Today we’d like to introduce you to Romuald Pliquet

Romuald, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

Photography is an art that has always fascinated me because of the power that a photo can release. A painting, a sculpture, a drawing can also release and provide a strong emotion at the simple sight of them but unlike the photo, it is the fruit of the imagination and the talent of the artist while the photographer is, for his part, , active spectator of a moment, a magical moment that happens at a given moment; which gives, in my opinion, a whole other dimension…

Some photos have even changed the course of history: veterans of the Vietnam War, for example, are unanimous and say they lost the war the day they saw this Vietnamese NCO shot in the head of a Vietnamese enemy in the street; They claim to have understood that day who they were dealing with…

When I was young, my parents didn’t want to send me to surf spots for fear that I would drown, so I had to wait for my moped to be able to go surfing. During that time, I scoured the first surf magazines and transcribed the rides of my idols (Tom Curren, Occy, Pottz and Fletcher) on the asphalt with my skateboard and that’s when I understood that surf photography was a real invitation to travel. My idols were very quickly associated with photographers and my photographic training was therefore built around the photos of John Severson, Tom Servais, Don King…
When I myself became a rider for a big surf brand, I started photographing others in the water. It was a moment for me to extend my time in the ocean and observe my friends up close. Very quickly, the brand’s marketing director asked me to use my photos for advertising and communication campaigns. From that moment on, I began to realize that I had to have a certain look and launched myself as a professional surf photographer. The return trips to Hawaii started to be more numerous…

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Oh no, the road is not as smooth as people may think. The profession has evolved a lot since the arrival of social networks and other individual cameras such as Go Pro. Before, you were sent to do a photo report for a magazine or surf brand, you were paid to take photos; from now on you get paid per photo. Surfers need to feed their social networks on a daily basis and the majority prioritize quantity in favor of quality. Nowadays, a surfer can take a photo of himself alone with his GoPro or iPhone wherever he wants and especially whenever he wants. The aim is above all to show that it is present in such or such conditions. The surfer has become self-taught in his way of communicating. The creative aspect has somewhat disappeared for the photographer, he has almost only become a witness. Today, you have to be available and on the lookout for weather forecasts so as not to miss out on anything. the profession is in real danger while photography has become the biggest vector of communication. It is a paradoxical situation that we must know how to manage. The positive side of this situation is that you must constantly try to advance your photographic approach. Before we didn’t ask ourselves all these questions: you had your box and your creativity

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am a surf photographer specializing in big surfing and particularly like shooting in the water with my water housing. My photos have been nominated several times for the XXL Big Waves Awards. It’s like the Oscars for big surfing. This year, moreover, I risk being selected again for shots at Waimea Bay in Hawaii and Nazare. The particularity of this job is that you must always be on the lookout for big swells and be able to jump on a plane at any moment. Until this winter, I was also a coordinator of rescue missions at sea, in addition to my job as a photographer, which allowed me to be able to leave during my recovery days. But I also missed a lot so I stopped and since then I have devoted myself entirely to chasing swells. The thing I am most proud of is being able to make a living from my passion since surf photography is above all a profession of passion with all that that implies. Namely a lot of energy, money spent for sometimes nothing but also sometimes great rewards given by the ocean. There is also a notion that I have always sought, namely that people recognize my work at first glance. Recently, the chief editor of Surfer’s Journal, which is the bible for surfing, told me that he knew how to recognize my photos among the others. There I said to myself that perhaps I have found my style and that is what makes me happiest: being different from others, having my own universe and perspective. This is why I often tell young photographers who are just starting out to never look at what others are doing but to look for your own path.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.

Risk-taking is obviously very present in big surfing but it’s also what makes you want to go back. You see a world that few people know and above all it allows you to know yourself better. You have limits and sometimes you cross them and sometimes you turn your back. I’m like everyone else: some days I’m afraid in my stomach and look for excuses not to go but once you’re there, you disconnect the brain and consciousness as soon as you put your eye in the peephole . In the evening, when you look at the photos, you say to yourself that yes it was serious and that it wasn’t too careful but it’s like everything, you have to know how to assess the risks, know yourself and stay open and humble facing the ocean. Above all, do not overestimate yourself or underestimate the danger since this is precisely where it becomes very dangerous and problematic for you and others since everyone is watching over everyone in these conditions. This is also what I like about this job since you create bonds with others that are so strong that there is no need to talk to each other to understand each other and, above all, to judge each other. it’s important to stay with everyone, and I also want to say those who give up going since these people have the honesty to recognize that it is not for them or their day and that taking risks not worth the effort. It’s a way to avoid putting others in danger just for the sake of ego.

Pricing:

• XXL Big Wave Awards
• Red Bull Bulletin

Contact Info:

• Website: https://romualdpliquet.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romuald.pliquet/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050376165017
• Other: https://galerieromualdpliquet.com

Image Credits
all credits photos – Romuald pliquet Photography