I had the absolute pleasure of sending the extremely talented photographer Daniel Castonguay some questions about his work! Check out the interview below!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself…

What drew you to photography and how did you develop your style?

I started photography in 1979 as an extracurricular activity. At the beginning I was much more interested in the development than the content of my images and this allowed me to focus on variants in the photographic development process in the darkroom, where I had an interest in textures to the point of making them by hand using a glass plate covered with translucent materials when finishing on paper. My interest in street photography came several years later.

2. Did you study photography? What are your thoughts on art education and is it important for photographers to have a degree?

From the very beginning, I have been self-taught. At the time, our resources were limited to the few books left in the darkroom and I also consulted several books at the library. It sums up my education in photography. I am sure that studying in a photography academy is undoubtedly the normal way to become officially good at it, but I rather directed my studies in engineering and obtained my professional electrical engineering degree in 1989.

3. Nowadays, photography an oversaturated market with both amazing and mediocre imagery. Does this concern you and how do you manage to stay motivated to create in such a crowded environment?

As in all fields there are good and bad but I must admit that since the advent of digital photography, the industry has become a real mess. Many self-promoted professionals working at ridiculously low rates and having no experience have literally killed the business by producing a low-quality tasteless substance. The unregulated industry means that anyone can improvise as a professional photographer and now we notice the disastrous results on the marketplace.On the other hand, there are still artist photographers, who believe that photography is not the result of a service but rather the accomplishment of a philosophy and this makes all the difference in the sense that the artist has an intellectual approach, an intention and a direction which will naturally motivate him to produce a relevant artistic substance.

4. Your images are extremely fascinating, particularly because they do not like look like the typical street photograph we are used to seeing. Instead, they lie somewhere in the realm of abstract art, and I was wondering if this painterly aesthetic was something you developed for a particular reason? Also, do you think that a photograph gains anything by

First and foremost, my work is one of a street photographer. As some people simply cannot believe that it is possible to take photography in new directions and avoid any ambiguity as to the photographic style, let’s then call it “Creative Street Photography”.

In fact, when I started in this style, I was satisfied to do conventional street photography but over time I found it boring to show slices of life as we see them and decided to make it my way. The use of post-production allows me to transport the viewer into a universe which let the imagination decide the story that the image tells. The fact remains that I capitalize a lot on geometry using the urban decor that embellishes the general aesthetic. Working this way is interesting as instead of restricting the viewer to a story, I let his imagination do the work. Actually, there can be as many different stories as viewers.

5. What kind of themes and ideas are you trying to convey through your work? Are there any particular questions you are trying to ask?

Life in its simplest form is the key. I have been working for almost two years on my series ‘Quotidian life’ with the intention of showing the simplicity of daily activities. The daily life is more or less the same for all with a few variations. I consider that a part of my work as a photographer is to bring this daily life into a world of fantasy, something related to reverie. This creates a duality, a paradox. The paradox of the ordinary life in a universe that exists only in one’s own imagination that can literally be anything but still being able to relate to.

5. Can you talk a little bit about the process of shooting an image, and how you prepare for a shoot? Do you know what you want to create beforehand or are you more of a spontaneous photographer?

Photography is first of all an artistic discipline of course, but also one of geometry. In the photographic style that I exploit, which takes place mainly outdoors, a small visual cue makes it possible to have a sketch of the geometry of the whole.

For the rest, I let life take its course and I wait for the photographic opportunities to appear. I have to admit that anticipation is an asset to roughly figure out the spontaneous “sketches” that could occur in the next few seconds while watching urban action unfolding.

6. All of your images are created on location. Can you talk about what kind of challenges you often encounter while photographing outside, and how do you manage to make sure that the public respect your boundaries whilst you are working? What do you look for in a location and how do you know when the setting is right?

