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So before anyone gets offended, we had all the authorizations for this photoshoot. The place is desacralized, and if you are following on social media, you probably already know that because I’ve created images there already in the past… Never give up! Dance/ Gymnastics/ Circus Behind the scenes So in this video, we are going to do things a little bit differently, I will break down the making of 5 images of this session. First, the gear… I had the Fujifilm GFX50s that day and 3 lenses, The GF23mm, the 32-64mm, and the macro GF120mm. Yes, I didn’t have the 110mm this time and I sure did miss it. The place is really dark as you can see on the footage, the light coming in was constantly changing inside the building, so using a flash or 2 was inevitable. The First Time I worked there, I broke my flash before the photoshoot. I made a video about it (see link above), and we had to make our images with the ambient light which wasn’t ideal. For this first one, we used the GF23mm… I placed my main light on my right side, the Broncolor Siros L with the 90 x 120 softbox and a grid to focus the light. Olivia Lindon (Toulouse - Dôme de la Grave) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR 1/125sec f4 ISO640 at 23mm My 2nd light was used as a rim light and was placed on the far left behind my model. To add my little touch we attached a black fabric to the model and I just asked my lovely assistant to toss it slightly in the air to add a little movement. We quickly moved to the 2nd spot for something completely different. I wanted to include the steps on this one as if we were walking up to her and concentrating the lights on the top half of the image. Lights were placed camera left and right on either side of Olivia who was placed in the middle as if she was stuck in a light sandwich… that’s why you have the shadows on her body facing my camera. Olivia Lindon (Toulouse - Dôme de la Grave) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR 1/125sec f4 ISO640 at 60mm Let’s move on to the 3rd shot, it’s the typical kind of image where I figure out the framing and composition first. I used the widest lens of the GF line again the 23mm. Once my camera was on a tripod, we tried different poses. Once we found something that worked for both of us, It was time for me to add that little fabric to the mix. My main flash was placed camera left and I made her turn her face towards it and my 2nd light was placed behind her on her right side with a silver umbrella for a harsher light. I wanted her outfit and the fabric to be a bit more white… So I had to fix this in post. Olivia Lindon (Toulouse - Dôme de la Grave) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR 1/125sec f4 ISO640 at 23mm For this 4th image, It’s pretty straightforward. Both lights were placed roughly 60-65 degrees camera left and right. At first, I grabbed the 120mm lens, but after a couple of test shots I ended up using the 32-64mm again. Olivia Lindon (Toulouse - Dôme de la Grave) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR 1/125sec f4 ISO640 at 64mm For these last pictures, I wasn’t sure it would work and if she would be able to find poses that would fit inside such a little space. The confessional has openings on both sides that would let light in, so I had to find a way to place both of my flashes on the other sides. Of course, there was no room for any light modifiers so I used them bared bulb. To get a softer light, I bounced my light off the wooden walls for indirect light. Olivia Lindon (Toulouse - Dôme de la Grave) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR 1/125sec f4 ISO640 at 32mm I have to say I am really happy with the images we made, we managed to get different looks, used different outfits, and created different moods. Olivia was amazing as always, fun and professional, I hope some of these will inspire you for your future shoots. I am almost done with my images made in 2019… Yeah, I did write 2019, I am still not in 2020, but I am almost there...

This is something I would like to do more often but unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to do it much in the past years. It’s always a challenge to work with a group of people. Staging and directing them, and creating something together that everyone involved will enjoy. Here are a couple of words on the few attempts I’ve done so far. The hardest thing for me is to find a place that could work. It all started 4 years ago, with dancers from the Opera du Rhin. A new chapter! I have to say that I am not a fan of these images after all these years. They are not bad, the dancers did a great job, but there are a lot of things that I would do differently today. CANON 5Dmark III 1 X Broncolor SirosL EF 24-70mm f2.8 L mark II 1/200sec at f/6.3 ISO1000 - 33mm CANON 5Dmark III 1 X Broncolor SirosL EF 24-70mm f2.8 L mark II 1/60sec at f/8 ISO200 - 32mm But we all know we have to start somewhere so at least that day I discovered how hard it was to direct several dancers at once. To make it a success you really have to know what you want to create before you are on location. Think ahead, visit the location beforehand and sketch a few ideas if you can, so that you don’t lose time trying to explain what you want on set. My 2nd attempt was with dancers from the Nice ballet a year later. It took me a year to go at it again and I was no longer living in the northeast of France but on the French Riviera! We had this beautiful location called the Eilenroc in Antibes. I had the opportunity to create in this wonderful place twice so I knew that there were a few spaces big enough to take group pictures. A Rhythmic Gymnastics photoshoot inside EilenRoc Once I had my framing and composition, I gave the dancers the general feel, form, and shape of what I wanted to create. They proposed a few poses, we tried different things and experimented a bit. I never had them looking at the camera (a personal choice) and wanted to have every dancer on different levels. CANON 5Dmark III 2 X Broncolor SirosL EF 24-70mm f2.8 L mark II 1/160sec at f/9 ISO200 - 35mm I need to have the dancers interact with each other and create a coherent form. I still rely on the dancer’s suggestions, and because I am not a dancer I still listen to them when we have to correct things dance-related. Once we found something that works we fine-tune the details. We check head position, feet, gaps between dancers, something I didn’t do during my first attempt a year back. Look closely at the shadows and how the light behaves on everybody. The 24-70mm lens, 5 reasons why you should own one! The same year I was hired to make images for the Geneva Ballet. The approach was completely different. I didn’t have much freedom