their parents, mums with pushchairs. In short, a very heterogeneous mix. The demonstrators were grouped by trade unions and therefore by order of “importance” ! The CFDT led the way, followed by the CGTR and the UNSA. Other less represented unions followed. There were entertainers in front of each group who harangued the militants to be as noisy as possible. I stayed a lot next to the “reds”, the CGTR, because they skilfully used smoke bombs to give the demonstration a sense of scale. There was a bit of “chaos in the street” where they passed. Of course it was staged. With the smoke and the microphones, I sometimes felt like I was at a concert! The demonstration took place in very good conditions without any excesses. The police were very discreet, just blocking the roads that interfered with the procession. There must have been some cops in civil clothes among the demonstrators, but frankly, the atmosphere was good.

The streets were really crowded and it was really exciting to be in the middle of all these people. It reminded me of Rome, Paris and even Marseille. Those cities where frankly it is very easy to do street photography. Some people will disagree with me and say that just because the streets are full of people doesn’t mean it’s easy to do street photography. Well … I’ll just answer that it’s not easy to do Street with almost empty streets … Here in Reunion Island, I do with what I have. I’m quite surprised to see that at the end of the year, I manage to have about ten photos of which I’m proud on Saint-Denis. On Tuesday, with its crowded streets, I just had to be attentive to see opportunities and I didn’t limit myself to photos of the demonstration, but I was also interested in the people who gravitated around the procession. I was able to do some layering and close-up. In short, I had a great time. I really took these photos in the heart of the demonstration. There were hardly any photographers in the middle of the march. What interests the newspapers are photos showing the size of the demonstration. I found it more interesting to be close to the people. Next Tuesday, there is a new call to take to the streets. I will be there!

I put below, other photos taken during this day. They were all taken with the Ricoh GRD IV.

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Since I have retired from any photo sharing platform, I no longer look at other people’s work. For over 4 years I looked at countless photos. I was blown away by some of the photos. Even more blown away by others.  But a certain weariness also set in because I realised that it was a race for sensationalism. It had become a race to the top. More and more. This is especially true for the photos that are sent in for competitions.

You know what ? Nothing has changed since I left … It’s this overkill that annoys me. I realise that these kinds of photos generate an instant emotion in me [Waouhh!!] but that it quickly fades. Why is that? These photos always have the same style calibrated for competitions. Juxtapositions, superpositions, burlesque photos, photos that play with colour… In short, yes, these photos are pleasing to the eye, but in the end it’s just like social networks. We look at them, we smile and [Next!] we move on to the next one …

I’m not interested in this kind of photography anymore because for several years now, I’ve had a more documentary approach to the street. I realise that I have a very old school vision of Street Photography. I photograph very ordinary and mundane scenes simply because the street is like that 99% of the time. Sometimes something unusual or extraordinary happens. I just try to be a bit creative with my composition, but I don’t try to make pictures that look like surrealist paintings. I’m very keen on the documentary side of things.

All the photos were taken with the Ricoh GR3. For some reason, the quality of the photos in the Blog is quite poor. You can click on the photo to get a better quality in the thumbnail that will open.

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• #1

This photo was taken in the Paris metro while we were on a ten-day holiday with my wife and children. This gesture immediately caught my eye and anyone looking at the photo must be wondering why the man is holding his head in his hands.

• #2

This one was taken in Toulouse. I already mentioned it in one of my Blogs written several years ago. But without giving the context of this photo, it’s quite amazing to see this man in a suit with his bow tie in front of a line of CRS with their riot gear.

• #3

This one has more of a documentary feel. But it is clearly the kind of picture that questions the viewer. What is going on here? You can see that even the people in this picture have that questioning look on their faces. It’s clearly a photo I can spend a little time on.

• #4

Clearly something has caught the attention of these two individuals and we too would like to know what is going on outside the frame that makes the woman bend down to get a better look. A photo that questions opens up the field of possibilities.

• #5.

When I look at this picture, I see two people prostrating themselves. The synchronicity of their movements amplifies this idea. But what is really going on? I know the story behind this picture, but anyone who sees it for the first time will have questions.

• #6.

It looks like a photo finish between a car and a guy in a wheelchair. Well, it seems that the car won… Here, it is quite strange to see this man in the middle of a street. What is he doing here? Why isn’t he on the pavement?