One of the first things I do is make sure I am in an area busy enough to be able to take a reasonable amount of images and also blend in with the crowd in a discreet way as a street photographer is not there to make a gear show. As I said earlier, a little visual tracking helps me to verify that the arrangement of buildings, pavement lines and traffic lights offer a favorable geometry to fit aesthetically in the images.

As for the actors, I used to say that they know their role very well, and mine is to capture the “Moment”. To get there, it’s about of being intuitive and predict what could happen in the next few seconds then try to figure out if it be a viable photo but all this happens in a blink of an eye.

7. Even though the landscapes and environment of your images are recognisable to us, your images still manage to maintain a sense of otherworldliness.

Do you think photography should depict reality and do you consider your work to be a world of its own, existing outside the world we live in?

Again, and I often refer to it, it all depends on the artist’s intention. In the artistic approach of my series ‘Quotidian life’, I at some point set myself guides to define in which direction all this was going to go. The fact that my imagery relates to reverie and often refers to a fuzzy and imaginary world is a purely personal choice and in accordance with my artistic intention of depicting life slices in a “poetic” form. By working this way, I have fun creating.

Actually, the final result of imagery seen from an artistic point of view should not be the product of what a group decided, either the result of any artistic fashion to please one and the other but rather the culmination of an idea and the fruit of a personal artistic approach that can literally be anything depending on the artist intention.

8. In a previous interview, you stated “street photography is being part of a continuous theatrical sketch where I play the role of a muted actor. “.

Can you talk a bit about what you mean by playing the role of a muted actor and how this consideration of theatricality adds an additional element to the way in which you approach image making?

If we dwell on it a little, we notice that urban activity is comparable to a play where everyone knows his role without really understanding the scenario or the outcome of the complete story, all of this seems a bit chaotic but if we are able to capture images that each tell a story, all these little stories put together can ultimately form the entire play. It is comparable to a writing that comes in several volumes. My contribution is one of a secondary importance as I act as an accessory character who enjoys the show.

9. I feel that your images are quite reflective and ambiguous, which allows the viewer to pull their own interpretations and narratives from the work. Is narrative important in your imagery? How do you use the sense of environment vs subject to create visual interest and should photography be narrative to be captivating?

It all depends on the style the artist exploits. There are styles that bring more to the contemplation of aesthetics and beauty and other styles that are much more inviting to wander in thoughts and to be guided by his own life experiences and that is what I’m trying to create. My imagery does not impose, it is ventilated, there are empty spaces and it is done on purpose so that the viewer can instinctively fill the gaps and this is how the image “starts” to tell a story”.

10. In this society, where we are all equipped with a camera, do you think photography is still a viable career path?

In my humble opinion, yes it is possible to make a career as an artist but to know if viable raises doubts. Photography from an artistic point of view is not a product but rather a process, the result of a thought and the word “viable” rather refers to making money for living and as opposed as a process, money refers to a finality, a goal. Financially speaking, as we cannot quantify an artistic methodology, it becomes pretty difficult to link art with money. The image itself, which is the product of the process, is quantifiable in monetary terms, but does not in any way guarantee anything viable since too sensitive to the market turmoil and the influence of speculators/collectors.

Additionally, what are thoughts about the rise of technology and how has it impacted your practice over the years?

Digital has revolutionized photography and made it available to everyone. In my case, in the style that I exploit, I need a camera body and a lens …. period. I may not be very fashionable but I am happy with not much and all the fuss around technology has very little impact. My camera is 12 years old and I would never want to change it.

11. What are your thoughts on the current photographic industry and are there any upcoming artists that have caught your eye?

I would say that with the various web platforms that exist now, the face of the market has changed enormously. Many have become a bit nonsense since not curated and no qualification criterias are necessary to get featured, then lowering the general quality of the imagery and penalizing talented artists. Only a few platforms like 1X.com for example, still stand out with its very demanding curatorial team who selects the cream of the crop and that is why and where we can find the best established and emerging artists in the world.