on this shoot, I basically had to follow the director’s and choreographer’s vision. A lot of the shots made are captures of the dancers performing a part of a choreography. CANON 5Dmark III 1 X Broncolor SirosL EF 24-70mm f2.8 L mark II 1/200sec at f/8 ISO1250 - 24mm A different type of experience for sure, not something I love to do but like anybody, I have to pay rent Meeting the Geneva Ballet The year after I arrived in Toulouse I decided to give it another try with 5 dancers from the Ballet du Capitole. On the day of the shoot, my 2nd flash died… We couldn’t cancel, so I had to work with only one light! The same approach, different heights, trying our best to have something homogeneous, that nobody hides anyone that shadows don’t fall in weird places and so on. With the use of only one light, I believe we did a good job. CANON 5Dmark III 1 X Broncolor SirosL EF 16-35mm f2.8 L mark II 1/160sec at f/6.3 ISO250 - 16mm CANON 5Dmark III 1 X Broncolor SirosL EF 16-35mm f2.8 L mark II 1/160sec at f/6.3 ISO250 - 24mm Last year was my most recent attempt to date. This happened in Bordeaux, in a location that wasn’t the best for this. It’s a place that is usually used for exhibitions, so we had huge white walls everywhere. The weather was awful that day so we didn’t have much light coming in. The idea was to have a really dark background with only lights coming from the stained glass and windows and a unique source of light on the dancers. To expose everybody correctly I placed my two lights in the same directions aiming at 2 different parts of the group. For the first one, I wanted that motion going from the bottom left of the frame to the top right. The dancers suggested different things and this is what we ended up keeping. Fujifilm GFX50s + 2X Broncolor SirosL GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR 1/60sec at f/8 ISO200 - 32mm For the 2nd one, I kept 3 different takes. I wanted something really compact and messy. For the first time, I let the group improvise the pose and I tried to capture moments While they were moving. These are the 3 shots I kept, which one is your favorite? Fujifilm GFX50s + 2X Broncolor SirosL GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR 1/60sec at f/8 ISO200 - 32mm I have to say, I never had the best conditions to make these, so I am a bit frustrated. Don’t get me wrong, I like these images but they are all missing something, or something went wrong or the location wasn’t right. But what’s great is all the lessons I’ve learned each and every time, and I know that the next one will be better and the one after will be epic. There will be I hope, not in a year but very soon another opportunity for me to photograph multiple dancers at once with the right tools, and an adapted location. I cannot wait!

Behind the scenes feat. Mélanie Cagné So before you get mad, before you complain, a little disclaimer! It was raining that day, we were running around trying to find a decent spot to shoot. And I just couldn’t wipe off the lenses of my camera all the time, I was too focused on the shoot. So we have 2 options: It’s barely watchable but you still get a sense of what happened that day so I might as well share the footage. Let’s just forget about this one and share something else. Of course, you know I chose option N°1. Rain, grey skies, a bit of sun, then rain again. This is what we had for weeks here. I usually make my CrossFit photoshoots indoors, in a gym or a box as they call it. So this was supposed to be an opportunity for change. Taking everything outside, maybe catch the beautiful sunrise and make epic shots for a different vibe. On the other hand I kind of like sharing all the shoots that didn’t go as planned on my YouTube channel, this isn’t the first time and it won't be the last. Dealing with bad weather is common for any photographer so we might as well learn how to be able to make cool images even in the worst conditions. So let’s go, no flash, just the Fujifilm GFX100 , and 1 lens, my favorite, the 110mm f2! We wanted to capture some basic exercises outdoors. A few of them in the water… of course. We tried a few times to splash some water around but it didn’t look good. So we made it simple. You know I am a big fan of reflections, so I tried my best to get some with the water here… Unfortunately, it didn’t work except on this simple full-body portrait: Mélanie Cagné (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/500sec f2 ISO200 at 110mm Mélanie Cagné (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/400sec f2 ISO100 at 110mm Mélanie Cagné (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/400sec f2 ISO50 at 110mm So after a few quick portraits and other attempts, we decided to move on. Turning our backs to the fake beach, we headed for a fake forest. We saw a bunch of trees on our way to the 1st location so maybe a chance for us to do something completely different.. But on our way there we saw this indescribable place. A canal I believe, with water that wasn’t too deep. So we decided to forget about the trees and this was our best decision that day. Mélanie Cagné (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/320sec f2 ISO100 at 110mm We even splashed some water and made some cool portraits with a mood and vibe I just cannot get inside a gym. Mélanie Cagné (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/320sec f2 ISO100 at 110mm I can definitely say the GFX100 is weather resistant. It survived this wet cold session. Hats off to Melanie for doing this, I haven’t had that many people in the past that agreed to follow me on shoots like that, so thank you! Mélanie Cagné (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/400sec f2 ISO50 at 110mm There might be some changes in the weeks to come due to what’s happening in the world right now… I might not travel that much after all and cancel some of the dates I announced recently or postpone them whenever possible. If you want to stay up to date, follow me on Instagram because I always announce things there and of course the first page of this website. I will do my best to update it in real-time. Also, a little announcement, I now have a 2nd Channel: Haze Kware ! Not just another channel, I will upload stuff that doesn’t belong to the first one. Video work mainly, video footage from cameras I will be testing, like the short dance clip I posted a few days ago that was shot during the photoshoot session I had in Paris last year where I tested for the first time the GFX100. Join me there too, say hi, I won’t post a lot there for now but I will post there more and more by the end of the year. Please everybody take care, do not panic, stay positive, together we will go through this. Don’t go too far, I will catch you in the next one.

