Tag: Loire River

Montjean-sur-Loire — The Wrong Road, the Right Place

Posted on Posted in Black and White Photography, Café Culture, France, Landscape Photography, Reportage, Street Photography, Travel photographyTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Gear: Canon EOS 6D Mark II | 16–35mm | 24–70mm | 70–300mm | CPL filter

A Saturday afternoon in June. Montjean-sur-Loire. I was aiming for the suspension bridge in Ancenis. I missed it, found myself heading towards Angers, spotted a sign for the Loire Valley, and followed it on a whim. The Canon 6D Mark II was on the seat beside me. Sometimes that’s all you need.

I had an idea, to get in my car and drive and do some photography. It was an attempt to escape my family. I love them dearly, but sometimes you need a break. So I broke out and got in the car with my camera. Did I have any idea on where I was going? Absolutely not! As I passed the junctions I crossed out the ideas in my head; First Clisson, then Nantes, oh bugger this was going to be long. I remember seeing a photo of the suspension bridge in Ancenis and thought that could do me nicely. It would have done but I didn’t see it and then I found myself on the road to Angers. I could do that… Little did I know that I wouldn’t get there… Ah well. It wouldn’t be the first time. I saw a sign saying the road that follows the Loire Valley. I thought I’d give it a go. I ended up in a place called Montjean sur Loire. You’re not going to believe this, but the huge river I could see was wider even than the Humber, or so it seemed. I had once seen the Loire before as a boy and later as a grown man, but never like this. As a boy it had been a place we drove along whilst going to the Vendée in 1980. As a man I had been next to the Loire and saw it as this massive river meandering along before it got to Nantes, and then went towards St Nazaire. I had read about Huckleberry Finn and his journey along the river. That’s the feeling I had when I parked up on the quayside, minus Mark Twain. There were massive sand banks and islands on the river. The water was so clear, and I saw a fish jumping. I also saw the fry swimming under the boats. I got out of the car and started looking for compositions. After exploring the quayside I decided it was time for a beer. It’s beer o’clock somewhere in the world. I had a 0% beer. What a wonderful idea. There was a poster for a brass band concert for the 4th and 5th of July and it would be performed by the band that Hervé tried to get me interested in… A reason to go back? I found a typical street photography shot. Using the bars of the terrasse to frame my subject.

I looked at the bridge and tried to find a half decent composition. So I did the usual thing. Going around the sides of the bridge, looking towards where I had come from when arriving in town. “Always look behind you.” I wanted the geometry of the bridge and played with the shapes it provided. I wasn’t going to get the dramatic shadows. By the time I got back to the car, I was ready to go home. Back in the car, music on and through the Mauges towards Cholet then, back into Vendée. It was a long afternoon but a good one.

Two traditional Loire flat-bottomed boats moored on sandy bank, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm
Two Loire flat-bottomed boats on river with suspension bridge behind, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm
Loire traditional flat-bottomed boat close-up at water's edge with bridge behind, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II
Looking down into traditional Loire flat-bottomed boat interior, wooden planks and rope, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II
Traditional Loire boat in foreground with dramatic cloud sky and river beyond, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm
Two traditional Loire boats on river with Montjean suspension bridge background, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm
Traditional Loire sailing boat Belle Anguille moored alone on still river, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 70-300mm
Montjean-sur-Loire suspension bridge reflected in still Loire river water, Canon 6D Mark II 70-300mm
Hand-painted nameplate reading Belle Anguille on wooden Loire boat hull, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 70-300mm
Wide Loire river panorama at low water with boats and sandy beach, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm
Three metal flying tern sculptures on poles against sky with Loire river and boat behind, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II
White hollyhock flower in foreground with suspension bridge and Loire river blurred behind, Canon 6D Mark II 70-300mm
Looking along Montjean-sur-Loire suspension bridge roadway toward second pylon, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm
Montjean-sur-Loire suspension bridge from quay with underwater mural on wall and Loire beyond, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm
Underwater scene mural on quay wall beneath Montjean suspension bridge with cobblestones foreground, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm
British red telephone box converted to book exchange, man looking at Loire and bridge beyond, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II
Montjean-sur-Loire suspension bridge over Loire river with dramatic cloud sky, Canon 6D Mark II 16-35mm CPL filter
Festival de Brass Band concert poster for 4th and 5th July 2026, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 24-70mm
Man at café terrasse framed through metal bars with bridge visible behind, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 24-70mm
House martin mud nests under building cornice eaves, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 70-300mm
Rusted curved iron bracket on stone quay wall against pale sky, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 70-300mm
Bière pression Jupiler sign in café window with photographer reflection, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 24-70mm
Weathered carved stone fish sculpture on quayside with Loire river behind, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 70-300mm
Iron mooring ring set in granite quayside stone with shadow, Montjean-sur-Loire, Canon 6D Mark II 70-300mm

