This full-range course will help participants enrich their gaze, notably by completing a personal project in Arles or nearby that will be exhibited in a group show on the last day.
Jean-Christophe Béchet will advise and guide participants in exploring what makes their gaze unique by having them compare their work.
They will edit the photographs taken the day before and analyze study prints every day.
This key step will involve digital technology. Knowing how to choose photos is as important as shooting them.
Daily editing sessions will allow participants to bring out tangible elements. Analyzing their photographs will help them gain perspective in order to “see with others’ eyes”. They will state their intentions for future shoots, determine the right distance and make aesthetic choices—crucial steps necessary for creating connections between photographs. Sometimes, they also offer the possibility of finding paths in what at first was a matter of chance.

Taking aesthetic account of the idea of “territory”, shooting will be done in Arles, the Camargue or on the coast. Participants will exchange ideas every day and perhaps discuss technical points to better master the camera, considered here as a tool for creation. For those who wish, a midweek introduction to the "situation portrait" will be offered.

Photographic culture will take center stage with a focus on the photo book’s importance. Mr. Béchet will present his work, revealing what goes on behind the scenes of building a photographer’s oeuvre. Some Rencontres d’Arles shows may also serve as teaching aids during a group tour.

At the end of the course, participants will exhibit a cogent, homogenous series. One of the course’s goals, the show will stress the selection process, arrangement and support more than processing files. The goal is both pedagogy and conviviality.

Those who wish may have their portfolios or a small selection of prior works critiqued at the end of the course. This will be optional, especially for the least advanced photographers, as it will not be directly related to the creative process at hand.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BÉCHET
Born in Marseille in 1964, Jean-Christophe Béchet has lived and worked in Paris since 1990. He studied economics and photography at ENSP in Arles before working as a photographer for the press, publishers and galleries. He created the special supplements section for the magazine Réponses Photo and was its editor-in-chief until 2014. Mr. Béchet develops his work a book at a time. Since Marval published “Electric’Cités” in 2002, Trans Photographic Press has come out with 15 monographs of his work, including “Tokyo Station”, “Vues n°0, un manifeste photographique”, “American Puzzle”, “Marseille Ville Natale” and “7 Carnets”. He also wrote Petite Philosophie Pratique de la Prise de vue Photographique (Créaphis). He has just published European Puzzle (Loco) and participated in several shows. Mr. Béchet is represented by “Les Douches, la Galerie” (5, rue Legouvé, Paris 10^th).
www.jcbechet.com/