Benjamin Soulard (TBS 2014), Travel lover with a bag of talent

For our second special interview, here is Benjamin Soulard, a TBS graduate who has two passions : photography and travel. Benjamin has created a blog which unites both passions. We thank Benjamin for answering our questions. Please feel free to send comments and questions. Enjoy ! 

1. How would you describe yourself ? Tell us more about your past, your career, leisure activities, and what motivated you to create your project around travel ... ?

I am 29 years old, and have recently returned to Toulouse after 5 years living in Paris. Today I work in the Strategy Division at Airbus, and I graduated from TBS. My first professional experience was in the consulting business. I play tennis, take a great deal of photography and I travel as much as possible !  

2. What was behind your idea to create a website around travel and photography ? 

Before travelling to Thailand 6 years ago, I read a book on photography to learn the basics. I was simply curious about photography but I soon became passionate about it. Today I try to go off and discover new places as much as possible, my camera always poised. A travel photography site became a way of sharing these experiences. 

3. Do you want to take your travel passion further afield ? What other projects are you thinking about ? 

Over the last couple of years I've tried to plan at least one big trip a year. I intend to carry on discovering new destinations on a regular basis. One day I would like to work abroad for a period, and I have the idea going round in my head about doing a world tour. 

4. What is your best souvenir ? Why ?

The colours of Rajasthan, The Day of the Dead festival in Mexico, volcanos in Indonesia, the Great Wall of China. Memories, discoveries, landscapes, ... all in so much profusion that it is hard to pinpoint the best. Thailand holds a unique position because it was my first trip far away with a rucksack.  In addition, New York was a favorite for its cultural diversity, its parks, its atmosphere. Over and above the places to see, my strongest memories are the times spent with people when travelling. 

5. What would be your personal definition of travelling ?

Travelling is a means of escape : to explore and develop a sense of curiosity, to sharing experiences, to go out and discover new things compared to what we already know : culture, landscapes ... 

6. Can you share your knowledge on how to take good photos on adventure travel ?

Photography does have considerable technical aspects, and in my opinion, if you want to improve the quality of your photos, you need to look into the technical side. At the same time, anyone can take a good photo without technical knowledge. The important thing is to observe, to be curious, and in most cases, take the time. 

7. On your blog, we can see that you have put your photos into several categories. Do you have a preferred type (animals, architecture, portraits, etc. ?)

During my first travels, I tried to immortalise every moment, every landscape, and bring back souvenirs from every place I visited. Today, I still try to transcribe and share what I have seen travelling, and sometimes I take photos of places that are photographed by everyone, but I try to take less photos and bring back a different vision when it's possible. I am more and more interested in portrait and street photography rather than monuments. In any case, the subject matter is dependent on where I am and what attracted me there in the first place. 

8. Have you got a striking experience to share with us ? (funny, emotional, dangerous ...) ?

For example, during a treck in Indonesia, I got lost in the night on a volcano as we were climbing to the summit... When travelling, there is always an unexpected turn of events which you look back on with amusement. This unfortunate experience allowed me to take one of my favorite photos. After a while, I came across someone who had had to stop their ascent, and had lit a fire waiting for dawn. When the sun came up, we discovered we were in a place revealing a magnificant panoramic view of the sunrise on the crater. 

9. Where is your next destination ?

I have a long wish list but I haven't decided yet !

10. Finally, how you would describe your website in a three words ?

Photography, escape, travel. The idea is to show the most striking photos of my trips. It is possible to order the photos in different formats to decorate your walls. The prints are produced in France by a fine art printer. Take a look and escape for a moment ! 

For more information : blog !''

Tourdumanque, a travel-inspiring blog :

http://tourdumanque.over-blog.com/2019/11/benjamin-soulard-amateur-voyage-manque-pas-talent.html