12. Your work is somewhat situated in the genre of Fine Art Photography, a label that is pretty bandied about currently. Do you think that photography is a form of art, and if so, at what point does an image transcend into the ideals of art?

In my opinion, photography becomes Art when there is an artistic approach, an intention and a direction involved. Anyone can improvise as a photographer by shooting anything but the artist photographer does not only take pictures, his art becomes almost a way of life and a philosophy, he wants to say something and his body of work speaks to viewers.

Actually, Fine Art photography is a term given to describe “photography created according to the vision of the artist as a photographer.”

In this perspective, the artist photographer will produce a pure and a unique substance by leaving an imprint of his thought and this is what Fine Art should be.

13. In your opinion, what make a good piece of art? What was the last image/piece of media that captivated you and what was it about it that left an impression on you?

The appreciation of a work being very subjective, there are therefore no criteria or measure to judge if a work is good or not. A work must surprise me, leading me to know more about the artist.

Lately, I immersed in the work of the Canadian painter, Joanne Corneau (1952-2016) alias Corno. Greatly influenced by Andy Warhol, Corno made it her way. Her works are raw, energetic and fluid. In fact I have no interest in a particular painting as Corno herself in her approach and her intention completely fascinated me, hence my interest in the entirety of her body of work.

14. How often do you consider the viewer when creating images? Do you create work for yourself or for others?

It all depends on where in the creative process. Obviously, in the field I do the work from a personal point of view, naturally guided by my artistic intention.

At some point in the post-production stage, when adding textures, this is where my interest for the viewer comes in and my questions are, “Where and how will I bring the viewer into a story? What mood would I like the viewer to be in? “. But as you know, all this is not forged in concrete but rather suggestive.

15. How often do you search for inspiration and do you ever feel pressure to create work as your career has progressed?

I believe that in an artistic career, from the “production” point of view, one of the objectives is to feel comfortable in a style and make it your own. Since I started my “Quotidian life” series almost two years ago, I consider that by always using the same techniques, my work has been refined and made even more precise. However, there is still work to do and I don’t want to put any pressure on myself as the artist’s job is not to deliver a product according to a schedule but rather to materialize his thought and time is not a challenge in this case.

16. Copyright, especially in the technological age, is a huge problem. What actions do you take to ensure that your work is not being used without your permission, and have you had any experiences with plagiarism? Is this an issue that you think about and what are your thoughts about intellectual property rights for artists?

It is one thing for my images to wander the internet, but for them to be reproduced on paper and put up for sale in a gallery is much more serious. So, to slow down the ardor of thieves, all the prints distributed by my gallery or the galleries representing me, carry an authentication seal and a serial number known only to its owner. The authentication documents are also kept in the vault of my offices to confirm the origin of the work in the event of an audit or resale.

Nothing will stop the unscrupulous from stealing and even if I am advised that this may happen, I will especially not start playing detective. On two occasions I was told that my work had been put up for sale once in Germany on an internet sales platform and fortunately by contacting the administrators all of that was quickly resolved. Another tentative in Hong Kong where one of my works was illegally reproduced and for sale in a low-end gallery.

17. Do you have a question that you’d like to ask the next artist I interview?

Are you inclined to belong to an artist’s clique to feel accomplished or rather work alone to avoid the influence of others by doing what you want?

And I will even allow myself to answer first. “For my part, I run away as soon as it smells cliquish …”

18. What are you currently working on at the moment and where can readers find more about you and your work?

Years 2018 and 2019 have been years of production. 2020 has started on a momentum of promoting my work and that was my wish. Certainly, I will continue to grow my series “Quotidian life” as it is really intellectually nourishing. I am also currently working on increasing my presence in the “brick & mortar” galleries, which represents a lot of work so far.

You can follow the latest news and events on social media and my website.

• Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/daniel.castonguay.165
• Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/daniel.castonguay.165/
• Website : https://dancastudios.com/

I hope you appreciated reading me as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you very much for your time and interest.