This photograph of these three colorful ladies, who seem to dance a tango, was shot at the Belgian seashore and represents, in my eyes, youth.
The “jeunesse” one wishes to catch, hug and relive just once because of its beauty, innocence, and joie de vivre.
The memories one likes to remember, share, and never forget to try building a happy future full of wind flags, showing the way to exciting new adventures and an endless sea offering new horizons, opportunities, and chances.
Illusion Optique was shot on a beautiful day in a stunning city in Belgium. Observe the photo. What is it you feel and see? What is it you want to do? Jump into the infinite sea? Reach the breakwater and daydream about a better past, present, and future? So many questions arise when examining this photograph, and you have the power to answer them, no strings attached.
I love shooting half narratives as they offer an opportunity to unlock a door to the imagination. This way of thinking leads to a deeper insight into the photograph. When reaching this stage, a smile appears on my face, as I may have awoken the viewers’ curiosity.
This shot has a hidden side. Can you guess what? Please take a closer look at it. Do you see the framework? What do you think it represents? Asking yourself questions is what I want you to do when observing my photography: open a door, enter into my universe, and discover the story behind the picture.
I want you to be creative and use your imagination, as I am sure these two elements make this world more exciting. You will see once you open yourself to it, you will never want to go back!
What is the story behind a passage? That is a question that has always occupied my mind.
I must admit that when I bumped into this sight, a thought occurred to me that has since not left me – what if this mysterious path, locked by the sea, is one of the many keys to a magical existence?
I love that this might be a satisfying suggestion in my universe: I am blessed to have found the way to an imaginary, exciting, and fantasy sphere as it enables me to close my eyes – even for just a few moments – to the potential harshness of reality.
“A Passage to Infinity” summarizes my escape from the latter as it includes two favorite vessels to my fantastic world: imagination and photography.
This alley immediately sets the tone for the space one is about to enter. By observing its lines, shapes, and materials, one understands that surrealism might be its mainstream and that originality, contrast, and simplicity will lead the dance in every corner of the photograph.
The sea is significant in my life, as whenever I wander around, my eye gets caught by a magical detail. Indeed, the passage leads to a story, a treasure, and a stunning view.
The result is this picture, which, I believe, sums up the Belgian seashore: a landscape that will never stop surprising its visitors and whose beauty is always unexpected because of its incredible and breathtaking aesthetics.
Staircases are fascinating elements: depending on the angle you look at them, they tell a different story that will awaken your imagination.
When discovering this staircase in a stunning building in Antwerp, Belgium, I soon realized that its staircase would offer a great creative opportunity for my photography. I may safely say I was right, as I was able to transform its spirality into a dream party. A party in which I could see the various lines and forms interfere and lead to unknown beauty and horizons.
But there is more. Is this a drawing? A photograph? Do you notice the pencil lines trace the curves of the staircase and its surroundings? I love playing with this thin border in my photography. La Fête au Village is one of these pictures where what one sees is not what it seems. In my imaginary world, the element in the picture is not just a staircase. It is much more than that, and this is what I want my viewers to understand by using a caption to open the door to their imagination.
How about adding motion and liveliness to these details that would otherwise live such a lonely existence? How about imagining the scene as that specific moment when components grasp that they might represent something different than bars, steps, and marble? Or the complete opposite? Are you ready to enter that perception? What is it that you see?
As a photographer, I am particularly intrigued by the tornado of details in an architectural composition: the final image usually turns into a magical space where color, angles, and the wood or marble on the floor seem to be dancing a perfectly improvised waltz.
My staircase photos usually variate because I try to find an intriguing viewpoint and tell a different story through my camera, as the design has various aspects, identities, and heritages.
Indeed, although they differ by just a few years, Art Nouveau stairways, for example, have other forms and shapes than Art Deco steps. Their history and air du temps are different; the emphasis is elsewhere, as they experienced other happenings and events. The home decor of the two streams will be mesmerizing yet unique: the first will be curly, whereas the second will be composed of straight lines and curves.
I perceive the staircase designer as an artist, as no matter how one looks at the creation, the streamlining of the composition always leads to a dream, even when looking from different angles. The sudden change of shape the architect incorporates to achieve a perfect balance between the forms in his design is usually enchanted and photogenic.
I love shooting staircases as they have so much to tell; they connect parts of a place, link stories, and jump from one galaxy to another. Stairs are the thin line residing amidst two worlds. In short, they remind me of our existence: unpredictable and surprising.
“Barbed Liberty” was shot on a beautiful day in a beautiful city in Belgium. I nevertheless decided to turn the photograph into black and white.
Have a close look at the picture. What is it you feel? What is it you see? What is it you want to do? Break free? Cut the barbed wire and jump into the beautiful and infinite sea? Reach the breakwater and daydream about a better past, present, and future?
So many questions arise when looking at this photograph, and you have the liberty to answer them, no strings attached.
When my eyes bumped into this view, I immediately associated it with Sleeping Beauty’s bed. The reason? No idea.
I guess it is because I like hammocks as they offer a feeling of liberty and protection: I wish Sleeping Beauty could have rested in one of these, as they could have protected her from the jealousy of her surroundings.
I love paying attention to the associations I make when looking at images, views, and moments as it awakens my curiosity about elements that would otherwise live an unnoticed existence. Moreover, it turns my mind towards my subconscious (and maybe controversial) wishes: liberty and protection.
I love when photographs, such as “Skinny-Dipping”, suddenly seem to come to life and tell their story to whoever is looking closely at them. I find it magical.
When I discovered these trees in a hidden and discreet corner in Belgium, I could not keep my eyes away from their awakening, as they offered different and various explanations.
On one side, it felt as if I stepped into a magic forest filled with beautiful red leaves and naked fall trees dancing one last Waltz before their colors would fade to make a place to the whiteness of the snow and the greyness of a beautiful cloudy sky.
On the other, people planted and placed in such a manner as to offer the illusion that they were jumping around because of the coldness of the water touching their sensitive roots.
In either case, it was clear that this image was trying to tell me something. It appeared to want to share a personal story… or was it sharing mine? Looking at “Skinny-Dipping” opened my eyes and a door to my imagination. And is not this the importance of creativity?
Believe it or not, but Tourbillon in a Box was shot in the middle of a busy city. It was an unexpected and mesmerizing discovery, which made me unbelievably happy, as I love discovering new and exciting spots in the most surprising places.
When doing so, a big smile appears on my face, and I turn into a detective, searching for additional beauty on the “crime” scene. I have noticed that when my eyes are attracted to a specific element or detail, it is because it is trying to tell me something.
The buildings that guarded the landscape on the picture seemed to call my name and guide me to true architectural treasures; as if I was carried away by a tourbillon. Or was it just my imagination?
“A Walk in a Czulent Park” – Antwerp is an exciting city providing many moments of beauty. I like discovering and shooting spots whose location I am the only one to know. It enables me, from time to time, to slip away from my daily life, disconnect, and reconnect with the unknown.
The park in this photo is one of these breathtaking places I cherish so much, as they tend to surround me with their noisy silence but, above all, their understanding. They seem to like me as much as I love them, offering an undeniable sense of secure liberty.
That day turned into an exceptional photography séance – I bumped into this cute family of wandering birds, reminding me of the strolls I would make with my friends and family in Antwerp’s Czulent Park. I loved observing this instant of love, care, and serenity between the parents and their youngsters.
This portrait is, in my eyes, timeless and pure bliss. I wish everyone would find this one spot that would allow them to experience the lovely moments I shared with my Antwerp Garden of Eden.
