Impassioned by photography since always, it is while arriving in Aix en Provence at the end of the seventies that things started to be specified. I took part in a training course of black and white printing on paper baryta in Aix en Provence. The discovery of this support in such circumstances, the record-rapid, was without any doubt a revealing. It is from there that my passion of laboratory really began. I quickly became aware of the importance of the work of laboratory, of the possibilities of intervention on the images. Gradually, I started to print for some friends then more and more. The catch of sight passed in the second plan. In 1984, I went back to Paris and worked at Pictorial Service, at first rue Delambre then rue de Rennes. I was likely to meet and print for photographers such as Brassai, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Willis Ronis, Josef Koudelka, J-L Lartigue (collections of the Foundation of the friends of J-H.L) like for much other.
Before leaving Pictorial-Service, I took part in a training course of old techniques at Jean Pierre and Claudine Sudre in the Luberon at Lacoste in April 86. At more than 20 years afterwards, I still remember the reception which was reserved to us, the kindness, availability and the professionalism of Jean Pierre and Claudine. I was in a place inhabited by photography. I did not know yet at the beginning of this week of training course, what was going to change in my vision of the photography and my way. I became aware for the first time of words such as Kallitype (simili-platine), calotype, salt paper, albumin printing.
The day when Claudine showed us her portfolios of the Nadar workshops, I immediately understood it was in this direction that I wanted to go. As of my beginnings around 18 years, I were already very fascinated by the pictures of Gustave Le Gray, Eugène Atget, Nadar, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams and others. I really think that these photographers let me to practice the photography.
From 1987, I taught the photography and the techniques of the laboratory black and white in the section “Maîtrise Sciences and Technology” at the University of Provence. It is only in 1995 in Marseille I began my aventure with the historical and traditional techniques. I tested various processes as the bichromated gum, carbon print, Van Dick, the argyrotypie, kallitypie and the ziatypie. In the same time, I bought my first camera 8x10 Hobo. It was economic and so I could do my first steps in large size. As from this time, I acquired a more sophisticated camera Canham. Now on I take my time to catch of sight, to platinotype and palladiotype and I organize formations and training courses.
My photographs are present in several private collections in France, Belgium and Argentina.
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