Born in the south of France, Ben Thouard has always had an obsession: surfing. As a teenager, he discovered photography and, for 20 years, he has combined his two passions.
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The first 10 years of his career were dedicated to surfing photos for brands or magazines. Which allowed him to create a bond of trust with the surfers, “lien primordial“, according to the resident of Tahiti: “Surf photography is a team effort. You have to be able to position yourself in the heart of the wave with a very wide angle and very close to the surfer to get the right shot. Which implies being confident with the surfer.”
Concerning aquatic photography, Ben Thouard is more free and independent. “All the photos I take are taken with apnea and not with a diving tank. For the simple reason that I need to be on the surface to see the surfers evolve on the spot and see the series arrive to place me at the bottom, where I want depending on the size of the wave and where she’s going to break.”
He compares this aquatic photo exercise to a sprint: “I stay 10 to 15 seconds under each wave, it’s not apnea which is very difficult.”
Subject produced by Marine Baud, Raphaël Fol and Lionel Küng.
His exhibition can be found at the ArTypique gallery in Carouge (GE) until October 18, 2024.
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