• #7.

This last photo from my recent archives shows a young girl with a rather enigmatic attitude. Her mother, who seems to be carrying her little sister, is right next to her. What is going on here? Why is she in this position? Why is she closing her eyes?

Through these examples you can get an idea of what interests and attracts me on the street. These moments don’t happen every day and in fact are quite rare. You have here raw photos without context that make you imagine what is going on, to invent your own interpretation of the scene I have captured. That’s what I like about street photography. You capture moments in 1/500s. Out of context, the photo can be interpreted differently according to our sensitivity. I often demystify all this by explaining and deconstructing the photo to explain the story behind it. But in the end it would be better to let people build their own interpretation of the image. In any case, for me, a good photo is a photo that questions.

I leave you with these photos taken this week.

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In the lagoon, there is very little bottom and the sea is rather calm. We went to spend a day near Boucan Canot because the boys wanted to go have fun in the waves. The sand was very hot. And even in the shelter of the parasols, the sun attacked us. In the evening, everyone was still stunned by this sunny day. I even sent a little video to John to make him bitch a little, he who currently does with a typically … British weather.

The stay went well the first few days before it took a less fun turn. The weather was rather muggy and we regularly had small showers at the end of the afternoon. For information, we are in the middle of summer here on Reunion Island. Who says summer, says rainy season. It is the hurricane season, even if so far no tropical storm has come to threaten our island. The first 5 days were rather sunny with very hot weather. Sunday night, things started to go wrong. Even if Monday morning saw the sky offer a small truce, from noon, it was the flood. The whole Island was vigilant heavy rain. Wherever you were, the sky was going to fall on your head.

This is what happened to us when we had lunch at the restaurant on Monday noon. As we had parked quite a distance, I decided to go get the car to prevent everyone from getting soaked. The boys found it more amusing to come with me, finding it quite a funny situation to walk in the pouring rain … The streets of Saint Gilles were flooded and it looked like a cyclone. We came home soaked and to make matters worse, we had left our beach towels to dry outside. Granted, it wasn’t the best idea of the day.

The next day, the sky was overcast, but the rain had stopped. It was too beautiful … Another storm was going to befall us. Pierre, my sister’s son, did not feel very well when he woke up. He had been cold during the night, was a little feverish, had aches and a sore throat. These symptoms didn’t mean anything to me. I told my sister about it, who wasn’t too worried, thinking he must have caught a cold the day before while running with his cousins in the rain. Which wasn’t wrong and that seemed like the most plausible explanation, but being naturally suspicious (or worried), I went and bought some self-tests at the drugstore anyway.

I asked Pierre to come do his self-test. I even put on my mask to do the nasal swab. Let’s be suspicious until the end … We laughed about it because we were all convinced that he had just caught a cold. It seemed more logical to us, because we don’t go out. We just go to the beach which is in front of our house, we went to the aquarium masked, we made two outings to the restaurant and that’s it. It is true that the city of Saint-Gilles and the beach of Boucan Canot were crowded with people. But we took our precautions by always being masked, except on the beach and in restaurants. Well the verdict is in. Pierre was positive for Covid-19!

The news blowed our minds. It was a bad joke! We then tested Joachim and Ronan, because the three cousins were together all the time. Joachim was sleeping in the same bed as Pierre. We expected the worst. They were negative, but they were just self-tests. It didn’t mean they were really negative. My stepfather who had arrived the day before to see his grandchildren was sent home with a self-test. It was the best thing to do because he already has respiratory problems and is part of the populations at risk.

We landed to collect this information and I must say we were a bit lost. We didn’t really know what to do and we weren’t too much to try to get our minds together to make the right decisions. After doing some quick internet research, we had the procedure to follow. The first thing to do was to have Pierre tested again, this time with an antigen test carried out by a professional. Only this test could tell us exactly what its status was: Positive or Negative. At the moment, we were nothing. We were just potentially contact cases of a possible Covid-19 Positive case.

We rushed to a Covid detection center to get tested. After 30 minutes of waiting, the verdict is in. Pierre was very positive. We suspected it a little because he had the symptoms and the self-test had been positive … My sister is negative and we went in the wake to also be tested as a contact case of ‘a positive person for Covid-19. After 30 minutes the verdict fell for us, and it looks like we are spared for now. We are not out of the woods yet. We may be in the incubation phase. We must retest on D + 2 and D + 4 to be sure to be negative.

