In the Iraty forest
BY THOMAS LODIN, photograph
Thomas Lodin is a long-standing friend from Nantes. A seasoned surfer and freelance photographer, he now lives in Biarritz, where he pursues his two passions. His photographic universe and his work around surfing tend towards simplicity, authenticity and poetry.
As part of our previous 'Postcards' collection, he took us on a tour of the arid Bardenas desert and the sculptural beaches of Zumaia. This time, the photographer set up his lens in the shade of the majestic trees of the Iraty forest.
" I approach each shoot with a new blank page."
Chemise Croft
Chemise épaisse multicolore avec larges poches poitrine plaquées à rabat. Boutons en corozo naturel.
Teddy Bandadog
Veste bleue indigo avec patch brodé. Col Teddy et boutons pressions. Poches passepoilées. En collaboration avec l'artiste Camille de Cussac.
Pantalon Swing marron
Pantalon en velours marron à pinces. Poches italiennes, coupe fuselée. Boutons en corozo naturel et zip YKK.
"You can plan everything, but the best images are often created by chance."
Whether I'm working on ocean/surfs or fashion, I approach my work in the same way. You can plan everything, but the element of chance often leads to the best images. It's a creative discipline, so I try as hard as I can not to take the easy way out.
Working with light is quite central to my approach. It changes depending on the location. For example, I prefer low-angled light, which means that you have to shoot at the end of the day. I try to find ways of transforming these constraints into advantages, to get the best possible imagery.
In the collective imagination, the Basque Country is all about the waves, Biarritz's Grande Plage and Espelette chilli peppers. We forget about the rain. But contrary to popular belief, it does rain (a lot) in the region. We're close to the Pyrenees, so the area is very green and hilly.
So when I set out to find a place to stage this collection that was different from the coastal areas we'd already explored, I was spoilt for choice. To begin with, I decided to choose places that were familiar to me but that I'd never taken the time to photograph, given that most of my work focuses on the ocean, with my back to the land.
So I did the opposite this time, and after a few winding roads inland, the landscape changed pace and we found ourselves in the middle of century-old trees, curving fields and dotted with old white houses with red shutters. It was a perfect match for the atmosphere we wanted to convey during this shoot.
"I decided to choose places that were familiar to me but that I'd never taken the time to photograph, given that most of my work focuses on the ocean, with my back to the land."
