The big winner of our competition is 24-year old Pierre-Elie de Pibrac, for his portrait of Burmese children. He wins a trip for two to Greece. To learn a bit more about him, read the interview below.
Congratulations! How did you react when the results were announced?
I admit that it was quite a surprise! I couldn’t believe it. I was in seventh heaven. Plus, being chosen by Yann Arthus-Bertrand himself, what an honour! For me, he’s a reference in the field of photography, so you can just imagine how proud I was! Tell us a bit more about the photo… I went backpacking for a month with two friends in Burma. On the road from Inle Lake, we went past a school and went in with our guide. Children were running all around us. I shot the picture from inside a classroom. I opened the shutter. They were there, laughing their heads off, fascinated by my lens. I pressed on the release without even thinking, on the spur of the moment.
What story does this photo tell?
For me, it suggests the children’s joy and carefree spirit. There’s nothing more genuine than a child; with kids, you can’t cheat. Despite the extreme poverty and repression that reigns in Burma, they’re living their childhood to the full and are eager to learn from others. When we showed them the pictures in the camera, they were really interested and thought they were very amusing. It’s a very moving memory.
What kind of camera did you use?
A Nikon D70 S digital reflex (6 megapixels) with a 35-mm lens. I’ve also got an old SLR camera – a Holga that I’m still really fond of.
Why in black and white?
Maybe I feel a little nostalgia for the photos my grandfather used to take. It seems to me that black and white captures people’s expressions better. The subject catches the eye. It’s as if the emotion of the photo reaches out and grabs you. Black and white conveys a perfectly simple truth, a feeling. With colour, you tend to lose the subject…
Tell us a little about yourself. What’s your relationship with photography?
I was raised by a photographer grandfather (Paul de Cordon), so I’ve always been immersed in that universe. But it really became a passion four years ago, when I did my first story during a stay in New York. Then I did some more with magazines. What I like about photography is the bond that can be created with strangers, the feelings and the emotional aspect. I don’t like “manufactured” photography or re-touching. For me, a photo should reveal emotion. That’s why I like portraits.
Would you like to become a professional?
Sure…but I’ve got to be realistic. For the time being, I’m finishing up my Business degree and then I plan on setting up an advertising agency. In the long term, I won’t give up on the idea of working in photography because I can’t live without it!
How do you use the Pikeo website?
I came across Pikeo by chance when I was looking at different sites that store photos. It seemed really easy to use and fun. When this competition was announced, I jumped at the opportunity to enter lots of pictures from my trip to Burma. It was quite a good find!! I use it to store my photos on the web and get a little publicity… but also to see what other photographers who have the same tastes as me are up to; to make comments, get inspiration...
And your next trip on the horizon?
I’m leaving for Cuba in a few days, with both cameras. I hope to find some good story topics. I’ll keep you posted via the site… And then there’ll be Greece, thanks to you! Thanks again, this prize has convinced me to stick with photography…