F.Berluteau Poetography Blog

Here you go, my BIG announcement!

Florence and her pictures will go to Nantes, France!!!

I knew of Nantes for the famous Edict of Nantes and Battle of Nantes from my history class, but didn’t know it is now a city of Art and Culture.  I heard many artists are moving there or want to move there.  For those of us who are not familiar with France, Nantes is only 2 hours from Paris by TGV (see map below).

So to make a long story short, this city of Nantes is going to have a big event about Japan from the end of August to the end of October.  The name of the event is “Itinéraires Nantes Japon.”  There will be lots of different shows, movies, lectures, performances, demonstrations, etc.  Also Nantes is a sister city to Niigata (northern very snowy part of Japan), and people from Niigata will participate in the special program.

The city’s official website is here.

You can click on the image below and download the official program (pdf file).

Back to Florence’s exhibition –

As you can see in the program, Florence’s exhibition is listed first   That’s a good sign, right?  Okay, are you ready?  Her exhibition will be at the main event site, Cosmopolis, and 50 Japan pictures will be shown there.  Yes, you read it right.  Fifty pictures, 5-0!!!  Not only that, some of them will be in large and larger sizes!!!!! (If you are curious about where those 50 pictures will be hung, go click “READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY” below.)

This is certainly the biggest exhibition ever.  And guess what.  Some of the pictures are brand new, fresh from the Japan trip that Florence and I did a few weeks ago!

By the way, I will never ever go back to Japan in the summer time.  It was like being in sauna all day (and night) long.  You would sweat just standing there.  It was even hard to breath at first because of the heavy humid air.  I just admire Florence so much for having carried her camera gears in that condition and actually shot great pictures.  If Florence okays, I’ll post one of the pictures here as a sneak preview before the exhibition.

With a room for 50 pictures, you would think it’s easy to select.  Well, it was not.  There were lots of other pictures that we wanted to show, but we had to drop them from the selection, unfortunately.  Neither Florence nor I like the picture selection process.  We have our favorites, but cannot choose all of them.  So often times we would end up getting into a heated discussion, if you know what I mean…

So here are Florence’s Nantes exhibition details:

Title: Japon – un pays, deux mondes

Date: du vendredi 10 septembre au dimanche 10 octobre

Place: Espace Cosmopolis 18, rue Scribe, 44000 Nantes

Opening: Vendredi 10 septembre 2010 à 18h30 (Inauguration)

Website: http://www.nantes.fr/culture/actualites-culturelles/2010_2/nantes_japon

Please everyone, come to Florence’s biggest showing ever!!!


READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

Florence appeared in a newspaper again!  Well, but it was some time ago, in January, to be exact.  The paper was La Dépêche du Midi.

Please someone translate this for me…

If you want to see the article in a larger size, click on the image. You’ll be able to view the actual article in pdf.

After featuring Florence pictures in their first two issues, the ADT magazine published another one in their 3rd issue. She did the shooting with some members of the orchestra at the Toulouse museum. Clefs de Saint-Pierre celebrates their 10th anniversary with the Capitole National Orchestra of Toulouse. We wish them bigger & stronger coming years like this elephant.

Sorry, I have not been able to update this blog for a long time, but Florence has been really active in her work and got some very exciting news. I’ll catch up soon and let you know about all those excitements, but right now I need to make a quick announement.

Florence’s work on “unusual Japan” will be shown in Paris as a part of collective exhibition. There will be 3 other artists along with her showing Japan from very different perspectives using different approaches.
Here are details of the collective exhibition:

Title: Exposition Collective Autour du Japon – No 2 (Le Japon insolite)

Date: du 16 juin au 7 juillet

Place: Espace Japon 12 rue de Nancy, 75010 Paris

Opening: Vendredi 18 juin 2010 à partir de 18h

Website: http://www.espacejapon.com/expo/actuellement/429.html

So the opening is TODAY and both Florence & I will be there. Please come to say hi to us!

Florence appeared in a couple of magazines.  The first one is ADT.  In their first issue, one of her pictures was used for an article.  This time, Florence was asked to take pictures based on a theme that the magazine chose.  There were several pictures that they really liked, but in the end they decided to publish this photo above in a two page spread.  It is different from the kind of pictures that Florence normally takes, but definitely shows her unique perspective.  This photo was taken in France.

There was an article that was supposed to go with all the pictures. They decided not to include the article because they wanted to leave the largest space for this one picture and make sure not to diminish its impact. See the result?   Though appreciated their thoughtfulness, Florence really liked the article. So here is the “phantom” article, in French , written by D. Crebassol:

Florence Berluteau

Talents à découvrir : dans chaque numéro, à l’invitation d’ADT, un photographe livre sa vision de l’air du temps.

