Sure, when sky is flat, with a light gray and no directional light, any landscape might look flat and boring.

But a deep cloudy sky, even with no visible ray of light, can bring character to a scene, adding volume and depth to the landscape and creating a special atmosphere…

Ireland is one of these countries where you feel the elements as much as you see them…

Stay outside, and photography becomes a physical experience…

I usually keep the first ones private (except with the concerned people), and almost always share only some of the last ones, simply because it’s their purpose (more less!).

I’m sure most of the time photos in second category are not interesting enough to be shared, but maybe I’m biased, and some could be worth a post (still not 100% sure)…

Because I’m born and living in a South of France, I took me a long time (and 2 years in Boston) to realize how views of villages or landscapes in the area might trigger some interest for other photographers…

So, to share a bit of our day to day living in the French Riviera, here are some views of a nearby small village called Cabris…

Waking up before everyone, walking in the dark, waiting for the sun to rise slowly, hear no other sound than waves and birds …

Maybe my camera was just an excuse to stand in front of the ocean in the unique site of Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland … But it was really intense to feel so small when capturing these images.

But later on, when looking back to these “first” images, some may still have a soul, keeping trace of the photographer’s initial and fugitive discovery sensations…

Here are some “light” images of my first encounter with the Boston/Cambridge cities mid 2014.

While the whole concept is globally fine, I found more interesting to spent time in the pottery or the blacksmith shop, looking at timeless gestures…

But tolls are just as full of surprise, and certainly an unexpected place to meet people.

There was this man selling fresh coconut drinks, with his umbrella and his incredible bike, waiting patiently for clients despite the constant noise…

There was also this young guy with a dirty blue shirt. After showing the picture I took of him and his motorbike, he asked for another one with his friend.

I’m glad he did.

Whenever I can, I try to ask myself these simple questions: Why do I want to take that particular photo? What do I want to share? What is behind ?

Of course, even with answers, this is not a magic recipe for good images, but at least, when I’m happy with the result, I know it’s not just by accident…

But sometimes, it’s almost too much !

But for me who usually find difficult to photograph people in a “visible” manner, I found night more propice to relaxed small-talk that could lead to interesting portraits.

And this feeling is even stronger when abroad, when others see you first as a “tourist”.

For instance, when walking in Chennai or Bengalore streets…

As long as I could see, colored fishing boats were aligned on the sand, facing the Indian ocean. Some were looking like basic rafts, some were visibly more robust, all were in quite poor condition. Surprisingly, I could only spot one of their engine with this long transmission axis.

Despite the background noise from the city, I remember a quite and peaceful moment…but it was strange to think about my upcoming business workshop in a high end hotel.

Maybe sometimes, the contrast is not in the photo, but in the photographer’s mind.