Introduce yourself and tell us how photography came into your life. Where did the journey begin?
My name is Nicolas Digard, and I was born in Paris, France, in 1980. My family owned a house in Brittany, which I used to visit every holiday. When I was eight, an uncle gave me a field guide to the birds of Europe. I was immediately captivated by the marvellous illustrations of hundreds of birds. In fact, whenever I travel somewhere, buying a bird guide for that particular place has become one of my favourite things to do. From the age of eight, birds became my ‘Pokémon’; I spent my days trying to identify them. Then, when I was 11, a friend of my mother’s gave me a Minolta film camera. It seemed only natural to me to try to photograph the birds I saw in my guidebook. When I was 13, I photographed a very rare bird in Brittany and had my first photograph published in a bird magazine. I’ve been doing it ever since.
How would you describe your photographic style today, and how has it changed over the years?
Over time, my style has evolved considerably. I’ve moved on from highly saturated slides (Provia & Velvia) to digital photography. For a while, when using my digital camera, I focused on composition whilst paying less attention to colour. Then, in 2014, I wanted to explore something new. I moved away from wildlife photography for a while to try my hand at more artistic and less documentary-style work. I returned to film and medium format, and it was at that point, working with the Camerncita Film Lab, that I was forced to really think about colour. How could I describe to the lab technician what I wanted to achieve? High contrast or low contrast, vivid colours or pastels? It was a turning point.
Around 2019, I’d had enough of spending a fortune on developing my film, so I decided to find a digital system that would allow me to recapture what film photography had given me. That’s why I chose Fuji.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve returned to my first love: nature photography. However, my style today is much less saturated and warm, and has slightly less contrast than it did during my slide film days. I experimented with a very bright style before finding my current identity. I prefer images that allow the environment to be seen, even though Instagram often encourages close-ups. I like greens that lean towards blue and aim for a slightly cool white balance that still allows for warm areas in the image. I’m also taking more and more photos of nature in the city, and I’m trying my hand at wide-angle wildlife photography using a remote shutter release to explore a slightly different style.
Which photographers have shaped the way you see, and what exactly did you take from them?
The first name that springs to mind is Vincent Munier, who is more than just a wildlife photographer – he’s a true poet of nature. He has an unrivalled sense of composition. But before the advent of digital photography, I was a huge fan of Art Wolfe, and I think it was his work that drew me towards an ultra-saturated style. In terms of photography in general, I’ve been greatly inspired by Sebastião Salgado’s framing, Gregory Crewdson’s strangely frozen scenes, the perfect composition of Irving Penn’s photographs, and Harry Gruyaert’s search for colour.
Currently, I’m fascinated by the work of Takuya Ishiguro. He has developed a unique style: he takes ultra-wide-angle photos of insects, making use of a large depth of field and lens distortions, and sometimes incorporating human elements in the background. His work is somewhat otherworldly within the world of wildlife photography.
If someone could see only one of your photographs, which would you choose to represent your work — and why that one?
Strangely enough, the first image that springs to mind isn’t a nature photograph. It’s a photo I took on film in 2018. It was taken in winter, in the centre of Erdenet, Mongolia. Almost all my friends have this photo on display in their homes, just as I do. And I think it truly captures the contradictions of my search in photography. In the photo, a cow is looking at me, standing in the snow in the heart of the city, surrounded by green and orange buildings. Animals and the city. This image is neither quite a nature photograph nor entirely a documentary shot. I love its colours and have never managed to reproduce them in my digital work.
Which area of photography best describes your work?
Wildlife & Nature Photography.
What first pulled you into wildlife and nature photography, and what keeps the fire going?
I started watching birds when I was eight, after an uncle gave me a bird guide. So, when I was 11 and received my first camera — a Minolta film camera — it felt only natural to start photographing birds. This hobby has become a refuge for me. Being alone in nature calms me and takes me away from the whirlwind of everyday life. Then there are all those fleeting moments that slip away, leaving us wanting to go back out into the field to capture a photo that we weren’t able to take at the time.
How do you plan a shoot — what happens long before you reach the hide or the field?
