Thought & Story behind Photograph #4

Here is a photograph taken at Cheltenham during the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup Day. It was the most important day of the festival and so the whole place was crowded. The most difficult exercise when you work in a crowded environment is to deal with the constant movement of people. It occasionally makes it difficult to identify potential subjects and forms/contents that will work together. In this context, it sometimes helps to be able to isolate a subject to get the most of it and avoid disturbing content. During an event like this one, my eyes never stopped looking and they probably saw more than I realised. When I walked near this man, I almost compulsively shot at him. I didn’t want to miss the moment. I liked his position, his attitude and his facial expression. He was perfectly dressed for the event with the right accessories. However, the time you take to see a subject and take a picture often only lasts for 2 or 3 seconds. I don’t think it is enough to be aware of every detail that is in the frame. In an unstaged image when things happen quickly, you have to trust your subconscious. I took one shot of him deciding to centre him in the frame while getting close enough to him in order to not get any distractions and to frame him properly (well maybe two. I deleted the previous photo on the contact sheet so I am not sure). In my opinion, what helps to make the picture work (apart from his classic attitude) is that he is isolated from the rest of the crowd, busy looking in the opposite direction. There is no distraction coming from the background. The fact that he is in the centre of the frame creates a kind of symmetry thanks to his body’s position, the position of the binoculars and it allows the viewer to only focus on him. I was probably lucky in this image that the colour tones of each item of clothing were similar.

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

Publication in Going Places Malaysia Airlines inflight magazine

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the editor of Going Places, the Malaysia Airlines inflight magazine. Their team requested some street art images of Bristol from me to illustrate a feature about the city. I did an edit of a few images from my archive and two of them were selected to be published in the magazine. Above on the bottom right is a cropped of one of them.

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

The Pleasure of Beautiful Light

Playing with light and shade is relatively new to my photography. In 2005 when I seriously started photography, my photographs were not obviously influenced by the light. At the time, I was living in Paris and my work was mainly in black and white, and whatever the weather forecast, I went out for a wander. My approach changed in 2007 when I moved to Scotland and discovered the bright but soft northern light. Its particularly dense light created thick and high contrast shade on Edinburgh’s buildings, roads and pavements. It caught my attention and I began to photograph it. Simultaneously, my body and mind developed a dependency on the light. After four years living in Scotland, I felt a light deficiency and it became a big obsession. So much so that I only went out on sunny days to take photographs. Without it my inspiration simply wasn’t as strong. Now that I am living in Bristol, the sunlight is still very much part of my inspiration. I am rarely out on a grey day. Then, as a consequence of looking for the light, I also sharpened my eye for shade and shadows. These forms became part of some of my compositions allowing me to be more creative and to develop a personal black and colour world. As for the question whether another photographer influenced my approach to capturing the light, I would reply that no other photographer has influenced this side of my work even if I like the work of photographers like Alex Webb, Harry Gruyaert and Constantine Manos. I developed it as the necessity of sunlight became more and more apparent in my life. Behind the pleasure of beautiful light, there is first a true feeling of well being.

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

Postcard from London, England

I recently visited the City of London again. Its financial area really attracts me. It is a world apart from the rest of the United Kingdom and probably the rest of Europe. I found it a difficult place to photograph. Well, there are plenty of opportunities but you need to walk and observe a lot to get the chance to catch something interesting (and with a bit of luck something very good). This is a business area. There are a lot of office workers going from one building to another, having their lunch break, being on the phone, smoking or some people shopping. I didn’t stay very long, only around 3 hours, endlessly roaming its streets. I was in London to renew my passport at the French consulate based in South Kensington. French citizens living in the UK do not have the choice but to visit the French consulate to renew their passport. During this trip to London, I also arranged a quick meeting with Jon Levy from Foto8 to get back my framed print exhibited at the Foto8 gallery as part of the 2012 foto8 summershow. The same photo was then invited to be exhibited at the Royal Shakespeare Company for the exhibition the World Elsewhere. A lot of travelling. Too much travelling. No time to see some fellow photographers but hopefully on my next visit.