The trip had started well and it got off to a bad start at the end. Pierre went straight home with a fever. I have had my sister on the phone since and he is doing fine after taking the medicine. He just turned 12 and I don’t worry much about him. In two days he will be back on his feet. On the other hand, for my sister and my brother-in-law who are both immunosuppressed, it will be a struggle to manage Pierre’s isolation for 7 days … They should not catch this filth because the risk would be a lot higher for them.

So yes John, I will never send you videos of my dream vacation again. We must remain humble … Don’t mess around with the Greek God !

Ah yes, I took my first street photo this week. It is neither with the Ricoh GRD4, nor the Fuji XE2, but quite simply with my phone, the One plus North. As I was picking up the car in the rain, I quickly pulled out my phone to take this photo. It’s classic, but I like it. All other photos were taken with the Fuji XE2.

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Nothing new, you will tell me. But this year the weather was better and we didn’t have any wind or swell. The conditions were ideal and we had a great week and the water temperature was even pleasant. Even if it seems obvious to spend your holidays with your feet in the water on a tropical island like Reunion Island, I rarely went to the beach when I was a kid. My parents didn’t like the sea and considered it dangerous. Even rivers and basins were forbidden to us. Moreover, even today when I go with my children to the sea and to the rivers, my parents still warn me by asking me to be very careful. It is a generation that has always feared water. I guess drowning accidents marked the spirits and at the time children did not necessarily know how to swim. Which is no longer the case today. Joachim and Ronan learned to swim very early on. It was essential for us as we had a swimming pool. It’s not all risk insurance, but they already know how to swim very well.

All my youth, I spent it far from the beaches. My parents often took us on hikes to walk the kilometers of trails that run through the mountains of Reunion. Reunion Island is not famous for its beaches and tourists come mainly for hiking. When I browse my parents’ photo albums, there are countless photos of us hiking and none of us at the beach. This is why I particularly like the mountains. With young children, it was easier to go to the beach, but they are growing up and we decided Gwen and I to make them discover the joys of hiking, but especially the hidden treasures of Reunion Island. And it must be earned, because in the heart of the island is the Cirque de Mafate, a unique place where there are no roads, cars and the only accesses are trails. In total, nearly 140 km of trails crisscross the Cirque. Even though thousands of tourists flock, it is a place that is still unspoiled.

Over the past 30 years, small hamlets of houses (called Ilet) have developed to provide the growing number of tourists with infrastructure to be able to sleep during their journeys. At the time, the lodgings could be counted on the fingers of one hand and the comfort was quite basic. Now, you can sleep in super comfortable bungalows with hot water, impeccable bedding … In short, +++ benefits. On my first hikes in Mafate, there was just a basic grocery store in each Ilet. It was often an old shack with essential products to sell (cans, rice, oil, biscuits …). Today, you have snacks and you can order a draft beer, french fries … In short, nothing much different from a snack that would be found elsewhere on the island. It’s nice, but I regret a bit because Mafate has lost a bit of his soul.

What has not changed are the kilometers of steep paths that link the different hamlets and villages. The climbs are still hard for the calves and thighs and the descents always complicated for the knees … This year, I had organized a night in Marla which would serve as a stop for our little Mafatais journey. My parents who are very good hikers joined us because they wanted to hike with their grand children. FYI, they are 78 & 76 years old and frankly, I didn’t believe them capable of doing this kind of hike anymore. It is not the ride as some people think. You have to be equipped because the weather is capricious and most of the passes reach over 1800m ! We started to get scared when Joachim’s cousin Pierre started having difficulties after just 1 kilometer. We were very lucky because the sky was relatively clear and allowed us to be amazed at the Col des Boeufs, one of the entry points into the Cirque de Mafate. On the other hand, the descent was made slowly because the trails were all muddy. Rain must have fallen the previous days. Which didn’t help my mother who has osteoarthritis in both knees. But that’s not what was going to hold her back. She is a little woman with a strong character with an iron will. I spent most of the day at the back of the group with Pierre and my mother. It also suited me not to go too fast because I was loaded like a donkey with a bag of nearly 40 kilos! Joachim and Ronan took the lead with Valentin, a friend of Joachim’s. They were going so fast that they often had to stop to wait for us.