I’m planning my photos more and more in advance. The reason is simple: I’m increasingly thinking in terms of projects (books, exhibitions) or photos that could win a prize in a competition. This way of thinking forces me to consider what sets my photography apart, or what’s missing to round off a subject. I then look for a location that can bring to life what I have in mind. I decide whether to shoot with a telephoto lens or a wide-angle lens using a remote shutter release. The rest is simply a matter of waiting for my subjects to come along and complete the photograph I had in mind… or at least something close to it.
How much does understanding animal behaviour shape the images you come home with?
It’s essential for me. Knowing your subject allows you to choose the right time to photograph it; it also enables you to pick up on its body language and anticipate its actions. This knowledge grows every time I’m out in the field. For example, by monitoring heron nests year after year, I’ve learnt to understand at what times the previous year’s chicks come to squabble with their parents, when the chicks I have in my viewfinder spot a parent arriving to feed them, and so on… Animals have their own habits, just like us. Understanding these habits allows us to anticipate their behaviour and thus take more striking photos
Tell us about an encounter with wildlife that changed you as a photographer.
I think a key moment was discovering that herons were nesting very close to my home, in a park in the centre of Paris. These herons changed the way I approach wildlife photography. I realised that I didn’t necessarily have to travel far from home to take photos. And, above all, it became a rendez-vous that helped me develop my birdwatching skills. Every year, I go back to see them and get to know them better. Their behaviour raises questions for me: why do last year’s chicks try to return to the nest every year? Why aren’t all the nests in the tree occupied every year?
Where do you draw the line between getting the photograph you want and leaving the animal in peace?
It’s quite simple: I try as best I can not to influence the animal’s behaviour. Scaring it away, luring it, making it change direction – none of that should happen whilst I’m out in the field. I’m like a ghost, observing whilst trying not to be spotted.
What camera and lenses are at the heart of your kit right now, and what makes them right for the way you work?
I mainly use the X-H2s and the XF100–400mm. For the time being, I’ve stuck with the 100–400, as I like its versatility; it’s a 150–600mm equivalent that suits my photography style well, and it’s brighter than the 150–600mm. But I must admit that I often dream of owning the XF500mm f/5.6!
For my wide-angle work, I use a remote shutter release and my favourite lens for hiking: the minuscule Sigma 18–50mm f/2.8.
Which Film Simulation, colour profile or custom camera settings do you keep coming back to, and why do they suit the way you see?
I mainly shoot in RAW, but in Capture One I’ve created a profile based on the Classic Chrome film simulation, which I’ve tweaked to make the greens bluer and the reds more saturated. This gives me the best of both worlds with the Classic Negative simulation, which I love but don’t use very often because I find it makes the skies too grey and is generally too high-contrast.
What keeps you working with the Fuji X system, and what would you miss most if you switched away from it?
As a wildlife photographer, there are plenty of superb full-frame options from Canon, Nikon and Sony. But I love the compactness and lightness of my Fuji kit, as well as the film simulations, which are great starting points for developing your own personal style.
Walk us through your editing workflow — which software do you use, and how much of the final image is made after the shutter closes?
I use Capture One, and I have a fairly standard workflow: I crop, adjust the levels, exposure and contrast, add sharpness, remove grain… But I don’t add any elements that weren’t present in the original photo, and I don’t usually remove any elements either. I try to ensure that the final result remains true to what I experienced on location.
What are you usually trying to achieve in post-processing — and what do you deliberately leave untouched?
I try to add a touch of beauty and poetry without altering the photograph too much. Above all, I want the final image to remain true to what I experienced on location. I try not to change its nature or meaning, but I do sometimes allow myself to tweak the colours a little to add a touch of magic.
If you could leave a single piece of photographic wisdom for someone picking up a camera today, what would it be?
Shoot in manual mode!
What are you working on right now, and where can readers follow it?
At the moment, I’m thinking about putting together a book about the nature that shares our space in the park near my home: the Buttes Chaumont.
I mainly post my photos on Instagram: @nicolasdigard.photos
The post From bird guides to Fujifilm – interview with Nicolas Digard appeared first on Fuji X Passion.