La rue, la nature et le ciel, les chantiers et les zones industrielles, quel que soit le contexte, quel que soit l’environnement, au vol du regard Florence Berluteau saisit en voyageuse des images découpées avec précision dans le flux dense des sensations. Elle en détache des détails accessoires, des vues légèrement décalées, avec une pointe d’humour, un certain goût de l’insolite et une fausse naïveté joyeuse, que renforce sa passion immodérée et toujours grandissante pour la couleur, franche, pure et tonique (la photo qui illustrait le dossier « Créer en crise » dans notre premier numéro, c’était elle). Avec Berluteau, même les sujets les plus graves, la pollution, l’errance, dégagent leur petite chanson : « allons, le monde n’est pas si laid, le monde n’est pas si triste… »

Another magazine appearance was in a travel magazine, TENTATION.  They introduced Florence in a small column and again I have no idea what it says.  Well, no, I can actually guess some of the things that this column talks about – the Visa Off prize and her recent showing at Fnac.  I can also tell that they published the wrong website address!  Florence’s website URL is www.fberluteau.com. They will make a correction in the next issue.

Did you go to Florence’s “Jeux déau” exhibition in Perpignan or Espira de l’Agly?  If not, here is your chance.  Florence’s Visa Off 2009 winning photos will be exhibited at the fnac (Toulouse -Wilson) store!

Title:  Jeux d’eau

Date:  Du mardi 3 novembre au samedi 21 novembre 2009

Place:  Fnac Toulouse-Wilson (au forum) 16 all F Roosevelt 31000 Toulouse

Web:  Fnac Magasins

I’m late!  I’m late!!!

Two exhibitions, “Water Works” and “Colors of China”  are now open at the city hall in Espira de l’Agly.  It’s a village nearby Perpignan.  Please join Florence at the opening on October 23rd!

Exhibitions:  1) Jeux d’eau   2) le Yunnan “Couleurs de Chine”

Date:  du 16 au 31 octobre

Place:  Mairie Espira de l’Agly  27 Rue du Septembre, 66600 Espira de l’Agly

Opening:  Vendredi 23 octobre à partir de 18h30

The photo above entitled “Perfectionism” is in the “Colors of China” exhibition.   It was a window that Florence found in Yunnan prefecture.  What a meticulous work and striking colors!

Florence’s first exhibition in Paris at Espace Japon ended with success.  She exhibited 30 colorful pictures from Japan.  Look at all these people at the opening!  These pictures were shot by Monsieur Bernard Béraud (founder of Espace Japon).  Florence met many people there and talked, talked, talked, and talked.  I don’t know how she does it.  Talking, talking, talking, forever!  And she says she doesn’t like to talk.  You’re right…

Thank you, everybody who came to this exhibition!!!  Thanks Elodie with Espace Japon for your big help!

YES, SHE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Florence’s “Water Works” selection has won the Free Theme category Prize in the 2009 Visa Off photo festival in Perpignan.

The picture was shot (by me) at the award ceremony which was held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Perpignan in the early evening of September 3.  The room did not have an air conditioning, and with all the photographers, press/media, festival staffs, and publics gathered, the room was steamy hot.  I had no idea what was happening on the stage because I do not understand French. All of a sudden, I heard Florence’s name.  I looked at Florence, but her whole body was completely frozen and she looked dead serious.  A few seconds later, I heard her name, again.  Florence’s face lit up, and everybody clapped their hands.  Then I finally realized she had gotten the prize.  We didn’t even know Florence was among the three nominees for the prize!  She went up to the stage and was given the prize.  She told me later that she was so nervous throughout this ceremony to the point she thought she was going to faint. I guess this picture shows her nervousness in her unusual smile.  The man with a microphone is monsieur Maurice Halimi, assistant of the mayor with the culture of the town of Perpignan.  Again I didn’t understand a word of what he was saying, but according to Florence he spoke really nice things about Florence and her work.

After monsieur Halimi’s speech, Florence was asked to give a short speech.  Oh, NO!  This prize was much to her surprise, and so she was not prepared at all to give a speech.  But somehow she pulled it off.  I don’t know exactly what she said, but according to Florence, she thanked all the staffs of the Festival Off and the town of Perpignan for their hospitality and kindness.  To your right hand of the picture, the woman standing with the Visa Off t-shirt on is madame Jacqueline Guenoun, Secretary of the Festival. Florence met her at the opening.  She was running around organizing everything, but very kindly took time to talk to Florence.

Here is a photo with all other winners and nominees.  Finally Florence has a smile on her face.  But do you know what she did at first?  Florence was holding her certificate backwards! Several press people were trying to take pictures but they couldn’t because Florence was not holding the certificate right. And do you know what she said to me later?  “Because I didn’t want to show off.”  Oh, Florence, Florence…

So in this picture, from your left, monsieur Didier Hoiry, President of the Visa Off.  Next to the president is madame Bettina David Fauchier, another nominee for the Free Theme Prize.  Florence and I loved her pictures!  And the man in red shirt is the winner of the Collective Prize and the tall man on your right is the Photo Reportage Amateur Prize winner.

