As a child, Ben Thouard grew up in the south of France where he quickly fell in love with the ocean thanks to his father's sailing. He was coached by his brothers on how to surf and spent as much time in the ocean as possible. Ben discovered photography for himself when he was 15 years old by taking pictures of his friends surfing. Going on to graduate from a photography school in Paris, he was able to fulfill his dreams of shooting images in Hawaii. He began travelling the world with professionals shooting in surreal locations and searching for new waves. At 22, Ben moved to Tahiti and shot in his own backyard which is one of the most famous surf spots in the world. I chose this photographer because his work inspires me due to the fact that I would love nothing more but to become a world renown travel photographer. Especially, a field of expertise regarding the ocean and nature because the ocean is one of my favorite places to be as much as possible considering that I was born and lived in Puerto Rico and I go quite often to visit family. It is almost as if I am drawn to the ocean and I miss it more and more as time goes on that I'm not there. I have experienced my own surf photography to an extent and I found it to be successful and I enjoyed it more than almost any other style that I have shot.
Mr. Thouard's technical choices are impeccable and have to be perfect considering the conditions he is under which are constant lighting shifts when you're at sea. Especially when you're underwater it's a totally different game with power of the ocean pushing you around and light reflecting in the water and the razor sharp reef below. I admire the composition of his images. In the first image, he manipulates the long exposure so well and makes the viewer feel what the surfer is feeling. It makes one feel the speed and power at which the wave is using to push the surfer that is using ever muscle in his body to keep his balance. I am impressed with how Ben manages to keep the camera still enough in the long exposure while in water to make sure that the surfer is in sharp focus compared to the speedy water. In the second photo, he positions himself below the surfer and the wave to almost make the subject feel superior. The light shining on the surfer and through the water gives off a heavenly feel. This image is titled "Silver Surfer" and it's easy to see why upon inspection of the image. In the last photo, he positions the wave perfectly off-center to emphasize the immensity of the ocean while one lone wave blows in the wind by itself. This single wave under the gloomy sky gives off a sense of loneliness which only proves the point of the immensity of the ocean even more.
I believe the artist's conceptual/thematic intentions are comprehend-able once you look through all of his photos. His images all emphasize the sheer beauty of nature and specifically the ocean. This also comes with the things that we can do as people on this beautiful Earth, such as these locations, to make the most out of life. Once you fully immerse yourself in nature without a care in the world, one can feel as happy as possible. All we have to do is be able to let go, put down those devices, and begin taking in what was put on this planet.
Personally, I believe the choices the artist shows through his work are true of the world we live in. By that I mean, these are all obviously real images that we could even see through our real eyes if the opportunity is taken. He provides unique perspectives of locations that people have been to before, but finds a new way to show it and emphasize the beauty. His images make me feel what he felt in the moment taking the photos. That I believe, is the most important thing about photography. What it makes the audience feel for years and years to come through simply taking in the power of the image and what it represents.
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