This is a direct reference to an old video, I made 3 years ago about Wide-angle lenses. If you haven’t watched it yet please do so. This is also an answer video to all of you who often ask me why sometimes I use an 85mm or anything between 85 and 200mm instead of using a 50 or less and just moving closer to my subject. Dance photography, 5 reasons why you should go wide! The 2 images below, were captured with my phone. A really simple demonstration of what anyone can observe at home. The idea was to have for these 2 different shots our main subject occupying the same amount of space and be placed roughly the same in the frame. Do you notice the difference? Of course, you do… I displayed all these different elements in the foreground on purpose so that you can see how different these 2 shots are. The main subject takes almost the same amount of space in the frame in both shots but I am using 2 different focal lengths (26mm And 52mm on my galaxy S9+). Obviously, I had to get closer with the 26mm. By getting closer to your subject you purposely decide to ignore whatever is in the foreground or maybe on the sides. Plus the more you go telephoto the more your background will seem closer to your model. Samsung Galaxy S9+ at 26mm Samsung Galaxy S9+ at 52mm So that is why you cannot take this decision lightly. "So, do I get closer to the model or do I use a longer lens?" This is an artistic decision. Depending on how you are going to compose your image, how you are going to use the environment, and how much of the background you want in your image. Plus don’t forget the distortion you will add to your image when using wide-angle lens. Again watch my previous video on the subject if you haven’t. So here are 5 (obviously there are more) but the 5 main reasons why I choose to use an 85mm or longer lens for some of my images: 1/ 85mm lenses are flattering on a lot of models, it is actually one of my favorite lenses for portraits and sometimes full-body shots. On the GFX I love the 110mm f2. Some models just don’t look good with a wide-angle lens, especially when you go wider than 35mm. The wider you go the more careful you have to be with visible distortions and body proportions. Camille Bernard (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Margaux M. (Bordeaux - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Anaïs Lancry (Bordeaux - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR When your athlete is injured: Crossfit behind the scenes photoshoot Jennifer M. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Camille Bernard (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 2/ A longer lens will add tension to your images when using lines to guide your viewer’s eyes. Shoot through objects, and use anything in the foreground to better compose your shot. These are more effective with short telephoto lenses. Dafné Lugui (Toulouse - France) Canon EOS 5D mark III + EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM Margaux M. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Fanny George (Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Helene Bernadou (Bordeaux - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Fuji GFX50s my thoughts as a Dance/ Circus photographer Charlotte Sumian (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 3/ You decide what to include and what to exclude, you have to know exactly what you are shooting. With a short telephoto lens, you can isolate much more easily your subject. Sometimes having all those elements around you can be overwhelming in your shot, so using a wide-angle lens might not be the best idea. Plus you get that background blur much more easily with a longer lens, for better background separation. Alice Catonnet (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Fujifilm GFX100, Medium format for the mass? Marso (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Jess Prévalet (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 4/ Not all images are meant to be taken up close. Giving a sense of distance between you and the subject tells a different story! Remember these are tools, it’s a vocabulary for you to use, to express your ideas and creativity. Camille Bernard (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Christine Pham (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Emilie Morier (Montpellier - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR A tailored approach for the right results Célie Juston (Grenoble - France) Canon EOS 5D mark III + EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM Charlotte Sumian (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Manon Vergé (Strasbourg - France) EOSR + EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM Complete Gallery of this session: Behind the scenes Fitness photoshoot on location Benjamin (Bordeaux - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 5/ I said earlier, sometimes you don’t want everything in your background in your shot. But what if you have an interesting background but far away from your subject? If the element in the back you want to include is close, the wide-angle will do the job. If it’s far, it’s the complete opposite, you will want to use a short telephoto lens to have it closer and visible. Agnès Bodda (Toulouse - France) Canon EOS 5D mark III + EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM Emma La Tordue (Strasbourg - France) Canon EOS 5D mark III + EF 85mm f2.8L IS II USM Complete session: Inside the Villa Schutzenberger not another contortion photoshoot Marjorie Gollion (Paris - France) Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Marie Caroline (Geneve - France) Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR So think twice before zooming with your feet. Maybe the 135mm or 85mm you have in your hands better suits your needs for the image you wish to create. You also have to consider your personal tastes too. This is different for everybody, there are no rules. It’s up to you to build your own vocabulary and write your own stories. Try to get your hands on as many different lenses as you can… try them and decide for yourself. What is your favorite short telephoto lens? For the GFX line, the 110mm f2 is my personal favorite for now and on Canon bodies, I Love the 85mm f1.2L lens. Hope you are all safe and in good health. Please be careful, and in these difficult times let’s all be positive and support one another. Take care!

