It is a book, a stroll mixed with texts and photographs, but above all it is a special book. The photos are those of Dominique Marck and the texts of Véronique Palomar-Camplan. In signing session at the restaurant on Capon Fin, Dominique Marck talks about his last born.
He had already walked on the roofs of Nîmes and had pulled out a book. Then, during confinement, he wanted to show his sleeping city. These two works were in black and white because the photographer likes these non-colors. “I wanted to change a bit after all these dark times! A little color doesn’t hurt, but I still prefer black and white …“
We know Prussian blue, royal blue, azure blue, the blue of the apple of my eye or that of Leonard’s paintings, but exactly what is the blue hour? Is the blue hour that of our pair of Denim jeans? Nay! “It’s the moment just before the sun goes down, the city lights up. You can also do it when the sun rises but there, all my photos are taken at dusk. This moment lasts fifteen to twenty minutes. I was checking the internet when the sun was going down and I was off on a mop. It lasted a little over a month and I was running from one place to another!“
And why the blue hour when in our solar country the star of the days is more often the subject of this kind of work? It is a choice, rare and passionate. “I heard about the blue hour, it intrigued me. I inquired and understood. The blue hour is a moment of sweetness, it contrasts with the tumult that we can experience during the day. Daytime photos, I take them in black and white to bring out a feeling. There, the blue hour is already a sensation.“
This book offers many things, a stroll punctuated by beautiful panoramas, a trademark for the photographer. “It’s quite a story because we start from the city center, finally, we go around the city to finish at the Jardins de la Fontaine which are magnified when they are illuminated.“
To underline the value of the photo, Véronique Palomar-Camplan lent herself to the game of writing. For that she inquired, she investigated and uncovered some beautiful and surprising surprises for the readers. Let’s not forget that she worked for a while in the editorial staff of Objectif Gard! “His texts are very important! My first books did not contain any writing. There I wanted to but I’m not very comfortable with it, so Véronique took the hand. She worked a lot on it, did a lot of awesome research and did what I wanted, walk around town and fly away.“
Among the lines of our “National Vero”, the reader will find some crisp anecdotes, but also a lot of information of his own. In Nîmes, the lighting is not at all standardized. Sometimes pink, orange, white or yellow, light bulbs or LEDs could have complicated the photographer’s task. No, he uses it, he uses these variations. “I find it funny but for me it’s perfect! Yes, on the contrary, it allows me to highlight what you are taking a picture of and it allows me to never be repetitive!“Or how to turn a defect into a quality!
Which photos did he enjoy shooting the most? “The three that surround me today: the Maison Carrée, the arenas and the Jardins de la Fontaine.“And the most complicated?”Those which are on the roofs with surrounding lights which could harm the subject.“And Dominique Marck to conclude:”We have a very beautiful city, it’s a shame because we never take enough advantage of looking at it closely. I made this book so that people can see the city at times when few are lucky enough to be able to see it all!“
The book is 140 pages for a good hundred photos and costs 30 euros. How to buy it in Nîmes, in France or abroad? Call Dominique Marck at 06.12.83.57.76 or write to [email protected]. Also go for a walk on the side of the website!
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