Hello
My name is Sylvain,
Born in the French Alps, I’ve always explored the wilderness around my home town. It was always such a routine that I never realized how important it was until I moved away for my studies. At that time, a need for adventure rapidly grew. I took a break from school and left for a year to New Zealand. I immersed myself in a new culture, learnt a simpler way of living and enjoyed breathtaking landscapes exploring the islands. This trip was a revelation, I had found a new goal: explore and experience the world. After 4 years living in Colorado, USA, I have made the French Alps my base camp once again !
Photography and hobbies
I started photography as a teenager, I bought my first decent camera at 16 and started off documenting my hikes and shooting landscapes and macro-photography in my family's backyard.
I only really took my photography to a new level at age 22 when I practiced on the wonderful New Zealand landscapes. I also met people there that truly inspired me, more than just a way of saving memories, I started seeing photography as a way of sharing my vision of the world.
In a digitized world, I believe that photographs also have their place on the art scene as physical objects. I print my work as much as possible and encourage other artists to do so. Producing a framed print for someone to display in their home or workspace increases the feeling of achievement compared to posting on social medias.
Moving forward, shooting film is slowly becoming a bigger part of my work. It triggers for me the same feelings as printing does. I enjoy every step of the process, from taking the image to developing the negatives at home and scanning them.
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As for my hobbies, I like everything outdoor: hiking, trekking, camping, climbing, moutain-biking, skiing, you name it! I always try to combine those activities with photography, my backpacking trips mainly being dedicated to making images in new and remote places.
My gear
I don't believe that photography gear is a limiting factor to creativity nowadays. Every camera on the market is good enough to create awe-inspiring content, even your smartphone!
For the longest time, I used a 10 year-old DSLR, the Canon 600D, and 2 basic lenses covering a wide focal range.
As my pratice of photography evolved, my needs becames more precise: I now moved to the Lumix Micro 4/3 system in order to save weight and bulk. I find that a simpler kit is more often in my bag and thus, give me more photo oppotunities.
I use a Lumix G9 with a collection of lenses as my main camera and a Lumix GM5 as a portable option to always take with me in my daily life.
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As for my film work, I started with a Minox 35GT, that belonged to my dad, a very small and portable 35mm camera. I then invested in the Bronica SQ medium format modular system. It is far from lightweight so it's not my main camera, but it produces incredible results and gives me access to a wide variety of film stocks. I don't get as much use as i would like out of it, film is expensive nowadays!