A very humble, passionate and veteran street photographer from France. Meet Joel Dousset who is extremely courageous for travel photography, presenting us a beautiful portfolio with full of surprises from India and countries beyond boundaries. The pictures are wonderfully poised in terms of color and compositions, striking and making us want to travel to those farthest destinations.

In this interview with 121clicks.com, Joel shares us some beautiful concepts in photography, lots of tips and interesting quotes.

Could you please introduce yourself?

Well, I am a 61 year old retired social worker. Having spent my job helping the kids in school environment.

When did you start shooting and how did this love for photography happen?

I started during my teen age period, I guess it was a way to express something I felt inside, something which could not be expressed in words.

What made you visit India at first place, How did your love for India happen?

I have always been fascinated by India, for me it was more like a phantasm. When I finally reached a period in my life where I was in situation to travel, I decided to visit some easier destinations. But later, I think the release happened when I saw the Claude Renault  photographs. I really had to visit this country!

What does it feel like to be a Travel photographer, how does it take a beat on your personal Life?

So many different meanings of this word, traveling…in my own case it means try to open your mind, stepping out from the usual way of thinking. To let the things happen, give chance a chance(!). I have no project, just let the country’s mood impregnate me! (through my ears, eyes, nose, skin, mouth….).

Indeed, when I come back home, I cannot be the same, my perspective on my country cannot remain the same, and things which seemed very important for me are just details now, on the contrary, some do reveal their importance to me, which I might have failed to notice before.

For Joel, what does it take to make a good photograph?

For me, a good photograph tells a story, that’s all. The people who watch it can imagine what happened just before, what is going on in the frame and maybe what will happen after. Even if it’s not what really happened or what the photographer intended to say, making the watcher recreate the scene. I think inside every photograph there at least three components: photographer, character or subject and watcher.

What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?

Just one thing, if they feel something out of my work, I am glad! More glad, if they think it is necessary to communicate with me about that.

Your Gear?

Canon 5D with 24/105 and 17/40 sometimes 70/200 (rare) and actually using (not really my choice) a Nikon D800 .

Your favorite Photographers?

Many, but I can say Bruno Barbey, James Natchwey, Edouard Boubat, of course Raghu Rai, Claude Renault, a French freelance photographer who deserves more limelight.

Your favorite photography quote?

“La belle image est une géométrie modulée par le coeur.” (A beautiful image is modulated by the geometry of your heart) – Willy Ronis

Any tips for aspiring photographers?

I cannot say who would be a good or a bad photographer. I just can say what I do as a photographer. First, feel the situations, meaning taking time to feel, even if I stay in the same place a long time. Sometimes I visit them again and again. For me, it’s important to be transparent, sometimes I need to have the contact, we know each time it is different. Then I walk a lot. I try to choose the angle, the framing according to each situation, but everybody does this I suppose. : )

Click on the image for better and enlarged view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can find Joel Dousset on the Web:

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Joel Dousset. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.