Édouard Boubat

Édouard Boubat, was a French photographer born on September 13th, 1923 in Paris. Édouard went to school at Ecole Estienne and studied to become a photo-engraver. When he returned to Paris in 1946, Édouard sold his six-volume dictionary to pay for his first camera. Boubat took his first photograph in 1946 and was awarded the Kodak Prize the following year. Boubat loved to see the world through his camera and was curios about the human spirit and when he took his portraits he described himself as a constant foreigner entering people's lives. Jacques Prévert (French poet) described Boubat as 'a poet with a camera' and his photographs were know to reveal his poetic nature. 

I like the work of Édouard Boubat as each one of his portrait photographs tells a story. I chose Édouard Boubat as in most of his photography work he contains at least one of the elements, such as, air, water and earth. Édouard Boubat's work reminds me of  Dorothea Lange's work as they both photograph in black and white and demonstrate a story behind each one of their photos.

I like this Édouard Boubat photograph. As the viewer is instantly drawn in to the figures peaceful expression and the way it strikingly contrasts between the harsh monochrome background. One of the obvious props in the photograph is the shell which is against the figures ear. This could suggest that Boubat wanted to represent children as peaceful and free when they are connected with nature which is reinforced by the boy's expression and how close the shell is to his face.