As a photographer, I particularly appreciate the portrait sessions done in Saint-Tropez, especially out of season. When the alleys are still quiet and the terraces prepare for the season. The sky dazure, with a unique light, becomes the perfect setting for highlighting expressions, materials, attitudes.
What I love in Saint-Tropez is human interaction. Merchants greet you, passers-by take time, models feel good, sometimes even inspired. There is a form of solar benevolence that encourages the moment, that drops postures and leaves room for the sincerity of the gaze.
I photographed in other cities, but Saint Tropez has this rare thing. A visual and sensory charm, nourished by its history, memory and artistic breath. It's hard not to think of some icons that left their footprint here — Brigitte Bardot of course, who was able to embody the freedom of this city without ever freezing it. But also the fashion photographers who, in the 1970s, drew raw energy from the south, capturing images between shadow and brightness, between carelessness and intensity.
In this series, realized in the streets of the historic centre and on the outskirts of the port, I wanted to mix style and spontanity. There are portraits laid and others taken on the alive, all made in natural light. No flash, no white background. Just the moment, matter, exchange between model and city.
I hope that these images will speak to those who love simple but expressive portraits, and to those who, like me, find in Saint-Tropez a playground as much as a field of emotion.
Pierre–Gérard Martin – Photographer