Born December 30, 1962, in Paris, I had the joy of living my youth in the heart of old Paris. My walks, children, were in the Marais and the Ile Saint Louis, my favorite places. I think, in retrospect, that these many moments of wandering have shaped my view of the city, in all its forms.
At 14, I bought my first SLR, a Fujica. Since then, I never stopped to take pictures. I love the picture instinctive, spontaneous and simple. The cinema has shaped my look and the way I work is not foreign, I like primarily associate the images to a story.
I worked with my old Nikon film EF 301 until 2010 I went digital with the Nikon D3S. This radical change, especially because of the possibilities of sensitivity, I was open to new clichés. However, I stayed true to the way I work: I shoot only once, to lift and hand instinctively. If the shot is successful, that’s great. If it does not express what I saw was that I did not seize the moment. The beauty of uniqueness outpaced income.
My photographs speak before the city from all angles. Of architecture, the most unlikely settings, such scenes of theaters, highlighted by shadows and colors.
I have been fortunate to make my first exhibition in 2008 in Paris, Galerie Sevigne. Since then, my many meetings with a public magnet photography allowed me to continue my work during my travels.
Thierry DOURDET