Finding the perfect location for your project and why it matters. Does it really add something, and is it worth the hassle? I am starting off with a question because when I look at the work of some of my fellow photographers specialized in dance, circus or even sports, I often realize that the place they chose to shoot in, doesn't really matter. If you are familiar with my work, you have probably noticed that the surroundings, the environment, the background are sometimes almost as important as my model, and that's what makes my pictures and to some of you, my style… And please take note, I didn’t invent anything, this has been done before. Maria & Santiago Giachello Fondation Bemberg (Toulouse - France) Florencia Chinellato Musée des Augustins (Toulouse - France) Claire Teisseyre Darwin (Bordeaux - France) Anna Romanova Palais de la Bourse (Bordeaux - France) My images when I started were thought and made to be printed big or seen on a big screen. The opening; My first exhibition / Vlog #7 If you shoot at really wide apertures, if you love blurry backgrounds and shoot tight on your dancer, then the location may not really matter to you because no one will recognize it. This approach is more Instagram-friendly. For those of you who follow me on IG, I recently asked you whether you preferred the tightly cropped version of a photo or the wide one with all the architecture behind and I was not surprised to see a lot of you liked the cropped one. But you know what? That’s my thing, I love architecture, I love wide spaces and I am also often inspired by the location first, the location is the element that will make my ideas come to life. I can focus on specific elements, like a statue, I can play with lines suggested by anything around me. The succession of pillars or columns, tight corridors, or a hallway can help me tell my stories. And for a long time, I was obsessed with stairs but I am trying to stay away from them now. Lyria Van Moer Meinau (Strasbourg - France) Laura Viaud Place Amédée Larrieu (Bordeaux - France) Pauline Perraut Estanque Grande del Retiro (Madrid - Spain) Fanny George Presqu'île Malraux (Strasbourg - France) Vanesa Montoya Port du Vieux Montréal (Montréal - Canada) How to improve your compositions to make better photos 5 reasons why you should use a short Telephoto lens Everything I now put in the frame has its importance. Sometimes I just like to show famous landmarks and places in a different way. I will share a photo of a familiar location you might have already visited or know but you will see it through my eyes. Once you go past the technical aspect of the making of your pictures you have to focus on what you wish to create. How can it help your story, how can it carry your message? Does it enhance what you want people to feel when looking at your image, will it enhance the pose, the movement of your dancer, the look of your athlete? You can also work the other way. If you have a specific project in mind and you have already listed all the elements you need to create your image you only have to find the location that will tick all the boxes. Here are a few other examples taken from my work: A common pattern in my work is Symmetry. Samantha Vottari Royal Palace of Madrid (Madrid - Spain) Use any building that has a backdrop! Something, I’ve done a bit too much in the past... Silvia Bonavigo Piazza del Duomo (Milan - Italy) Anjara Ballesteros Basilique Saint-Michel-Archange (Menton - France) Follow and study the light, where does it come from, play with it! Marie Lou Lagrange Eglise St Pierre des Chartreux (Toulouse - France) Imitating shapes and forms of objects around you might help too: Fanny George Presqu'île Malraux (Strasbourg - France) You can also use lines in wide spaces and light to guide the viewer's eyes! Charlotte Lemay Cité de l'espace (Toulouse - France) Wherever I travel, wherever I am, I take notes, with my phone, I take pictures of streets, places, and monuments. Before I visit a new city, I do a quick search on google at all the famous places in town and make a list of the ones I might be interested in and visit them depending on the time I have. I now have my personal database with the places I’ve worked in and the ones I wish to work in in the near future. I really suggest you do the same. I am not looking for something specific all the time, sometimes I am just trying to find something different and inspiring. Whether it’s the architecture, space, colors, textures the way the light behaves inside, potentially any place can be interesting. When I work outdoors, I have to think about the best time of the day to shoot there, when there are fewer people around. But the main difficulty when shooting outdoors. Is to know in advance before your session if there will be any activities there ( a festival, a special event, or if it might be under construction). Once you have your list, all you have to do is find the perfect place for the project you are currently working on. Be sure to have several options, and if you don’t, extend your search for this specific project. Now that you know what, how, and why, you have to confirm the where. You are going to send tons of emails and then make hundreds of phone calls. Try the tourist office or the appropriate service at the city hall to know if you need some kind of permit to shoot where you want. It's as simple as that… If it’s private property, the process is the same, just get the name and number of the person in charge, you should be able to find all this information online. I never shoot without a permit and insurance now, and this is one of the major changes that happened since my last video on the subject. Being kicked out of a place is not worth it, I don’t have the time for that anymore, plus some of the places I am showing you as examples are not accessible without a permit. Now it all comes down to your project, what you will actually shoot, with who, how the images will be used afterward and what they can do for the location that will welcome you. Because yes, it ain’t free… Nothing is… So a lot of these places will ask you to pay and let me warn you, it ain’t cheap. It could start at around 50 euros per hour and up to 2k euros per hour, there are no rules. The only way to get places for free is to create killer images (your portfolio will have to be top-notch so only show your best work) and explain exactly what you wish to do and how big your production is, and if they like what they see, they will ask you if there is any way for them to use your work online. Of course, if you are Instagram famous it helps… For the use of your images, it’s up to you to propose something… Personally, I would only allow a simple share on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, with the mention of all the people involved in the project for each post. If they want to use it somewhere else, on their website, or even print it… They will have to pay! If they ask for the full rights of all the pictures that you made inside, you know the answer, it's a big "NO". Don’t send raws, only send your selection to them (in web-friendly compressed format), and of course, have all this written down in a contract that both of you have signed with all the people involved before the session. Don’t be discouraged, you will often be rejected, or have a simple “No” as an answer if you ever get one. That’s why you have to create a long list of locations to have multiple choices for your projects, to increase your chances of getting a "Yes". This takes time, I know, but I believe it can be worth it. And that’s only one part of the truth… Of course, this can’t only be the only way to work in such places… The other one is simpler to explain because I have almost nothing to do. You guys may not know it, but I am a full-time photographer, it’s my full-time job, so now, on some of my client work, I don’t have to do anything to find a location because they have found the perfect place already for a project they hired me for. When the location is really inspiring, and if unfortunately I am not allowed to film a Behind The Scenes video or even sometimes share the images (it happens!) Then I try to negotiate a few hours for me for a personal shoot. Depending on the relationship you have with your client and the importance of the shoot. If you feel it's not appropriate, do not do it. Back on youtube! 