“My first camera was a compact film camera that my parents gave me for my communion, so I know what it’s like to go to the photographer to wait to see his photo” laughs Sylvie Rodriguez. The photographer rewinds the film of life to evoke her passion, photography, which she developed at a very young age. These parents already had this taste for the instant and forever freezing a memory in time. From the age of 9, the young girl from Sancheville (Eure-et-Loir) tried her hand at taking photos, but it was at 18 that she confirmed her taste for photography. “On my birthday, I got a digital SLR,” says Sylvie. I was able to push my technique further. I liked it and I knew I wanted to make it my career.”
She passed my CAP in 2011, but struggled for two years to make a living from it. She takes on odd jobs to afford professional equipment, particularly lighting. She finally started in 2013. “What defines me the most is portraiture. I like the exchange between the person photographed and the photographer,” assures the young mother of two children who favors black and white. “I’m a huge fan because we ignore the colors and focus on the subject. In addition, with this technique, I find that the emotion is increased tenfold,” judges the artist.
“Everything comes together in this photo”
An emotion that the artist was able to capture during a photo session at Philippine’s. She contacted me after seeing the “Women” exhibition last July, in the hall of the town hall of Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir). “It touched her, she wanted this kind of photo.” The two women find themselves in the apartment of the young tourist guide. Rather shy, the model trusts the professional to accompany her in the poses. “I really liked this photo shoot,” remembers the photographer. The gestures, the mastery of light, the emotion, the impact, everything comes together in this photo to be presented in a competition.”
Sylvie Rodriguez therefore presents her portrait in the competition organized by the European Federation of Photography (FEP). More than 330 European photographers presented more than 3,300 images for the FEP awards for the year 2024. Individually, the resident of Moisy (Loir-et-Cher) was awarded in the “Portrait and People” category in the same way. as well as prestigious colleagues like Pierre Delaunay, Fréderic Sicard, Thibault Chappe, Gérard Boisjot. “When I saw the names of photographers, very good and very technical, I said to myself that the level was very high,” attests the winner. However, the jury chose the photo of the Dun photographer, a consecration. “I jumped for joy. It’s really rewarding to have a professional perspective. It’s a recognition of the community, it does a lot of good,” relishes the photographer.
A new title for this professional who had already obtained the European Photographer in July 2022, and who is currently preparing for the very competitive France 2025 portraitist competition.