The Opening of the Film Archives – Trentemoult October 2016

Posted on Posted in Black and White Photography, Family Life, Film Photography, France, Nantes Photography, Street Photography, The Film ArchivesTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

This was another Ian and Kate day.  Similar in concept to the Ian and Killian day, but a day where I can dedicate myself solely to Kate.  She’s fifteen now of course, but I should spend more time with her.  If she’ll let me of course.  At the time she was only seven—simpler times where I could make her happy with just a nice tea, a boat trip across the river, and just wandering around exploring the intricate streets of an old fishing village on the “bords de Loire.”  There are no cars in the narrow streets, and the children can run wild.  

This day was one spent in Trentemoult, that rather colourful village that you can see here. The colours are intense and provide a great backdrop for portrait photography. So of course I went in with a film camera and black and white film.  Which only goes to show that when you photograph a location, however colourful, and take away the distraction of that colour, you have to really concentrate on composition, texture, and forms.  I couldn’t rely on colour for my photos today.  But I was sure that I could reveal some good photos despite that.

So what do you do?  You just try and capture some moments of your daughter messing around and being a perfectly normal seven year old.  I tried to capture her exploring the streets and being absorbed by the whole ambiance of the place.  She became part of the scenery, and blended in perfectly.

I was just there purely to observe and record the day on film, with one eye in my camera and the other on Kate.  It was a good day.  

Looking back at those moments reminds me of how quickly time seems to slip by without me realising that I am getting older.  She of course is slightly older, and possibly slightly less “insouciante” or carefree, but my love for that girl is still as strong as ever.

Browse the full Film Archives →

The Opening of the Film Archives – Le Hangar à Bananes July 2016

Posted on Posted in Architecture, Black and White Photography, Film Photography, France, Nantes Photography, Street Photography, The Film Archives, UrbanTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

This set takes us to the Île de Nantes, home to the iconic Hangar à Bananes — back to July 2016, when I shot this with my then-favourite Canon AE1. Once a shipbuilding powerhouse, Nantes had cleverly repurposed its abandoned infrastructure into a bustling hub. The area is now home to the fantastical Machines de l’Île, the historic Chantiers Navals, the towering Grue Jaune, and of course, the Hangar à Bananes itself. Back then, the Hangar was a hive of activity, buzzing with picnics, impromptu barbecues, and lazy afternoons under the summer sun.

My goal was to capture that unmistakable “Summer Vibe.” As always, I started with the architecture, drawn to its striking modern lines, a refreshing departure from the stark brutalism of the 1970s. The clever use of texture and the innovative design of the apartment buildings particularly caught my eye.

That summer, the Voyage à Nantes festival had a brilliant idea: communal barbecues for everyone. Genius, right? You simply brought your food, and they provided the grills, charcoal, tables, and chairs. It might not be Texas, but the French know their way around a barbecue, and being the food lovers they are, they go beyond the usual sausages and burgers.

Then there was the dancer. He was just filming himself with a GoPro, but the way the sunlight caught his movements and the glistening sweat on his skin was mesmerising. It was a fleeting moment, the first and only time I’ve ever photographed a dancer, but it left a lasting impression. There’s something undeniably captivating about the human body in motion.

My wanderings continued to the edge of the island, where the mighty Grue Jaune – now a “monument historique” and a symbol of Nantes – stands tall. Walking past and through this enormous yellow crane is still something.

Along the riverfront, the Anneaux de Buren, a series of massive rings, stretched out in a mesmerizing pattern. At night, they transform into a dazzling display of vibrant reds, blues, and greens, which gives you plenty to play with for leading lines, geometric shapes, and unique framings of the cityscape.

And of course, no photo series of mine would be complete without the obligatory bike shot. It’s a bit of a tradition for me.

Even now, in 2024, the Hangar à Bananes still exudes that same “Summer Vibe.” It remains a popular spot for after-work drinks with friends and colleagues, with its restaurants, bars, the HAB Gallery, and the infamous “Warehouse.” While the area can get a bit dicey later at night, it’s perfectly safe and enjoyable for a daytime visit or an early evening soirée.