Here is Florence with her supporters after the award ceremony.  To your left, Audrey from RFM radio.  We met her at the opening of the Festival.  Since then she has been promoted(?) to Florence’s Perpignan local assistant.  She doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak French, but somehow Audrey and I decided that we were going to make a revolution soon because we are exploited!  Well… not exactly, but you know… we are volunteers, so… Watch out, Florence!    Next to Audrey is Christophe who is a good friend of Florence and happened to live in Perpignan.  He is such a fashionable guy as you can see in this picture and very nice.  Without him, Florence wouln’t have been able to participate in the festival.  Actually, we wouldn’t have even made it to our hotel in Perpignan. Perpignan is a small city, but the roads there are unbelievability confusing (and so narrow).  Florence who is new to this town didn’t know where to go, and I couldn’t even read some of the road signs or the map because they are in French!  Christophe drove us to our hotel, took us around the city, showed us good restaurants to eat, etc.  He even helped Florence hang her pictures for her exhibition.  This was another story which I’ll tell you about later.  The cool thing about Christophe is that he said he “knew” Florence was going to win the prize (and that’s why he came to the ceremony).  He certainly has eyes for true art! And finally next to Florence is… a ghost. Well, let’s keep it that way

Finally, today September 9, in a few hours, they are going to do screenings of the photos on this gigantic screen at the Republic Square in Perpignan.  Unfortunately, I won’t be able to see Florene’s photo on this screen because I had already left France, but Florence will be there with her supporters.

Florence and I had a wonderful time in Perpignan.  As Florence said on the stage, the festival staffs were very welcoming and kind.  This photo festival is one of the biggest events that I have ever been to.  Between the Visa pour l’Image and the Festival Off, the entire city of Perpignan is involved in these events for two weeks.  I can only imagine how much work it requires, especially for the staff members.  Other than the people I mentioned above, Delphine and Jean-Louis from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry were very nice and helpful as well.

Florence and I were also impressed with the fact that the judges of the Festival Off actually went all over the city and evaluated all the exhibitions (69 of them!) with their eyes.  I thought they had already decided on the prizes based on the digital images and prints that participants submitted when they applied, but apparently that was not the case.

I will write more about Florence’s Visa Off exhibition and other stuffs, but for now,

Thank you, everyone!  Thank you, Visa Off!  Thank you, Perpignan!

Florence is going to PARIS!!!

Another exhibition has been scheduled at Espace Japon in Paris. Here is the detail:

Title: Japon – Couleurs vives

Date: du 29 septembre au 10 octobre

Place: Espace Japon  12 rue de Nancy, 75010 Paris

Opening: Mardi 29 septembre 2009 à partir de 18h

Website: http://www.espacejapon.com/expo/prochainement/florence_berluteau.html

The picture above entitled, “Geisha at a glance” was awarded Honorable Mention from the 2008 International Photography Awards, and will be shown at Espace Japon. There will be of course never-be-seen-before pictures also. So please everyone, especially those who live in Paris or near Paris, come to see the show!

By the way, this photo has an interesting behind-the-scene story.

This picture was taken during one of the new year holidays in Kyoto, Japan. It was right in front of Nanzenji temple. Florence was taking pictures somewhere, and I was just walking around and patiently waiting for her. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this Geisha* woman and possibly her proprietress of the house walked by right in front of me. You know, shooting pictures of Geisha is a photographers’ dream, especially Florence, but she was not with me at that time. They were walking really fast, most probably because they didn’t want to attract all those tourists’ attention. I didn’t have time to go look for Florence. I said to myself, “Too bad, Florence lost a great shutter chance.” Then there she was. Florence came running, chasing after the Geisha!

Go Florence! Go!!!

Florence was running and running after the Geisha woman with her heavy camera in her hands and her camera bag on her back. The Geisha woman was going and going REALLY fast with short steps.

You know, you can’t really walk with long strides when wearing Kimono. You have to walk with tiny steps. Not only that, how in the world could a person walk or run so fast with these sandals on???

These sandals are called Koppori and made of wood. Good ones are hand made like this and really expensive:

Anyway, Florence finally caught up with this Geisha woman when she was about to get in a taxi cab.

Then all the miracles came together:

A BEAUTIFUL GEISHA woman with RED Kimono getting on a GREEN car GLANCED at Florence for one second, and Florence was able to click the shutter at that MOMENT.

Bravo!!!

* This woman is not really a Geisha. She is a Maiko (apprentice Geisha) to be exact.