14 artists, 9 iconic locations in Toulouse Behind the scenes Uva & Cesar Abattoirs (Toulouse - France) Eloïze Rignon Musée des Augustins (Toulouse - France) Charlotte Lemay Cité de l'espace (Toulouse - France) Casey Wood Capitole (Toulouse - France) Of course, if you have the money you can pay to shoot there, I said this earlier it ain’t cheap most of the time. I don't think I will ever pay for a location unless it's for a project that could potentially boost my career. I am better off waiting for a client to pay for it or someone might fall in love with my work along the way (it has happened in the past). Don’t underestimate networking, and I am not talking about stalking people online to like your page. It still happens in the real world, you’ve got to get out there and show your work and be around these people that might help you or hire you for bigger projects. I know this will be hard to apply in the weeks to come, I am currently forced not to work due to this stupid virus. It has been almost 2 weeks now and our government in France told us it might last 2 more weeks starting next Tuesday. Looking at the situation worldwide, you can easily guess this will probably last at least another month. So to all of you who are working your asses off in hospitals to save those who are infected, to all of you that make sure that this situation doesn’t get worst… Thank you. To all of you who unfortunately are isolated and alone, hang on, we will get through this. If you happen to have the opportunity to help someone in need, please do so, without putting your life and the life of others at risk of course. To all my fellow creators and independent artists… This is going to be really hard for us, not knowing when this will end makes it difficult for us to anticipate and find solutions to compensate for the loss of income. If you guys have any tips, solutions, anything that can help, please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below. Stay safe, and until my next post, please, take care!

Behind the scenes feat. Anaïs Maï-Lan Lancry For those who remember, a few months back I met Anaïs, a CrossFit athlete who unfortunately injured herself a few days before our shoot. Resulting in a frustrating experience where we had to mostly make portraits and pictures of her standing still. We still managed to get a few nice pictures, but we had to reschedule and make the shoot we first wanted to make. So this happened before the pandemic outbreak, and it took me some time to do them for 2 reasons: Reason N°1, I did a short CrossFit video of her the next day: ...and reason N°2, If you follow me on IG you probably already know, I have those recurring back pains and it happened again. For almost 3 weeks I wasn’t able to do much, let alone standing for a couple of minutes and walking and I was sick for a couple of days too which obviously didn't help… I am now feeling better, let’s move on So what did we actually do during this second session? I popped out my Broncolor Mask to make an easy shot. That’s what I usually do to get things started, I snap a few easy ones to get in the vibe. For those of you who don’t know what the Broncolor mask is, again linked in the description below, It’s just a piece of fabric that blocks part of my modifier and lets light escape around the borders only which gives me that effect. BRONCOLOR EDGE MASK Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) + Broncolor Mask 1/125sec f5.6 ISO100 at 110mm I opted for a dark high contrasted look deliberately underexposing my background on most of my shots. It was my first time using continuous autofocus with the GFX100… Just the idea gives me shivers. this camera is not made for action, but guess what, it did a pretty decent job on most of my shots, I only had a few of them out of focus! A little tip and this concerns the following images… I knew early on I needed her to go easy during this photoshoot because of the video shoot the next day… Plus she’s a coach/ trainer, working that weekend, and the last thing I wanted was to exhaust her out. So the quicker we get the shot the better, and one little trick you can use is to isolate and simplify the movement you want to capture. This increases your success rate and you won’t have to ask your athlete to go up there a hundred times. You are still capturing movement, giving you convincing results. Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f6.4 ISO125 at 50mm Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 23mm F4 R WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f6.4 ISO160 at 23mm I mainly played with 2 lights and sometimes I used a nearby wall as a bounce like on the following shots The white wall helped a lot here, preventing me from having the right side plunged into darkness. Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 23mm F4 R WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO50 at 23mm Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f3.5 ISO50 at 50mm Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4.5 ISO100 at 110mm Then we took things outside where we wasted a lot of smoke bombs and the reason for this is because I didn’t have an assistant to manipulate the grenade for me. So after 10 minutes of frustration, I just gave up and my 360 camera gave up on me too… leaving me with no footage, so here is a before-after to help you understand how this shot was made! Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/1250sec f4 ISO160 at 50mm ENOLA GAYE Smoke grenades So that’s it, all of these are really easy to set up… it’s up to you to choose according to your own taste, your overall background exposure first, whether you want to have it dark like me or have a more balanced image and then, of course, you bring in your lights and expose your model correctly. I shared another CrossFit photoshoot with you a while back, that I made on a rainy day without strobes. This can give you an idea of all the amazing things you can do, outdoors, indoors, with or without flash and these are only 2 examples. Outdoor Crossfit Photoshoot I hope I will be able to show you other examples in completely different situations in the near future, the lockdown should be over soon in France, Let's hope I will be able to make new images soon... We’ll see... I hope you are all doing well, that you are safe and in good health... Take good care and see you in the next one!

