About Julien Thomas
Shooting in high-end hotels, having my hands in tons of rubbish when I work with kids, or going on big trips and wild camping in the middle of nowhere: all these different journeys and worlds are fantastic to me.
Hi, my name is Julien and I’m French, in my early 40s and now working as a freelance professional photographer based in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Over the years, life has taken me on very contrasting journeys and always with a camera on my shoulder. Some journeys such as: adventures in Southeast Asia which turned into photojournalism trips, plastic waste courses for children, and corporate photography.
I never woke up and thought that I would become a professional photographer, it just came over the years while I was living these previous journeys/lives with fantastic experiences for each of them. I’m grateful that photography has always followed me!
Discover my photo galleries, you will meet someone dedicated to his passions and works, with an artistic feeling, and certainly a traveler at heart.
Why photojournalism?
Photojournalism is my big jump into photography and started in 2010. At that time, I was a seasoned traveler living long-term experiences off-the-beaten-track in Southeast Asia: traveling in remote areas to encounter authentic way life, wild camping and taking photos.
These fabulous trips brought me many things, such as lots of special/incredible experiences of a lifetime. Also, this journey ended-up being a super start for me into corporate photography.
Tab the image Why plastic waste courses for children?
Started in 2014, it was a personal ambition related to my previous experiences in these countries.
(…)
During this amazing journey, I’ve collected thousands of discarded plastic bags and experienced hundreds of moments of real happiness from the children.
Why hotel photography?
Honestly, during my previous (above) journey, I was hoping that at some point I could work for an NGO on a long-term plastic waste course. But it never happened.
As I was looking for to stay in Asia, I just came to turn my photography skills for the hospitality industry! Here in 2017, I started at the bottom of the ladder with my first photo shoots for hostels, and step by step to fancier places.
This new journey has been another and very challenging one for the badass traveler I was, and gratefully it brought me a living and professional techniques in corporate photography and post-production.
Why 360-degree photography?
I started this topic during my courses for children.
Actually and during the preps of the project, a project’ partner gave me a 360° photo device (Ricoh Theta) to take such photos during the courses.
However, know that with such a device we’re far away from professional 360-degree photography!
Along my courses with children and the beginning of my passion for 360-degree photography, I saw this virtual tour (Chateau de Mirambeau – France) and I can say that this project blow up my eyes! Stunning 360-degree photos mixed with a fantastic technology: it didn’t take long before I started learning how to create mine.
Questions & Answers
There is nothing to compare, all were amazing and involving personal experiences.
However, a fantastic souvenir I have is in Australia: crossing of the Simpson Desert!
(6 days, 5 nights, ~500kms solo crossing of this desert with my 4WD!)
Know that the backdrop of my experiences in Southeast Asia are related to years of other traveling experiences – which don’t need to be mentioned on my website.
No. But I wish I had done one or two.
I always had more important things to do, other than to sit down and write about myself. I enjoy writing about my experiences, but just for me!
No. I started photography in 2010 during adventurous trips in Asia. Before that (early 2000s), I was taking photos as we all do during our trips, and know that I’ve been traveling quiet a lot! Also, I was working in a very different field than photography.
Sure. I left France just before my 20s and sometimes I’ve spent a few years without going back to see my relatives and friends.
What is important is to pass on / convey what we have seen, to pass on / convey what we have learned, otherwise all we have done has pretty much no value. Because there is only one thing that matters to people: it's knowingness.
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