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

Photobook: Istanbul, City of Hundred Names by Alex Webb

Once a peaceful Greek fishing village, Istanbul was the capital of both the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires. A secular city built on the border of the European and Asian continents along a great trading route connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean sea and linking the cultures of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Istanbul could not better define the photographic purposes of Alex Webb: City of many wars and invasions, Istanbul has a rich history perceptible in a lot of its areas. All through its impressive skyline, its streets are buzzing with life. It is a city with strong traditions but which embraces the modern life of western culture. The first photograph of the book was taken on a ferry boat. I guess it is one of these many boats relaying the various parts of the city through the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. On the right-hand third of the image is the sea and in the background a red shape of a vessel. In the two other thirds is the window of a ferry boat where peoples’ shapes can be seen within the reflection of the sea. A man is looking through the windows. He looks thoughtful and is somewhat melancholic. The light is low. It might be sunset. A simple and complex image that truly reflects the atmosphere of Istanbul and introduce the book well. The boats connecting its different areas and going from one continent to another are unique to the city like its wonderful light at sunset. Its shore and the “almost spiritual” attraction of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn magnify and contribute to the overall indefinable feeling of the city. In his essay published in the book, The Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk describes this feeling as Huzun. It is the Turkish word for melancholy and it has its origin in the Koran. Its philosophical sense is found in all parts of the Turkish culture and could maybe describe the mood of Istanbul. From 1998 to 2005, Alex Webb kept returning to Istanbul in order to immerse himself in the city and visually explore its dense life, its contrasts, its light and colours. The second image as well as being one of the strongest ones in the book bring the reader straight in and out of the Istanbul street life thanks to a brilliant mirror game. Taken inside a barber’s shop, Webb played with the mirror to reflect and capture the street outside the shop and to capture its life including the barber (or a client) seated inside the shop. On his left is a small mirror brilliantly reflecting a pedestrian. A clever detail that really adds to the complexity of the image and shows the ability of Alex Webb in mastering complicated visuals. From left to right, the photograph is full of information about the context of the place and there is no room for more forms. Each person in the frame, the barber, the pedestrians, the man sitting on the stairs, the man entering the shop have their own spaces giving a good rhythm to the image. Again it is a complex photogaph but an easy one to read Istanbul would not be Istanbul without the Golden Horn, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus. All along its shore, the city has a great sense of space and freedom far from its urban density. Another complex image reflects the multiple relationships that the people of Istanbul have with their sea shores. Along the Bosphorus, some boys are having a nap while a couple is looking at the horizon. A father and his child are busy rolling up their trousers while a pedestrian is walking through the whole scene. The four subjects filling the frame do not seem to be socially connected to each other. However, there is a sense of harmony given by a common place where people enjoy their spare time. Alex Webb is not only a master of complex multi layered photographs, he has also a good understanding of how to capture light. All through the book, the photographs of Webb reveal the beauty of the Istanbul light. There is one particular graphic image that strikes me. The photograph was taken in Eyup, probably in Eyup Sutlan Mosque where Abu Ayyub al-Ansari , one of the Islamic prophets is said to have been buried. The photograph reflects two people praying opposite each other and doing the same religious gesture. The image is divided by the light and shade. On the left-hand third, in the background of the image, a man can be seen praying in the dark. His black shape is outlined thanks to the sunlight on a mosque wall just behind him. Opposite him in the foreground of the photograph, a lady wearing a veil and dress in black and white is blessed by the sunlight going through the mosque. And to her right a cat contributes by breaking the opposition of the two people praying and seems to enjoy the quietness of the place as much as the light. A well composed image highlighting the religious character of Turkey, a largely Muslim country. Having visited the city a few times, I do feel that ‘Istanbul, City of Hundred Names’ portrays well the character of the city and its various aspects. All through the book, the photographs of Alex Webb are dense, filled with life and details and its density can be felt in many areas of the city whether it is in the traditional old area or in its European side. A fantastic book that every Alex Webb fan and street photographer should have on his bookshelf.

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

Postcard from Brighton, England

In spring, we should normally expect some sun and higher temperatures, but it is freezing Winter weather that has welcomed me to Brighton. Cold wind, rain and white sky. The promenade is empty and hence its pier too. The only light comes from the amusement arcades and the fair. Nothing that I really enjoy and nothing that really inspires my photography. At least on this day. The sea front looks too familiar to me and reminds me of my dear seaside town Les Sables d’Olonne in wintertime. A place emptied of holiday makers. A ghostly seafront that is waiting for the peak season and some sun for it to live again. I just feel that I was there at the wrong weekend at the wrong time of the year, though I enjoyed the warmth of the pubs and coffee shops. I will be back soon.

