Françoise Courtin is 64 years old. He is French and lives in Bressuire, a medium-sized city in the west of France with 20,000 inhabitants. He is not a professional photographer. He worked as a nurse in an operating room for nearly 40 years.
His hobby was classical guitar, which he practiced at the conservatory in his city. Despite his spouse, a photography enthusiast, teaching him the art’s techniques, he did not find time for photography due to his demanding job, family, and music. In 2011, with more time available, Courtin joined the photo club of his city, BRESSUIRE, and continued to learn photographic techniques, editing, framing, and montage. He enjoyed the idea exchange and camaraderie among club members, finding motivation in learning from others.
Together with his spouse and photographer friends, he organized his first photo exhibition following a trip to Nepal, which was displayed in various locations, including the Moncoutant sur Sèvre photo festival in the summer of 2012. Now retired, photography occupies a significant part of his life. With friends from the photo club, he explores various photographic styles: landscape, street photography, studio work, and impressionist photography.
In 2023, while working on an exhibition project on the theme of “ruins,” Courtin came up with the idea of using faded plants as subjects, aiming to immortalize them before composting. Over several months, he created a photographic collection of dozens of flowers, leaves, and other plants, all faded or dried, and also crafted backgrounds with twigs and small pieces of wood. Most of the photographed flowers came from his garden, friends’ gardens, or the surrounding countryside. Using Photoshop, he then assembled his “plant tableaux” according to his imagination, adding elements one by one until achieving a harmonious overall vision.
This exhibition caught the attention of visitors, earning him notable success. One visitor even asked for permission to use one of his photos as wallpaper for their home, which he gladly accepted. Having always loved nature, Courtin, along with his spouse, enjoys hiking in the countryside and observing the surrounding vegetation. Through his creations, he is happy to share the beauty of faded colors and extraordinary plant shapes. He believes in the importance of sharing and raising awareness about nature’s fragility amidst environmental threats like pollution and pesticides. These “plant tableaux” serve as a memory of the small wonders around us, even in their faded state. Courtin’s work underscores the message that nature is strong and wonderful, but only to a certain point, highlighting the need for respect and conservation.
One of his photos was recently recognized among the top 25 in the “fine art awards 2023 of Dodho,” which was encouraging for him. For all these reasons, Courtin decided to present this portfolio. Even though his photos are not printed, he is thrilled to be published in the digital version and is grateful for the opportunity.
In conclusion, this project has allowed Courtin to assert himself in the creation of a photo style that truly reflects his identity. Some might argue it’s not photography but imagery; however, the key for him is to share ideas, passions, enthusiasm, and sometimes a message—the message that nature is resilient and magnificent up to a certain point. It deserves our respect.
