We caught up with the photography couple, Mathieu and Sandrine, whose portfolio specialises in, but is not limited to, food photography. In this interview we learnt all about their adventurous lifestyle, their methods, and a tasty French recipe.
We are a couple, and have been based in the South of France for six years.
Our first experience of Fotolia goes back to 2006: we were then living on the Reunion Island, a small French territory in the Indian Ocean. Leaving continental France, we had decided in 2004 to go and discover new horizons. The change of scenery was complete, but after 3 years in the tropics, our thirst for discovery and adventure was not quenched. All we had in mind was to travel the world. We had to find a way to fund our project... Searching the Internet, we discovered Fotolia and the possibility to sell your own photos! It was the perfect solution for us at the time: travel, take pictures and sell them to travel more!
We started with building ourselves a small portfolio and understanding how the microstock industry works, before leaving for a round-the-world trip on our bikes for a year (with our camera and our meagre savings) whilst selling of our pictures on Fotolia.
When we came back to France, we had a new challenge: living from what had become a passion. Therefore we considered a whole new way to contribute to microstock – as such, we invested in photo hardware, studio flashes, reflectors etc.
I take pictures and Mathieu handles the post-treatment as well as vectors, which are another side of our work. I specialized in culinary photography, therefore the style is influenced by the subject. Framing and light are oriented so as to be true to it. Post-treatment is voluntarily simple, in order to save the essence of the images and leave buyers edit them at will.
It is hard to be objective, but if our images are so popular it is probably because they answer needs and trends that can be found in every medium. Cuisine, food and gastronomy in a broad sense have an important part in our society, and photography is an important support for the expression of this fact.
Being self-taught, we started photography a few years before under direct sunlight, but today all our pictures are made in a studio. We are always trying to evolve and improve ourselves, while adapting to the demands of the microstock market, and illustrative photography.
You could make a parallel between a cooking recipe, where each ingredient is subtly dosed so as to compose an appetizing and tasty dish. It is the same for an image: a good subject, good framing, a nice setting and a large spoonful of creativity!
When asked which are our favourite images on our Fotolia portfolio, it is difficult to say. We would tend to answer they are the ones which sell the most!
As French people, gastronomy is an integral part of our culture, and of our roots… It is probably what led us to specialize in this theme. Everything is home made! Even though I take inspiration from existing recipes, I try to bring my personal touch in the way I treat my subject. It is true we can sometimes be surprised by the success of a photo or composition, or their lack of success. We make these photos in order to sell them, so if it works it is great and if it does not, we try to figure out why. Is it due to bad framing? Or to a bad subject? It brings us back to the recipe for great images: what ingredient did I forget or poorly dose?
I am not sure if they are actual trends, but certain subjects are recurring, and are quite good representations of our society. You have for instance organic food and healthy eating, but also junk food and fast food... I, too, answer this demand, but I also try to open to other influences, and offer other recipes, which may be less commercial but which still answer a certain demand.
It is difficult to give a categorical answer to what trends we're seeing in 2014, but in my opinion we are in a moment when we need to go back to basics, to natural things, and to rediscover the real taste of things - the homemade. People want to eat better, and healthier, whilst enjoying it. People appreciate taking the time to cook and gather with their friends and family in spite of the hardness of working life.
It was great to correspond with such an interesting couple whose contribution to Fotolia does deservingly well commercially. To see more of their work, just click here