This will be the first article of many to come about the cities I've visited and loved the past 8 years. I will also go back and talk about some of my favorite places I worked in so far. I usually do not use the same locations twice so I will mostly write about the ones where I had (or was able) to go back, and the ones I would love to have a 2nd chance to make new images with the experience I now have. I couldn't pick a particular place for this first one, but you already know where we are heading here if you have read the title. I love this city, the streets, the monuments and landmarks, the food, and of course the wine... My partner and I almost moved there in 2017 but we ultimately decided to go further south. I have worked there a couple of times now with various artists and performers and I still feel that I have so much to discover! The opportunities to create there are endless, some places are easy to access and others need a little work. I just wish I had bigger projects in the works there, because I know that a few places would be great for large-scale projects. Looking back on these images was also an opportunity for me to see how my style has evolved. It wasn't easy for me to choose 15 images from the many I made there, but here is my selection of pictures created with amazing talented dancers in the streets of Bordeaux. Yvonne Smink, Jardin Public (Bordeaux September 2015) Allebra Bird - Palais Gallien (Bordeaux September 2015) Eponine Bougot - Centre Ville (Bordeaux September 2015) There were some areas inside Darwin that were abandoned... Back in the day, I thought it would be interesting to use that kind of contrast for a ballet photoshoot. Sara Renda, Darwin (Bordeaux - April 2016) More images from this session can be seen here: Bordeaux (Part 2), The ballet sessions Claire Teisseyre, Darwin (Bordeaux - April 2016) More images from this session can be seen here: Bordeaux (Part 2), The ballet sessions Claire Teisseyre, Pont de Pierre (Bordeaux - October 2016) More images from this session can be seen here: Back in Bordeaux – BTS photoshoot (part2) / Vlog 16 Claire Teisseyre, La flêche St Michel (Bordeaux - October 2016) More images from this session can be seen here: Back in Bordeaux – BTS photoshoot (part2) / Vlog 16 Anna Gueho, Fontaine des 3 graces (Bordeaux - August 2018) Anna Gueho, Fontaine aux Girondins (Bordeaux - August 2018) Anna Gueho, Miroir d'eau (Bordeaux - August 2018) I had to include this one, from a special session made inside the "Cité du vin" and featuring the incredible Vanessa Feuillatte (Bordeaux - August 2018) More images from this session can be seen here: Inspiring places, la cité du vin (Bordeaux) Marina Kudryashova, Cathédrale St André (Bordeaux - September 2018) Marina Kudryashova, Palais de Justice (Bordeaux - September 2018) Laura Viaud, (Bordeaux - August 2018) Léa Roussel, Fontaine des Girondins (Bordeaux - August 2018) (update) And it was inevitable, I had to do a part II because I couldn't fit all the indoor photoshoots I've done there here. It was again, hard to choose, but here are some of my favorite images made indoors in this beautiful city: Spotlight: The city of Bordeaux part II !

