Back on the blog: a new dimension

🇬🇧 English version

Since mid-July, I’ve somewhat deserted the blog—and for good reason! Normally, I share a glimpse of my work here every week, but this year has taken an unexpected turn: swept up by an incredibly intense season, I had to take a break.

Day Photographies is currently experiencing unprecedented success, and for the past two years, this business that was once seasonal has become year-round, to my great delight.

What photographer wouldn’t dream of seeing their business thrive like this? But this success requires a new and more sustainable organization to continue providing you with what you love, both in photos and content.

To stay true to my approach, I will slow down the blog's pace, but certainly not its quality.

I was told, 'If your business makes it past 10 years, then your success will be assured.' Or, 'You’ll see, after 10 years in business, you’ll reach a new milestone.' I remember receiving these comments with a bit of skepticism.

What could time possibly change?

But today, I must admit that these predictions have come true.

In 2022, when Day Photographies celebrated its 10th anniversary, the business took on a whole new dimension.

For those who have followed my journey from the beginning, you know that I have never relied on mass advertising, preferring a targeted clientele and projects that align with my values.

I have always carefully chosen the people I wanted to work with and focused on the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, my homeland.

While my clientele was once 90% local, it is now made up of 60% local clients, with the remaining 40% being newcomers, primarily Americans and Russians: providing me with a great opportunity to practice my English!

In 2014, I decided to stop doing wedding photography. On one hand, my imposter syndrome prevented me from charging my work what it was truly worth, and on the other, a disappointing experience with an dishonest couple had left me demoralized.

That's when Marie Astrid Agasse entered the scene with her "Photocoach" training, which completely revolutionized my mindset. It was a program I highly recommend to any aspiring professional photographer; it was a revelation for me.

I still enjoyed wedding photography, and I realized that to continue, I simply needed to choose my clients better: couples who shared my values and had inspiring projects. More importantly, I learned to price each shoot based on the actual time and energy I invested. I can still hear myself saying to Marie Astrid, "But people will never want to pay that much for a shoot!" to which she wisely replied, "Are you afraid you won’t book any more? But that doesn’t matter, since you wanted to stop! Even if you only do one or two a season, the key is that you are paid what you're worth and that you’re in the right place."

Those words still resonate with me today, and I will never thank her enough for her invaluable advice.

Thanks to this new approach, I've booked countless extraordinary weddings, each one more inspiring than the last.

Creatively, I’ve been fulfilled beyond my expectations.

By the way, I've created an Instagram account entirely dedicated to my wedding photography: "weddingphotographer St.Tropez." Feel free to follow me there!

The years that followed this training only confirmed everything I had learned.

I refined my artistic approach, established my style, and honed my clientele. Some branches of my work have flourished, while others have been abandoned to make way for a more targeted evolution.

In short, Day Photographies has grown significantly! It is with great pride, and for the sake of my balance, that I have implemented an annual closure.

With my work now spread throughout the year, it has become essential for me to take a proper break. Like any business owner, I often tend to work relentlessly, but to continue being creative and maintain the quality standard that is important to me, I also need to think about preserving my health.

Bookings will remain open until the end of this year, after which Day Photographies will take a break from January 1 to February 16, 2025, inclusive.

As I mentioned in the introduction, I will continue to update this blog, but in a more sporadic manner.

My passion for photography remains strong, and I am delighted to share with you the highlights of my journey, but I no longer want to put pressure on myself.

This summer, my friend and fellow photographer David Bascuñana, a professional photographer in Beaucaire, provided me with emotional support when I came close to burnout. I am so grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people, and since I always keep my promises, I have committed to taking more time for myself.

This year, the post-processing of the photos from the Bravade de Saint-Tropez took a little longer than usual, but I am proud to announce that I have delivered over 1,600 photos. This event is very dear to me, and I appreciate being able to offer my photos to all the Tropéziens, sharing our traditions and the emotions they evoke.

The main principles of my approach remain unchanged: I continue to limit the number of weddings I cover to prioritize the quality of my work.

While my activities are primarily centered around the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, I now find myself traveling beyond it, as some of you have already seen this year.

In addition to photographing weddings, I also organize a few marriage proposals, which adds another dimension to my work. Each moment is filled with emotion, and I take immense joy in capturing these unique instances. Finally, family photo sessions have become a significant part of my practice, evolving into one of my main areas of focus.

Love, in all its forms, remains at the heart of what defines my photography. Whether through a glance, an embrace, or a burst of laughter, each image tells a story. And I can't wait to share these precious moments with you through my future posts.

As I prepare to put together some slideshows of the weddings I recently covered, I am excited to share them with you.

Your feedback and comments, which I have continuously shared with you on my social media, represent an invaluable source of energy for me. They reassure me in the way I interact with each of you and strengthen my passion for my work.

Like every year, I will be heading to Barcelona in March to attend Europe's largest wedding photography conference: BodaF.

This event, always rich in insights and inspiration, has become a seasonal ritual for me, essential over the years. And in May, I will also be present at the Bravade de Saint-Tropez.

But you will discover my projects through my posts, so stay tuned, as the adventure continues!

The price of fame is that many of my posts are reported. My detractors, these "haters," closely follow my activities, and I would say it’s rather flattering.

To them, I want to say that thanks to their interventions, I know my images are appreciated.

However, I would like to offer some advice: perhaps you could focus more on your own work? Because, in reality, there’s no secret: only hard work pays off.

I don’t have the time to look at what others are doing. And when I come across a beautiful image, I am delighted to be surrounded by talented photographers and let them know.

Outside of BodaF or other professional conventions where I enjoy admiring the work and strategy of my peers, I have mostly reached my level through continuous creation, sharing, and exchanging with my colleagues.

I have always been determined to improve relentlessly. Nothing falls from the sky, and I admit I hate hearing that "I'm lucky." Because I know how much effort and perseverance it has taken to get to where I am today.

Photography has always been my sole occupation, without a parallel job. However, I can assure you that I haven’t always paid myself a salary every month.

The golden rule is to never forget where you come from and to remain humble.

Every step of this journey has contributed to shaping the photographer I am today.

And there you have it, a little overview of the journey I’ve taken and this passion that continues to drive me!

I am so grateful for your feedback that brightens my days and motivates me to give my best.

Every wedding, every photo session with amazing families or hopelessly in love couples is a new adventure, and I can’t wait to share even more of these beautiful encounters with you.

Thank you for being here, for being part of this beautiful story, and see you soon for more emotions.