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Alice Gueguin
@alicegueguin
Photographer based in France
We used to spend our summers on the island of Bréhat, where we made beautiful memories as a family together. My dad was the one who immortalized those moments, always having a camera in his hand. He taught me everything, from taking the time to observe our environment to understanding light.
I am hypersensitive and emotional by nature, and I had always taken these characteristics for flaws and weaknesses. I used to repress my emotions a little to not show them. The more I learned about photography, the more I understood that I could fully express my sensitivity and personality through photography. No matter what state of mind I’m in, taking photos allows me to relax and makes my world sweeter.
"Photography is my means of escape, of expression, of letting my imagination flow without any limit."
"When I went to Indonesia in 2017, my father offered me a compact camera. This trip impacted me in many ways – and I fell deeper in love with both nature and photography."
Two years later I returned to Indonesia, this time with more complete photo equipment. When I came home from my trip, I was supposed to sign a permanent contract in a decoration showroom. However, on a fishing boat lost in the Indian Ocean near the island of Flores I was hit by the realization that my place was not there in a showroom. I’m destined to be all over the world, with my camera in hand. I refused the job and it was from that moment that I started my own photography account on Instagram.
"I created my company in 2019, after my trip. I was 100% sure that I wanted photography, my passion, to be my job."
I continue to develop my style little by little, which is done as projects and experiences come to my path. The trips I make and encounters I have on a daily basis open my eyes to the world and enrich me enormously. They allow me to create artistic content that I share on social media and by doing so, I can grow my network and audience. Not long ago I went to a meeting where I’ve gotten into contact with people and which had led me to some great professional projects to come.
I shoot different genres, and I am as excited for portraits and weddings as for outdoor photography. I don’t limit myself in my work as a photographer; I don’t want to put myself in a box. I love photography as a whole and want my inspirations and my imagination to run free – I don’t want to oppress them. The infinite possibilities that come with it are a huge advantage. I have learned to adapt to different subjects and I have no particular apprehensions when it comes to photography in the face of diversity because for me it is a strength and a great horizon.
However, I get the idea that society does not particularly seem to like people who are too versatile. I am often asked what “type” of photographer I am. It’s thought that to be a good photographer, you have to be specialized in one field. While it’s human nature to categorize and label, I have always hated it and I refuse to be part of it. Especially because photography is an art. It has no limit, and as artists, we can flourish in different universes.
So far, a wedding in summer 2021 has boosted my business and bookings for 2022 and 2023 significantly. It was the wedding of my best friend’s sister at the Giverny tithe. The wedding of my dreams! I was completely a fan of the universe they had created. We did a couple shoots in the garden of Claude Monet, my favorite painter. I love the impressionist style and flowers; I was in paradise. I was really able to express myself fully during this performance and I think that was felt through my photographs.
My approach to photography and my artistic eye continues to evolve over the years, with jobs, encounters, travels, and my vision of life. I don’t think we can define an artist by just one of his works as that would be too simplistic.
"Instead, each photograph represents a moment that was lived and that inspired a composition, colors, and style."
I always think before taking a photo and ask myself, why this subject? What inspires me? Why does it touch me? When I edit my photos I always try to transcribe as much as possible the poetry that the subject provokes within me. When I look at a photo, I like that it escapes me, soothes me, and reminds me of good memories. I’m looking for a soft, poetic rendering, which has lightness, melancholy, and helps the view escape for a second from the present moment.
"Reflection is key in my editing. I always look carefully at the original photo before starting the editing."
I visually transport myself back to the place of the photo, to the moment, and I remember what touched me at that moment, what inspired me. Then, once I have the rendering in my head, I go to the editing. I always start with the colors, they bring the atmosphere that I want to give to the photo, then I slightly retouch the light if necessary and I add a little grain for the vintage and imperfect look. I try as best as possible to bring the people who will look at my photos into my universe.
Three of my favorite edits would be these ones:
Île de Bréhat
I love this one because it is the view from my childhood bedroom, in our house in Brittany. It means a lot to me because it reminds me of my holidays with my grandmother and my family during summer. This morning was really magical with the mist that merged with the ocean in the distance. For the edit of this photo, I just slightly accentuated the black to bring up the contrast and I desaturated the colors for a softer rendering. I also added grain. The scene was so beautiful it needed little editing.
Île de Bréhat, sunset
We are currently in a very anxiety-provoking and terrifying period. I fear the future a little more every day. When I look at this photo taken in Bréhat at sunset, I escape mentally from the current circumstances and immediately remember the atmosphere of this moment, so peaceful and serene.
The editing of this photo was quite quick. In the end, I removed the little yellow of the sun that was present, to have the pinkest rendering possible. I worked the black so that it brings out the foliage well and I accentuated the saturation with the brush in a few areas.
Hike in Lac Besson, French Alps
This hike was out of time, with this very thick fog, in the middle of summer. It was very cold and we were the only ones walking around here. The atmosphere was so mysterious, the sun hid little by little while driving up to the spot. Upon arrival at the top, we lost 10 degrees and there was no visibility. These circumstances were totally unexpected, which made this hike so special.
In this photo, I wanted to accentuate the foggy atmosphere of the place, so I increased the black, the shadows and I lowered the exposure, and desaturated the colors.
"While the above photos were all taken in France, I recently traveled to Norway and got to take some whole other photographs."
Everything from A to Z was different and amazed me. My daily life (in France) is the opposite of what I saw in Norway. The food, the climate, the landscapes, the way of life… You have to adapt to the cold and the light. Even though it started to be light rather late, I got up very early to make the most of the little sunshine per day, and I took advantage of the fact that the sun sets very slowly to take pictures in low light. I also photographed at night, something I don’t do a lot in France. This opened up my mind and made me decide to try to bring some of those practices back to France.
The trip itself was powerful; from the moment I saw the fjords of the far north through the window of the plane I knew that this trip was going to mark me for life. This nature and these landscapes, so pure and hostile, put you in your place as soon as you arrive. The first hike on the island of Kvaloya was a big slap. Arriving at the top of a fjord, the wind was blowing very hard and the cold scratched my face, but the view was incredible, almost unreal! I felt in tune with nature throughout the trip, which allowed me to express myself so much in photography.
There were two really strong emotional moments during this trip. The first one was the meeting with a female moose and her calf. I was driving and seeing the signs on the side of the road that indicated the presence of the animal. I hoped to see some but didn’t let my expectations go high because the probability was really small. After several hours of driving towards the island of Senja, I looked through the window and I noticed two black masses in the distance in the woods. The landscapes were all white, which made the moose easier to see. It was a mother and her baby. An extraordinary and magical encounter. They stayed a few minutes, watching my car. I managed to photograph them through the trees and felt deeply grateful for this moment – I did not expect to come across any at all, and I got the chance to see two.
There was also a meeting with a reindeer of Senja. I was walking along the edge of the water on a little beach bordered by the fjords, and I saw fresh footprints in the snow. Following them, I suddenly found myself face to face with three reindeer. It was still magical to be able to observe them in their natural environment so closely and look them in the eyes.
Since I was little I have loved animals. I used to go to camps to go horseback riding and take care of the animals. On those holidays I was in close contact with nature and animals and really learned to appreciate those environments, feeling free and in my element.
Time and travel have helped me realize that no matter my age and whatever the country, I love being in nature, and I love animals. I’m grateful to have found my way of enjoying both also today while being creative as a versatile artist that also shoots for weddings and businesses. If there’s one thing I’d say to other photographers, it’s to never limit yourself. We can be any photographer we want, and we don’t need a label to justify our work.
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