Black and white Photography has been in the photography world for a long time. But being able to capture the minute details of everyday life in such an artistic and monochromatic tone is something that Alain has mastered. We embark on a captivating journey to uncover the essence of Laboile’s extraordinary work as a black and white portrait photographer.
Alain’s images have resonated with people across the globe, offering a unique perspective on life, family, and humanity. His photography dives deep into the core of moments, capturing the beauty of life’s simple pleasures.
Let’s join together to learn more about how Alain preserves these precious moments and visualizes them. Be Prepared to be inspired by the artistry of Alain Laboile, a photographer whose work continues to touch hearts and build imaginations worldwide.
Q1. What made you take up photography as a career and who was your inspiration?
Ans: I’m a sculptor by trade. In 2004, I needed to photograph my sculptures to build an artistic portfolio. At that time I was fascinated by entomology after reading the work of Jean-Henri Fabre, and I was sculpting mainly metal insects.
I bought a small compact digital camera and discovered macro mode. It was the first time that I practiced photography and I immersed myself in this new form of artistic expression. I won several international competitions and became a photographer. That was a bit by accident.
Q2. How did you first become interested in photography, and what inspired you to focus on capturing moments of your family life?
In 2007 and 2008 my last two daughters were born (I have 6 children) and my house has become a bit like an anthill with this little world full of life at my side. And quite naturally, my goal left the entomological microcosm to rise towards my big family, another form of micro-society.
This change of subject was not preplanned, it occurred spontaneously, simply inspired by the human bubbling around me.
Q3. Your photos often convey a strong sense of nostalgia and timelessness. What do you hope viewers take away from your images?
My images were at first a private treasure, I myself only possess one picture of my own childhood. Therefore, I simply wish to record the passing of time with my family.
When I started sharing my images on social media, the feedback was immediate and reached me from the 4 corners of the world. All generations manifested themselves. Elderly people who were nostalgically seeing parts of their childhood through my images.
Parents who regretted offering a grey or restrictive existence to their child, and young prospective parents who wished to offer their child an existence similar to that of my family. Also, strangers who asked me to adopt them… an anthology of enthusiastic testimonies, sometimes fantasized, praising the freedom and carelessness transmitted by my images.
Q4. In your images, you have a special talent for capturing the beauty and purity of youth. How do you shoot your kids in a way that feels so real?
I never considered my children as models and I never wanted them to take on a photographic responsibility. By staying at a distance, by being neither intrusive nor dirigiste I made them forget my presence and that of the camera.
I became part of their close environment and they were able to keep their spontaneity. Allowing myself to set them small traps: a swing above the soil, a rope hanging from a tree, a cabin…I knew that their curiosity would push them towards these places chosen for their photogenicity or the quality of the light.
At home, I know all the nooks and crannies, I know that in the evening, at such and such a time, the light hits the facade of this place. I don’t build my images, I capture them in the flow of everyday life.
When I photograph, I never interfere, I am an observer and I give back what I see.
It’s like I’m immersed in a tribe where I belong.
Q5. When you were just starting out as a photographer, what was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
I was very surprised by the international craze for my photography.
It’s definitely the sharing on social media that spreads my work globally. It contributed to its success and put it in touch with influential people in the photographic world (gallery owners, publishers, collectors, and festival organizers…).
Photography has taken a prominent place in my life and that of my family.
I have always made sure that I do not depend on anyone to preserve my freedom of action and integrity. However, I had the chance to cross paths with influential people who believed in me and opened doors that were apparently inaccessible to me.
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Q6. Many of your images are in black and white. What led you to this artistic choice, and how does it contribute to the mood and message of your work?
The bulk of my photographic work is shot in black and white.
Black and white blurs place and time and opens the door to the viewer’s imagination. Which allows him to enter the image, to appropriate it, and sometimes even to stick his own story to it. But all this is more a matter of observation than of a preliminary approach.
Q7. Can you share a particular moment or photograph that holds special significance for you and explain why?
Lili, 2013 represents the moment when my last daughter, Nil, 5 years old, knelt down in front of an orphaned fawn that we had brought at home.
The moment is frozen just before the contact between the child and the young animal.
The story was short, and the end is sad but it has deeply marked our family and I am happy that thanks to this image it goes through time.
It’s my most iconic image and the best selling as well.
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Q8. Can you shed some light on your educational background and how it helped frame your career in photography?
I have no technical or cultural background, either in sculpture or photography. My short schooling did not give me the opportunity to learn from others.
While I had no photographic culture, my work was compared to artists such as Sally Mann, Eliott Erwitt, Emmet Gowin or Henri Cartier-Bresson.
It is thanks to the audience that I realized that I was building more than a family album and it is this popular and professional craze that led me to a form of introspection. And that’s how I forged my artistic approach. I realized that family photography could be a new way of making art.
Even today I stay away from currents and influences and I express myself by instinct. I have little interest in photography I prefer to feed myself on other forms of art, such as painting or architecture.
Q9. What ideas do you look for before deciding on any photoshoot?
My photographic sessions are always very short, never more than 15/20 minutes. I always work in natural light with my one and only camera lens (currently a Leica Q2 + 28 mm) always ready to use.
I perfectly know my environment, lighting, the nicest textures, and the best spots. Then waiting for a good moment is all I do for my family to indulge in some good moment. Meanwhile, I never interfere and just observe the life around me.
My kids are the creative members of my crew. Even if by growing up they lose a little of this soft madness that characterizes early childhood, they offer me to see a continuous play of which my eye doesn’t grow tired.
Q10. Your work has garnered international recognition. How has this attention affected your approach to photography and your personal life?
I immortalize the childhood and youth of my children. When we leave this land, the photographs will remain and testify of our passage, they will have a documentary and sociological value. It is a work of transmission and all the love I have for my children is contained in this heritage that I bequeath to them.
They all understood this very well and always looked at my work with great compassion. Especially since I never publish an image without their consent. Today 4 of them are young adults and some have left the nest. Photographic opportunities are rarer but they are very comfortable with their notoriety.
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Q11. How do you balance your role as a photographer with your role as a parent and partner in your family’s daily life?
Photography has never interfered with our privacy. However, it has opened us up to the world.
I come from a modest background where art had no place.
My artistic career is the fruit of happy happenings that I had not anticipated at all. My family has been drawn into this whirlwind of exhibitions, trips, and publications and we are all very grateful to all those who have been touched and are following our life on the edge of the world with interest.
Q12. What advice would you give to aspiring photographers who want to explore and document their own family life in a meaningful way?
Stay away from influences, Don’t bully your children with long or contrained sessions.
Be a discreet and sincere witness, and make a work without cheating, which truly respects the mood and the essence of your family.
Don’t try to photograph like another photographer, follow your own path. Each family is unique and deserves its exclusive photographic style.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Through his lens, Alain has witnessed the power of capturing life’s unfiltered beauty, the warmth of family bonds, and the value of small moments. Laboile’s work serves as proof to the enduring appeal of art that touches the hearts of individuals worldwide.
This is just a small glimpse of the amazing work and talent of Alain’s work. He is an exceptional black and white portrait photographer with immense love and dedication to his work.
Alain Laboile’s work continues to remind us that in the hustle and bustle of our lives, there is poetry to be found in the simplest of moments. His images are not just photographs; they are windows into the soul of the human experience, and for that, we are immensely grateful.
To view more of Alain’s work, Click here.
