What sparked your passion for photography?
When I did my first winter snowboarding season in 1999 in Tignes, French Alps, I felt the need to keep memories of all the good times with my friends up the hills - so I started with disposable cameras.
Digital photography started growing rapidly and I loved it straight away. The very first digital camera I was using was a Kodak 2MP camera. At the time, I was passionate about panoramas and I was always capturing and stitching together photos.
What impact does living in the French Alps have on your work?
I chose that place for the winter sports and have completely fallen in love with it, all year long. I love to shoot outdoor sports, so I got the perfect playground and backdrops right by my doorstep.
Your work is quite diverse, from real estate to landscape to adventure. Is there something specific you like about photographing adventure sports?
I really don’t like routine, and I love photography as it always provides renewed intellectual challenges - it’s never the same. Especially with outdoor sports, with the variety of sports, the everchanging light and weather conditions you can never shoot the same thing twice.
Which adventure sport is your favorite to shoot and why?
A hard question! I love to shoot all of them, I especially love to shoot activities I’ve never shot before because you’re outside your comfort zone which means your mind is running at 120%. But, if I had to choose only one, it probably would be paragliding / paramotoring or air activities in general because there is so much that hasn’t been done yet, due to complexity of shooting in the air.
The most difficult sport I’ve had to capture is Wingsuit / BASE jumping. Hands down! The action is happening so fast and you can’t repeat it every 5 minutes.
How did you develop your signature style?
I’ve always loved photography with impact, stuff that you stop and look at when you’re scrolling through your social media feed, for instance. So, I’ve always been on the lookout for contrast, color, light, and impactful composition. I also like to use ambient light, flash, or even a mix of both.
My recipe for years has been very simple: Give the best possible justice to the athlete’s performance with the most impactful composition, light and background / backdrop.
Has Red Bull Illume had an impact on your career?
For sure, I love the extra motivation to shoot more personal projects, and I love meeting other photographers and talking with them about our craft and our common issues / ideas.
Did you submit a picture to the Image Quest 2021?
Of course, just like every edition since I first entered 3 editions ago.
You mentioned you were on a photoshoot in Iceland, can you tell us more about it?
Well, yes and no. We often shoot for commercial projects like this one that won’t be released for several months or a year. However, I can tell you about Iceland and how much I love that place. It was my second time there and I fell in love with this incredibly beautiful place all over again. It has one of the most stunning and varied landscapes on the planet with outstanding and welcoming people that keep it clean and protected. I’m a huge fan of New Zealand, I’ve been there 10 times in my life. For me, Iceland is like the New Zealand of the Northern Hemisphere, or the closest thing I’ve found to it!
Are there any other countries you would like to travel to for photography?
Of course, so many of them, even though local travel is what I’ve got my eyes on at the moment. I think I’m going to explore Europe and the Alps more.
Do you have any tips for aspiring/fellow photographers?
Be passionate and ready to work very hard. Talent is not enough, you are going to need to be a skilled one-man army; marketing yourself, negotiating, doing your accounting, and always improving your skills in areas where you not necessarily at the most ease. But if you’re motivated enough, no mountain is too big for you to climb and it’ll be a beautiful journey to embark on.
You can find more of Tristan's work on his website and on Instagram @tristanshu.