We reached our lodging at the beginning of the afternoon and the troops were very tired! Well except the three who were leading the others … I had planned to walk a little after lunch but everyone decided that it was better to rest … My father was very tired because he had carried Pierre’s bagpack to relieve it. The night’s rest will not be too much for him to recover a little. The next day everyone was in great shape. And it was better because if we had only the descent the previous day, now we had to go up to the Col des Boeufs to come out of the Cirque de Mafate. The first stage towards the village of La Nouvelle was done without incident under a beautiful sun even if some started to show some signs of fatigue from the first slopes. A well-deserved break with french fries and soda allowed the children to regain some energy.

That’s when the sky fell on us ! A fine rain accompanied us during the return trip which was very very long … To spare the most physically affected, we opted for a less steep path but which was at least 3 times longer than the steeper path. If it were up to me, I would have taken the steepest path, even if it meant hurting my thighs. But I think some would have burnt out the way up. Instead, we had a good time on a trail that ran through a forest of cryptomeria. It was super beautiful despite the rain ! We arrived at the Col after 4pm in freezing rain with gusts of wind that froze our bones. We were soaked after an ascent of nearly 4 hours walking in mud and on slippery trails that looked like river beds !

I was very proud of my parents who despite their advanced age were able to do this hike with their grand children. I think it was important to them because it was surely the last time they set foot in Mafate. They are still in great shape, but the weight of the years is inevitably felt when they have to produce violent efforts like during this hike. The return was harder, even for the children. But they did very well and we took a big box of candies with us to give them courage when they were slack. It worked pretty well because everyone made it to the finish line with the kids ahead of course! We did not linger up there, because everyone was physically well affected by the dire conditions in which the return had taken place. We hit the road all soaked. Shelter was found after a few kilometers so that we could change and put on dry clothes.

Joachim and Ronan enjoyed this hike very much even though it was physically hard. We will try very soon to make others with them just to make them discover other wonders accessible only by foot ! As you can see through these photos, Reunion is above all about the mountains and that’s what I prefer on my island !

All photos were taken with the Fujifilm XF10.

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I need to know the city, understand how it works in order to feel comfortable and take pictures effortlessly. I admire the photographers who manage to take pictures everywhere when they travel. Of course I can take pictures anywhere, but I need time otherwise I don’t feel connected with what I’m doing and things are more complicated. When I went to Paris for a few days, I brought back some nice photos, but it has nothing to do with what I did in Aix-en-Provence or Saint-Denis.

I need to live in the city where I photograph to soak up the atmosphere and ultimately be part of this city that I photograph. Even if I was able to do an interesting job in Bristol where I had stayed 7 days, I only scratched the surface of this city … There is always at the beginning this moment when the very discovery of the city ​​makes you curious and where you have this kind of euphoria that allows you to take beautiful photos. Subsequently, the soufflé falls because there is no longer this effect of novelty that carried you and that is where it is complicated … But the best is yet to come and this is where we must insist , renew oneself, and it takes a lot longer to somehow master the city. For me it is counted in months. It takes time for me to feel free and things to fall into place. Basically after having lived in Aix-en-Provence and now in Saint-Denis, I would say that it takes me roughly 18 to 24 months to get to this level.

I speak from my experience. I don’t know if this is valid for other photographers. Some people cannot do Street Photography where they live and only take pictures elsewhere when traveling. Unthinkable for me, but we are not all the same and that’s good ! What is important to me is like I said to understand how the city works. I need that to know where to go to take pictures, at what times … It’s all the more important in a city like Saint-Denis.

It is not a tourist city with places that concentrate people. It is the antithesis of Aix-en-Provence. Here it is a very different city and you have to know where there is action. And also when ! I already knew that on Mondays the streets were quite deserted because most of the stores were closed. But I just realized (after 18 months …) that on Fridays, most of the small stalls run by the Arab community were absent because it is the most important day for prayer for Muslims ! Casually, it’s the little details that make the streets different on those days. During the school holidays, the streets are much livelier too.

