At the beginning of October, Olivier Michallet was awarded, from the hands of Muriel Pénicaud, former Minister of Labor, the first prize in the annual Immersion/s competition, organized by the FFPMI (French Federation of Photography and Image Professions) .
He was in the running with 179 photographers, invited to highlight the know-how of professions linked to food. The event took place in a gallery in the Marais in Paris, a district where Olivier, originally a pastry chef, did his apprenticeship more than 20 years ago, at the prestigious Maison Stohrer to be precise.
Back to basics, irony of fate? A coincidence in any case, considering Olivier’s journey, made up of multiple experiences, travels, meetings. After his training in pastry, Olivier first practiced his art within Relais et Châteaux in Canada, then moved on to selling kitchen utensils, while continuing with pastry and already becoming interested in culinary photography. His meeting with Nicolas Mithieux, a renowned photographer, coupled with his talent, his audacity and a good alignment of the planets, decided his new professional direction. An activity that he will carry out full-time from 2015, upon his return to France for family reasons. Today Olivier is 43 years old.
Its primary vocation: pastry
He created his studio MHT and works as a food and cosmetic photographer for major brands in the region. At the same time, he developed the concept OBJ… ETC, featuring in frames, “dare objects full of affect”, as he likes to define them (toys, miniature cars, mythical figurines, marshmallow bears, etc.). Paintings that he exhibits here and there, at the same time as his photos. The success of his latest exhibition encouraged him to enter the Emulsion/s competition, for which he chose a self-portrait, in a pastry chef’s jacket, highlighting his hands firmly kneading bread dough. A photograph which perfectly illustrates Olivier’s journey and personality, “don’t give up and hold on to your goals “, recalling his primary vocation and what built him: pastry making.
Midi Libre correspondent: 06 65 07 94 46
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