Story and photo by Malcolm Taylor
I discovered my love for photography when my dad put his Canon F1 film camera in my 2-year-old hands. Coming to Arles, France, considered by some to be the photography capital of the world, is nothing short of a dream come true for me.
To me, photography means a love for life and an expression of creativity. I consider my camera to be an extension of myself and a fundamental tool of my daily life.
You can only imagine my excitement when this program in Arles was announced. I had found a chance to study and learn French, work with industry professionals, and meet other creatives – all in the capital of my passion.
Now in Arles, I understand why it is truly a photographer’s playground. Everywhere I look, I am surrounded by deep history, elaborate architecture and beautiful faces. Being in a new country for the first time, I feel a buzz of creativity that I wasn’t anticipating.
When I delved deeper, I realized what had truly caught my eye—along with the eyes of centuries of artists. At the right hour of the day, an abundance of divine light washes over this former Roman provincial capital. Be it a gleaming drop, or a river of luminescence, this town is positively inundated with light. Light is the photographer’s water of life. Photo-graphy literally means light pictures. Without light, there are no pictures.
One day, I decided to try my hand at exploring street photography. After allowing myself to capture some intimate frames of Arles life bathed in the city’s distinctive light, I wandered into a quaint little shop by the name of La Valise Arlésienne.
Immediately, I was hit with the unique odor of old metal and brass equipment. The dry scent of old paper tickled my nose, and my stomach began to flutter out of pure joy. I had just walked into the most beautiful photography store I had even seen. For me, this was equivalent to stepping foot into a dream. Old photographs lined the walls, ancient camera equipment stared back at me with meticulously handcrafted glass. I felt at home.
Patrick Gagey, the owner of the store, said that this is the biggest collection of old photographs for purchase in the world. The son of a photographer, he said that everyone in Arles is either a photographer or becomes a photographer.
Living in Arles has been a transformative experience for me. The light and vibrance of these streets have opened my mind to my beloved craft and have given depth to my perception of my field. I am thankful for this step forward in my creative journey.
Bruce Strong, one of my professors from Syracuse University, is teaching photography as part of this program. While we traversed Arles together one day, he imparted a new ability upon me. He asked me to focus my eyes on him, all while describing my surroundings. I slipped into a flow-like state as I described my surroundings:
A kid brushes past me from shadow into sunlight. A woman takes off her red hat and soaks in the blinding sun. A man picks up a bag from under a table and moves it into the light, showing its vibrant yellow color. A woman opens the blinds on a cafe window. Beautifully soft light pours over the cafe residents.
With this new ability, I’m able to not just see light, but see how the world interacts with light.