If you missed part I and my selection of some of my favorite outdoor shots then go check it out right now. I've said it previously, Bordeaux is a wonderful city to work in so don't be surprised if you see me working there often. You may have noticed in the previous article that I've chosen pictures that were created between 2015 and 2018 only. This was not totally deliberate. Let me explain, I don't think any images from me made before 2015 in Bordeaux are worth sharing anymore. I am harsh with myself but sorry I usually consider my work obsolete and not worth hanging on a wall after 6 months. So imagine how hard it was for me to scrub through my past work and share these oldies. But why didn't I share anything past 2018? The answer is simple, I mainly worked indoors after that and thought I would make a selection with only these beautiful locations. So here they are, all captured indoors between 2016 and the end of 2019, I really hope that in the near future I will be able to go back to Bordeaux for new projects. Now that the COVID-19 is slowly backing down (fingers crossed), you might see new stuff from me popping up in your feed really soon. Sara Renda, DARWIN (Bordeaux - April 2016 ) Claire Teisseyre, DARWIN (Bordeaux - April 2016) Coralie Père, Base Sous-Marine (Bordeaux - August 2018) Coralie Père, Base Sous-Marine (Bordeaux - August 2018) Allegra Bird, La cité du vin (Bordeaux - August 2018) More images from this session can be found here: Inspiring places, la cité du vin (Bordeaux) Cyd Sailor, Base Sous-Marine (Bordeaux - August 2018) Hélène Bernadou, Château Pape Clément (Pessac - November 2018) More images from this session can be found here: A dance photo shoot at the Château Pape Clément! Allegra Bird, Château Pape Clément (Pessac - November 2018) More images from this session can be found here: A dance photo shoot at the Château Pape Clément! Marina Kudryashova, Marché de Lerme (Bordeaux - November 2018) More images from this session can be found here: Dance photoshoot behind the scenes – Marché de Lerme (Bordeaux) Hélène Bernadou, Château Pape Clément (May - 2019) More images from this session can be found here: Fuji GFX50s my thoughts as a Dance/ Circus photographer Cyd Sailor, Théatre de la Pergola ( Bordeaux - May 2019) Laura Viaud, Académie des sciences et des belles lettres (Bordeaux - May 2019) Laura Viaud, Académie des sciences et des belles lettres (Bordeaux - May 2019) Anna Gueho, Marini Vianna, Hélène Bernadou, Léo Lecarpentier & Pierre Devaux, Espace St Rémi (Bordeaux - October 2019) More images from this session can be found here: How I photograph a group of dancers Anna Gueho, Marini Vianna, Hélène Bernadou, Léo Lecarpentier & Pierre Devaux, Espace St Rémi (Bordeaux - October 2019) More images from this session can be found here: How I photograph a group of dancers Looking at these gets me excited for what's to come because I know I still have a long way to go before reaching the level of production I am aiming for. Add on top of that the many projects I wasn't able to materialize (and not just because of the Pandemic of this year), all these ideas that are patiently waiting on top of my desk and inside my head. But enough talking, I will tell myself every day from now on this famous tagline from a famous sports brand... "Just do it!"

I knew nothing about Toulouse the first time I went there. The people, the food, the landmarks nothing came to my mind immediately when I heard or read the name of this city except the fact that the people call it "la ville rose" and I also knew the music of a famous french singer/ songwriter named Claude Nougaro. After my very first visit, I knew that not giving this city a 2nd look was a huge mistake. Why didn't I stop here before? Why have I never visited this beautiful city? Better late than never in 2016, during my RV French tour we finally spent a few days in town and knew we had to go back. Since then, I developed a couple of projects: Opération Prêt à poster; La Poste Back on youtube! 14 artists, 9 iconic locations in Toulouse Behind the scenes If you ever visit the southwest of France, this city has to be on your list. I already feel that some of these images feel dated, so I hope to develop another series with a totally different approach. In the meantime, here is a selection of some of my favorite images made in Toulouse! Scilla Cattafesta - Pont Saint Pierre ( Toulouse - September 2016) More epic images from this series can be seen here: Toulouse; BTS photoshoots Vlog 14 Julie Loria, Basilique St Sernin (Toulouse - Septembre 2016) More epic images from this series can be seen here: Toulouse; BTS photoshoots Vlog 14 Julie Loria, Basilique St Sernin (Toulouse - Septembre 2016) More epic images from this series can be seen here: Toulouse; BTS photoshoots Vlog 14 Jatta Borg - somewhere in Toulouse (September 2016) More epic images from this series can be seen here: Toulouse; BTS photoshoots Vlog 14 Charlotte Le May - Cité de l'espace (Toulouse - March 2017) More epic images from this series can be seen here: InMotion Toulouse 2017 part III – Circus photography Jatta Borg - Jardin Japonais (Toulouse - November 2017) More epic images from this series can be seen here: InMotion Toulouse 2017 part III – Circus photography Karita Tikka, La cartoucherie (Toulouse - November 2017) Charlotte le May, Chapelle des carmélites (Toulouse - November 2017) Manon Lys, Virginie Baïet Dartigalongue, Dafne Lugui Barbosa, Martin Arroyos and Nicolas Rombaut, sale des illustrates au Capitole ( Toulouse - June 2018) More group photos here: How I photograph a group of dancers Evie Ball, La cartoucherie (Toulouse - September 2018) Julie Charlet, Château de la Reynerie (Toulouse - September 2018) How I make these epic dance photos: Create EPIC dance photos with flying fabrics (part II) Olivia Lindon, Grand hôtel de l'opéra (Toulouse - January 2019) More on this series: How I shoot dancers at any given location Isabelle Ménard, Hôtel d'Assézat (Toulouse, January 2019) More on this series: How I shoot dancers at any given location Florencia Chinellato, Musée des Augustins (Toulouse January 2019) Wish to see more from this series, just click here: A creative dance photoshoot inside the Musée des Augustins Marie Lou Lagrange - Eglise St Pierre des Chartreux (Toulouse - March 2019) Alexandra Vadon, Musée Goerge Labit (Toulouse - August 2019) More images from this series: The reason why I often use one light! Olivia Lindon, Chapelle de la Grave (Toulouse - October 2019) Have a look at the other images from this series: Breaking down 5 images of a Ballerina photoshoot! I cannot wait to create new images in this city! Have you ever been to Toulouse? What is your favorite location? Check out the article I've written on the city of Bordeaux: Spotlight: The city of Bordeaux & Spotlight: The city of Bordeaux part II !