This understanding of the city is essential for me to feel comfortable. I spent enough time tirelessly roaming the same places in the city to make it my own and to feel a certain legitimacy in photographing it. I am no longer a passing tourist here. I live here and I now document the city of Saint-Denis. There will be days without my eyes seeing nothing, my SD card full of worthless crap, but that’s the curse of any street photographer. We often come home frustrated by our little outings in the street. But I know how this city works. It’s the most important.

all the photographs were made with the Fujifilm XF10.

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So they let go of their screens and went like bullets in the garden to have fun. After a while they came to claim an empty plastic bottle for their games. We started to hear the sounds of a bottle crashing to the ground. I went to see them and they were having fun filling a bottle of water and throwing it from a certain height on the ground. Like what, a simple plastic bottle is enough for them ! Ronan came back after awhile soaked. I think I understood what was going on there now. I went with my Ricoh GR because the kids were having fun with water and as you know it’s a combo that always works well : kids + water !

The T-shirts and shorts had been thrown on the ground and they were now splashing with water. My parents don’t have a swimming pool and never mind, they had a tap, a water hose, that was more than enough ! That’s how they had fun watering in the garden. I know full well the risks I take by being near a water source with kids. I’ve killed a few Ricoh GRD4s like this before. But it’s stronger than me and like the little butterflies attracted by the lights, it’s the water that attracts me … Well, I reassure you right away, the Ricoh GR is fine. He took a little splash, but nothing serious (well I hope …).

We put an end to the little game because we had to go home. They continued for a little while trying to walk on their hands with varying degrees of success. My parents have these large bay windows which allow us to have a sublime view of Saint-Denis, but also of the sea. At the end of the afternoon, the reflections were just magnificent and allowed me to take a beautiful photo. of Joachim drying himself off. I, who am very rarely in the photos (normal because I take them …), I’m happy to be with him on this one.

I ended up immortalizing my two little guys after their water games. Come on, it’s time to go home !

All the photos were made with the Ricoh GR.

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As you can imagine, I quickly got bored of Marseille. Well, not really from the city, but to take the road to take pictures. In the end, after spending more than four years documenting the streets of Aix, it is obvious that the boredom had nothing to do with Aix, but rather came from me. I think that it must be part of the process of appropriating a city when you do Street Photography. That’s what I feel right now in the streets of Saint-Denis. I don’t have a lot of fun and it shows in my work. My eyes are lazy and I am no longer attentive when I walk in the streets.

So how do you overcome boredom? How to rediscover the pleasure of taking photos? If I had the answers to this problem, it would be too simple … I read a few photo books. All these photos taken in big cities or in exotic places only depressed me even more. I’m complaining, but some people wish they could just get out of their homes. The current pandemic is forcing many people to stay at home. Here on Reunion Island, no curfew nor confinement light. The virus is not very active and we continue to live with a semblance of normality (masks, barrier gestures). Enough to allow me to do Street Photography in complete freedom, but no, it’s in the head that it happens and my brain and my eyes must be confined …

To try different things, I thought to myself that changing my camera might allow me to see things differently and re-motivate me. It is well known to people with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrom) that it is THE solution to all problems! A new camera and here we go! Okay, I can reassure you right away, I haven’t invested a single cent in a new toy. I just opened my cupboards and pulled out my old Ricoh GR. The one who has a 16 MP APS-C sensor and who has the annoying habit of catching the slightest dust lying around. Moreover, I had used it for less than 2 days since I realized that I had like a big hair on my sensor. Greaaaat!

Well that did not discourage me even if it was rather badly placed (in the middle of the sensor …). I had to change something, so I would do with it. And there, I rediscovered Street Photography, my eyes which could no longer see anything, finally opened and I made incredible photos with the GR. My creativity has been multiplied by 1000! Ok I’m doing too much here? How am I not credible? Isn’t that what the manufacturers promise us by trying to sell us their last wad of thousand euros junk? With their increasingly powerful cameras, soon we will be able to take night photos without the slightest noise!

So no, switching to the Ricoh GR hasn’t changed anything at all. I feel like I lost my Mojo. The children’s holidays come at the right time. I’m going to spend the next few weeks going to the beaches instead and going on little trips with them. As with all school holidays, this will be an opportunity for me to recharge my batteries and to do Street Photography differently. Moreover, as the effect of the GR is rather zero on my creativity, I will perhaps dust off my Fuji XE2.

All the photos were made with the Ricoh GR.

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