Photografrika : West African Photographers, A Profession In Transition

WEST AFRICAN PHOTOGRAPHER "From 2012 to 2014, it's on the West African road, aboard the Mercedes 911 (an old fireman truck from the moving photography school "Atelier Nomade") that I have met them , from Mauritania to Guinea Conakry ( and Senegal, Mali & Burkina Faso). While nowadays, digital photography is used almost all around the world, most of them were still equipped with old silver-based camera from the 70/80's. They were having economic difficulties and needed quick changes. "We never had any photography training in our lives, we only learnt how to use our camera by ourselves, that's why our pictures don't look professional at all. When everyone will get his own camera, they won't need us anymore, as they might shoot even better than us. If we do not have any good training, we will disappear little by little and only laboratory will remain, for the customers." told me Mohamed, a photographer from Mauritania. Feeling that I was between two pages of African photography history, I wanted to immortalize them with their third eye, inside their kitschy studios or outside, during wedding or ceremonies. Pride, shyness, fun ... hidden behind their lenses, each photographer had his own way of reacting, to look at me, to hold the camera. That was a way for them to show the realities of their business and keep a track of an era almost over. " See more pictures of this project on www.adrientache.com (Portfolio)