JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BÉCHET

WHY I LOVE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Street Photography is the only genre that was born right out of the medium. Portraits, landscapes, nudes or still life to name a few derive from painting while contemporary staged scenes borrow a lot from cinema. Street photography, however, came to life in 1838 when Louis Daguerre made what this is believed to be the earliest photograph showing a living person with Boulevard du Temple, Paris. It’s in its DNA.
Street photography is what made me want to be a photographer in the first place! It wasn’t about beautiful naked models in luxury cars, nor for risking my life on battlefields for average magazines. And regarding the myth of becoming a gallery artist, it was out of reach in the late 80s when I started photographing seriously. I fancied walking the streets, hanging out in tedious suburbs and in bland environments in search of “weak” moments that would become “strong” snapshots through a mix of spontaneity and precision of framing reminiscent of Cartier-Bresson. I was enamoured to his style and vision: ” A photograph is for me the simultaneous recognition in a fraction of a second, on the one hand of the meaning of a fact, and, on the other, of a rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that express this fact”. Then I moved on, welcoming accidents and poetry in my work; letting go. In short, allowing life as it is in my images… progressing from Cartier-Bresson to Robert Frank.
I like “organic” Street Photography; without staging or retouching. I’m not against those use these methods, to each his own. But for me, the pleasure comes from this instant taken naturally from the flow of reality. I’m not saying that Street Photography represents the true reality, there is no such thing as truth in photography. In an image, you don’t see what’s real, but a point of view on reality; a fragment carefully chosen by an author (while pressing the shutter, but also when editing), and that’s what’s most impressive.
I am wary of images that are too colorful, too graphic or too beautiful. I know, I do fall into this aestheticization trap at times, but I do my best to resist! I prefer my photos to evoke stories, looking at them like they are the starting point for possible scenarios. Not to impose anything, but to suggest, that would be my credo. That’s where my penchant for images that are a bit complex, ambiguous or falsely unbalanced comes from. I’m fond of the photos where the subject does not immediately reveal itself. Just like in music where I am cautious when the melody is too sweet or too seductive. I prefer contemporary classical or jazz; more dissonant, more enigmatic, more disturbing. I try to approach street photography like a music composer, varying sequences, rhythms and musicality.
Finally, I like Street Photography because it tells the story of an era. It decodes the intimate and the everyday without accentuation, almost like stealing the moment. Photojournalism documents crises, wars, catastrophes… In a sense, it betrays the reality of an epoch where, most of the time for most people, life is made of small things and daily routines. By displaying this in a harmonious, aesthetic, honest, graphic or enigmatic way (Without irony! Please, no irony is allowed in Street Photography!), the Street Photographer is a historian. If he has a good eye, his photos will age well and will gain appeal, like a good wine gets better over the years. So long live Street Photography; for the past, for the present and for the future!

If you want to know more about Jean-Christophe, head to jcbechet.com.