About me

About Me

I was 25 years old when I discovered railroads and their universe. I was able to visit shops and to ride on a train cab. I eventually decided to become a railroader myself. Today, I am working as a train driver for the SNCF company (the French Railways) on the commuter trains around Paris.

About my cameras

I got interested in Railroad Photography after reading a French magazine named Voies Ferrées. I bought my first camera after a few months of work. This was a Minolta Maxxum 700si. Since that moment, I have been very loyal to that brand (and the one which purchase it). My first DSLR camera was a Konica Minolta 7D. I have been using it with an analog camera for several years. Today, most of my work is done with a Sony A900 digital camera.

I also take pictures with an Hasselblad 500C/M camera. Since April 2011, I have been experimenting Instant Photography with an iPhone 4 camera and the Hipstamatic application.

About my style

As I already say, I discovered Railroad Photography through the pictures of the French magazine Voies Ferrées in 1995. I logically was inspired with this kind of content for my first work. This was mostly “wedgies” pictures (calendar like picture with sun and a train that one can easily recognize). After a year or two, some of my pictures were accepted to be published. I later worked for Objectif Rail, another French magazine, writing several articles.

I did this for less than ten years. Then I was bored of doing the same kind of picture over and over. Subjects were different but composition and atmosphere were similar. At this moment – we are at the beginning of the years 2000s – I discovered North America, its railroads and its long tradition of Railroad Photography. Steinheimer’s, Link’s and Plowden‘s works were a revelation for me: it was possible to be a railfan and to have my own creative style!

Today’s photographers who inspire me are Michael Kenna or Misko Kranjec. My favorite themes of work are Paris suburbs (myplace of work), Lorraine (my native region) and other countries (especially North America and Australia). I also work Instant Photography with the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone4. For me, it is the 21st century Polaroid camera that allows to do pictures with my personality. I use the Digital Reflex camera to do finely-worked pictures, mostly monochrome. And finally, I still do wedgies!

Recent work

You can discover some of my pictures on railpictures.net: http://www.railpictures.net/rino54/

2011 – Chart for the book “Les dépôts vapeurs du Sud-Ouest”, La Vie du Rail editions.