Natalie Schield
Eric Roman
Photo 100
7/13/2018
Valerie Jardin
Valerie Jardin is a French photographer who grew up in the United States. Along with taking photographs, she spends her free time writing, podcasting, and teaching skills to her students. She focuses on “chasing light” and “telling stories” through her work of street photography. “My love of humankind drives me to wander the city streets tirelessly to capture the candid moments of daily life” (Jardin). When all elements of her pictures come together, she must show her students. What truly captured my eye about her photography is that it is simple every day photography but has so much meaning behind it.
While browsing through her website, I came along an album completely dedicated to smiles of strangers. What photographer stops to appreciate others happiness? Through each of her pictures of other people, you can tell how much joy it brought to their life that someone was that interested into them. She also has an entire album consisting of dogs that she has spotted on the street. Who doesn't love dogs? Another post she keeps on her website is a journey with one of her friends through big cities. As he kept “doing something for nothing,” she photographed the experience. It shows how small gestures can go a long way. These two things ultimately pulled me closer to her work. In her book, “Street Photography, Creative Vision Behind the Lens,” I came across a picture of a younger girl looking out at the world behind a clock. She doesn’t list a clear reasoning of why she took the photograph other than using the clock as a framing device. To me it represents how the youth grow up too fast, with time passing right in front of them. While they grow up, it is important for them to take second to stop time and acknowledge the world around them.
Jardin shows her truly colors through every picture she takes. Although the majority of the pictures she takes may not be of her, you can tell how deep down she has empathy for other people. She takes simple things and gives them so much life. Each black and white photograph she takes shows so much color. Her goal of chasing light has millions of meanings as far as chasing the light in the darkness of the world. Her street photography successfully captures little everyday moments that have so much meaning behind them. As they say, a picture says a thousand words.
Jardin, Valerie. “About.” Valérie Jardin,
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