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

Thought & Story behind Photograph #3

The photograph was taken in October 2012 outside the Medina of Fes while I was travelling in Morocco as part of the photo project about its medinas. I was having a break from the medina, wandering in the street opposite Bab Mahrouk and leading to Avenue des Merinides. On both sides of the road is a rampart surrounding the Bab Mahrouk cemetery. As I was walking the street, I suddenly decided to stop at this place, probably attracted by the light, the shadow of the rampart, the colour and texture of the rampart opposite and the blue sky. I remembered taking a few uninteresting shots before sitting on some stairs to have a rest in the shade and wait for a shot that might never come. After a few minutes I spotted a man with a traditional Moroccan djellaba and thought that might be my chance. I got ready, anticipating the potential photograph and composition that I could take. When the man passed by, I bent enough to get the contrast of his shape into the light framing at the same time another passer by into the opposite third of the image. I took a second shot when he entered the light (the one in the middle of the picture) but it was far less effective and the composition was unbalanced by two passers by being there at the wrong time.

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

More about my Travel & Street Photography Workshops

Click on the image to see it in full size. In my next travel and street photography workshop, I am going to explain further the process of creating an image by including in my slideshow the contact sheet of some of my photographs. The point is to highlight some key aspects to explain simple or more advanced composition such as including or not some elements, the reading of an image, the editing and the role of the photographer in the creation of his/her photographs; a role played by observing, being alert, understanding and anticipating photo opportunities and being aware of the environment in order to use it and empower both the composition and the image story/subject. Above is the contactsheet of a photograph taken in Rabat in October 2011. This photograph was selected at the last Foto8 Summershow 2012 in London and is part of my photo project “Medinas of Morocco”. If you want to get information about my upcoming workshops, please visit my Workshops page or alternatively subscribe to my workshops newsletter below. First nameLast nameEmail  

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

Cheltenham Gold Cup Day

The Cheltenham Gold Cup day takes place every year during the Cheltenham festival and it is regarded as one of the most prestigious horse races in the National Hunt. I was there as part of my photographic project “From England with Love”, not really for the horse races but more to observe the social context of the events. For the day, people come from all over the United Kingdom to attend it. The crowd is a mixture of serious bettors and horse racing fans, country and high society people and people there just for a fun day out. A lot of visitors make an effort to dress up in a fashionable or traditional way and I think it really helps to create the atmosphere of the Cheltenham Gold Cup day. The Gold cup race is with no doubt the best moment of the day when all eyes are fixed on the race track or TV screens. As the end of the race comes, the roar of the crowd grows until a big scream is let out by the winners. During my time at the Cheltenham Gold Cup Day, I mostly followed my inspiration, trying to capture details, character, people and moments that contribute to the atmosphere.

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau

Photobook: Grim Street by Mark Cohen

Mark Cohen was born in Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania. Today, he still lives in Wilkes-Barre and has spent most of his life wandering the streets of his native city. Entirely self taught, he learnt photography and darkroom techniques from reading books and magazines, even if he attended a course with Key Heyman, the only real photography teacher he had, at the School of Visual Arts in New York. His influences are various. He cites Henri Cartier Bresson, Josef Koudelka, Gary Winnogrand, Robert Frank and Lee Friedlander. It is visually difficult to see any of these influences in Mark Cohen’s photographs as his unique straight forward style breaks all the rules. In the world of Mark Cohen, there are hardly any photographs giving us a sense of the place. Instead, close ups of body parts, headless bodies and cut legs make Mark Cohen’s surreal and sometimes abstract world. His unique way of framing pictures is his trade mark. In his own words he went down an original path because he was isolated out in Wilkes-Barre and he didn’t study photograph in school. He used to walk and take photographs with a wide angle lens, mostly using a 21mm “aggressively” taking photographs from a two foot distance. He learned to know the distance between his lens and his subjects and most of the time he took photographs without looking though the viewfinder but by just snapping someone (or a part of his body) very quickly. This unique way of taking photographs makes the book dynamic and we can feel the walk, the snap, the intrusion and also the gesture that will lead to the photograph. Mark Cohen also uses a flash “to give a zone from 2 to 8 feet that you don’t have to focus and don’t have to worry about the subject being blurred”. He also uses flash because he likes “the phenomenological effect he would get shooting at twilight”. The whole process is very intrusive and certainly challenging especially in a city like Wilkes-Barre. The book is a great reflection of Mark Cohen’s unique genre. As you go through the pages, there is a progression in his work. It starts with a more classic approach to photography (from late 60′s and early 70′s) with some scenes of everyday life. Then there is a turning point in the 70′s where his photographs mostly focus on close ups of body parts, making the backbone of the book. Grim Street by Mark Cohen is a very spectacular photobook to look at. 1967- Headless horseman 1974 – Upside-down girl 1975 – Boy’s chest, man’s finger 1973 – Knee 1976 – Laughing man’s teeth 1978 – Kid’s face and hand on swing

Documentary Photography by Jerome Lorieau