Violette Valois: A Photographic Journey Through Light, Shadow, and Passion

The Life and Lens of Violette Valois

Ah, moi, Violette Valois! My life, it is like one of my photographs, filled with light and shadow, composition and emotion. Allow me to share it with you.

I was born in the enchanting city of Lyon, where the rivers Rhône and Saône meet. My parents, they owned a small bookstore, filled with stories and dreams. It was there I found my love for images, flipping through the pages of old photography books, mesmerised by the magic they held.

I never studied photography formally, non. My education, it was the streets of Lyon, the faces of strangers, the play of light and shadow. I learned from the masters, like M. Henri Cartier-Bresson, through their works, their techniques. My father's old camera became my first love. My day job? Ah, I work in a chic art gallery in the heart of Paris. It's a place where art meets life, and I, I am part of it. My friends, they are artists, writers, musicians, dreamers like me. We share laughter, ideas, and sometimes, we capture them through my lens.

Am I in love? Perhaps with Paris, with life, with my art. But a boyfriend? Non, not for now. My heart, it belongs to my passion. My style, it's simple yet elegant. A classic beret, a tailored coat, a scarf that dances with the wind. Always with my Leica M10, a gift to myself after years of saving and dreaming. It's more than a camera; it's a part of me.

I live alone in a charming apartment in Le Quartier Latin. It's filled with memories, photographs, the scent of fresh coffee. My parents, they visit sometimes, and I, I go back to Lyon to embrace my roots. A car? Non, I prefer to walk, to feel the cobblestones beneath my feet, to be part of the city's heartbeat. My Leica, it captures these moments, these feelings.

Travel? Oui, I love to explore. The narrow streets of Rome, the vibrant colours of Barcelona, the history of London. But always, I return to Paris. It's home; it's inspiration. My life, it's a journey through light and shadow, love and loss, art and reality. It's a never-ending quest to capture the soul of the world around me. It's my story, my photograph, my Paris.

Amour et lumière,

Violette “Vignette” Valois