Canadian Photographer (Québec)

Bio

Photography is my passion. It has been introduced to me when I was a child, by my father.

I still remember when I got my very first camera as a birthday present. I must have been four or five years old, and although, I did not exactly know what I had in my hands, I knew that this little object was special. Even then, I realized that whoever had one, suddenly had the attention and interest of others.

Since, I never stopped taking pictures and do it almost every day. With many years of experience and learning, I am now able to express my point-of-view and creativity trough my images. For every pictures I take, I have a story or a memory, like how I felt that day, the weather, or an event that affected me. Another thing that I learned with time, is the magic of the lens. It is an invitation to pay attention to details, and how it relates to its surrounding. Something that I try to do even when not doing photography. Effectively, I would say that in most of my pictures, I try to reveal the small things that people see every day, but never pay attention to.

Most of my pictures are about spaces and people. I like to include architecture in my pictures because it reveals a lot about the human nature. Those who are responsible for making the spaces where we live and work, and those who interact within those same spaces. That is also why I don’t take pictures in a studio. In a studio, I don’t like the artificial appearance of the subjects and find it misses that little something. That little something is the environment, an aspect as important as the subject itself. That’s my artistic point-of-view and the trademark of my pictures.

Another very important thing is to know when to take the picture. It has to be spontaneous, but it also needs to perfectly catch the moment. I think it is probably the most challenging part of taking a good picture. The right time of the day and sometime placement or behavior of a subject.

As a photographer, I analyze the subject and the environment at the same time, and when I think I got a great composition, I quickly grab the shot. Most of the time, I will take pictures on the street when my subject is unaware of my presence and therefore you only get one occasion to take the perfect shot.

I have been very lucky to be able to travel. And one of my favorite place to take pictures is New York City. When considering its short history, what has been accomplished and the number of people living and working in that city, it is simply fascinating. I love that city because the environment is absolutely amazing. Every corner is an opportunity for a great picture. Subjects are everywhere, there is always action, and people are interesting because of the large mix of different ethnics and cultures. Most of my pictures taken in NYC are eclectic and powerful. What I like about travel photography is that when I discover a new city, I also discover a new kind of photography. For example, when I am in Ottawa, I mostly take pictures of monument and people in the street during the day. In New-York City, I mostly take pictures during the evening or night, it’s a different technique that most people call low light photography. Also, I don’t have to interact with people the same way I do in Ottawa. Rome was also a city I had the opportunity to see and photograph. Trying to capture in images a city that has been photographed as often as Rome, is an extraordinary challenge. But the structures and streets are so unique, that no one can resist trying to capture a moment or space yet to be revealed.

By now, I think you can tell that photography is a big part of my life. It provides me a way to connect with my environment and in some ways, understand it more profoundly. It has also enabled me to learn about myself. About what I like, how I see the world and how I can create and bring new perspectives in the world I share with others. For those like me where photography is a hobby and not a profession, Flickr changed everything. An image that not so long ago could only be viewed by a handful, can now be viewed by thousands, every day, notwithstanding where you are on this planet.

David Bastien-Allard

Follow me on Vimeo: vimeo.com/user50733592