I had the opportunity to work in Geneva a few times and like many other cities I've been in, I have a few places I love to go back to. I usually do not work in the same location twice but some of them are so unique so huge that it is difficult to explore them fully during a single session. The Ariana Museum is definitely one of them, and I would love to have a 2nd chance to make new images there with the experience I now have. So let me take you with me to Geneva, inside the Ariana Museum. Like many other places, I felt frustrated after these photoshoots. I wish I had more time and I wish we had access to the entire museum, I wish I had my team with me for more ambitious creation. I encourage people to work in tough conditions in the beginning because this is when you make mistakes and learn. But knowing that I may only be able to make images there once, made me regret not being able to work with a dedicated team. This experience left a bitter taste in my mouth because I know I could have done more and better. Nonetheless, knowing the time we had, and the circumstances, I am quite happy with some of the shots we made outdoors and indoors that day. But now that I know the place, I would love to have a 2nd chance to create something much more creative and personal. With no particular order here are my favorite images: Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO320 at 32mm Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/160sec f5 ISO320 at 53mm Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO250 at 52mm Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO250 at 53mm Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor SirosL (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO250 at 57mm Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO320 at 32mm Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO250 at 23mm Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/500sec f4 ISO125 at 44mm I will be back in Geneva this year, will I be able to create in this amazing location once again? Stay tuned and find out. Huge thanks to the Musée Ariana for welcoming us that morning. Thank you Christine Pannatier, Mylène Stoya, and the wonderful Nina Burri for trusting me with your images.

Not simple to create images in Geneva... even outdoors! With the city of London and Paris, it is one of the cities where getting authorizations could become a long and tough journey, which doesn't always end well. Of course, you can do it the savage way as everybody does and do your images until you get kicked out or receive a fine... but on serious projects, you just can't do that. Although chances of being caught are slim when you work with a tight crew, on bigger projects it is hard to get unnoticed. So to get all worries out of the way, I prefer the legal way even if sometimes I end up not having access to some locations. Nevertheless, I still want to thank all the people working for the city of Geneva, that have helped me to this day, because without them so of the following images wouldn't exist. I have been in the city a couple of times now, and it has always been fun. Before my next trip there I wanted to share with you a selection of the work I've done there so far : Marie-Caroline - Place des nations (Geneva - Switzerland) Place des nations (Geneva - Switzerland) Marie-Caroline - Roseraie du parc La Grange Geneva - Switzerland) Marie-Caroline - Parc La Grange (Geneva - Switzerland) Marie-Caroline - Parc La Grange (Geneva - Switzerland) Christine Pannatier - Brunswick Monument (Geneva - Switzerland) Pauline - Rauqier - Brunswick Monument (Geneva - Switzerland) Mohana Rapin - Jardin Botanique (Geneva - Switzerland) Mohana Rapin - Jardin Botanique (Geneva - Switzerland) Céline Jacques - Jardin Botanique (Geneva - Switzerland) I previously shared a selection of my favorite pictures taken in another iconic place in Geneva, the Ariana Museum! If you enjoyed this series, you might as well take a look at them, because I am sure you will love them too : Spotlight: Ariana Museum Huge thanks to all these artists that trusted me for the images, people of Geneva... see you soon!

Behind the scenes photoshoot Feat. Allegra Bird Finding the perfect location for your photoshoot can be a hassle, especially for private sessions. And when your client is an artist, a dancer, or any kind of performer, it can be a little trick. You can always just bring your portable backdrop and set up a studio anywhere, or you can do what I’ve done for years... just go outside and do your session outdoors! But in recent years, I had people asking for more intimate spaces, a bit like the boudoir session I did with a Gymnast in an hôtel room. but then I thought what is more intimate, private, personal than someone’s bedroom? Their own living room, their apartment, or house? I guess that I never really considered that option because I thought that people were looking for something special all the time, something different & original. But there are a few advantages of shooting at home. It can help your model feel at ease because it is a space they already know. And if they didn’t go to Ikea to furnish their homes they might have an interesting location to shoot in after all (I have nothing against Ikea! ). Which leads to this session with my good friend Allegra. Every time she books a session, I know it will be fun. When she sent me the pictures of her place, I was shocked. Why haven’t we considered shooting there before? Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f/7.1 ISO250 Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f7.1 ISO320 Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO250 Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f/4 ISO250 at 50mm I don’t know what I currently have with bathrooms, but I discovered I made a lot of pictures in them recently… Nothing beats the comfort of our own home. We took our time, discussed the shoot beforehand, and tried to use different spaces for different moods. The idea was to use as much as possible the space that was around us. Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR 1/160sec f/3.5 ISO50 Look out for windows, and figure out where does the light comes from and how it behaves inside at different times of the day... Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR 1/160sec f/3.5 ISO1000 Using a flash or not is up to you, having one will always give you more options. This is what keeps creativity flowing in me, even though there is nothing revolutionary in what I do, the location I am in will stimulate me somehow, even the dullest place compared to a studio setting will be a better option for me. I am not dissing people that are studio photographers primarily, it’s just me, it’s my thing and diversity in the world is why I love photography. Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f/8 ISO50 Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f/5 ISO50 Fujifilm GFX100 + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f/5 ISO100 Huge thanks to Allegra Bird for trusting me once again for her pictures. Shoutouts to L'atelier d'Habdine for her hair that day. And last but not least, huge thanks to Marlène my beloved assistant.